>When I first learned to program in 1964 we used an IBM 1620, fondly known >as CADET (Can't Add, Doesn't Even Try). It had 20,000 memory cells, each >of which stored one decimal digit. Words were delimited by a flag bit in the >most significant digit -- i.e. they were variable length. Since there were no >integrated circuits then, the whole desk-sized machine, complete with blinking >lights, console switches, and a built-in IBM Executive electric typewriter for >small amounts of input and output, was made with individual transistors. My >ex could type faster than that machine, especially with a Selectric, but this >was before the Selectric too. > >For larger amounts of input or output one of course used the read-punch unit. >You typed your Fortran program on a keypunch, went to the machine, set the >switches, read in a deck with the Fortran compiler, reset the switches, read in >your program and it punched out the object code on a deck of cards. If you >needed any subroutines (sine, exp, etc.) they were on a separate deck you read >in and it punched out the necessary code. Finally you took your compiled deck >from the punch side, reset the switches, and read it in and got your output off >the typewriter. If you had a lot of output, you punched it to a deck of cards and >took them over to the listing machine, put in an appropriate pegboard to get the >formatting you wanted, and printed out the deck. > >The variable word length was very useful for calculating Fibonacci numbers to >1000's of digits. Incidentally, 3/5/08 last month is a Fibonacci date, the last >one for about 5 years till 5/8/13. After that it's 8/13/21 and that's it for this >century. > >Please do not bend, fold, staple or mutilate these cards. > >Bob In the middle seventies I got a job as a computer operator for an auto parts jobber in San Bernardino. They had a General Automation 1830 which was a clone of the IBM 1130. Ours had 16K of core memory, two disk drives the size of washing machines and a card reader. We had four full time keypunch operators and I fed cards into that thing all day long, about 30,000 per month. We had an IBM sorter in the back room that I sorted cards on and a decollator that I used to separate the multi-part paper from the carbons. Those were the days. -- Knute Johnson Molon Labe...
