[Discussion] OS/2 Compatible?

[Julian Thomas]

On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:28:05 -0500 Joseph J. Hansen wrote:
>
>
>Fresh out of graduate school in 1958, my first job was programming an IBM CPC (Card Programmed Computer) 
to produce tables for interpreting Doppler Radar phase shift data.  It had two card readers (one for binary 
punched cards containing program instructions and one for data), a card punch, and a printer. A macro 
assembler deck was available to help programmers like me.  Assembly language data in -> binary machine 
language data cards out. 

I worked with a CPC in 1955, and as I remember it, the main program was on the plugboards in the accounting 
machine (variant on an IBM 403) and on the electronic calculator (variant on the IBM 604).  It was not in any 
stretch of the imagination a stored program computer, so I question the entry of binary data.  Your installation 
may have had some unique equipment, but the base machine had one reader on the accounting machine and a 
summary punch hooked off of the calculator. These machines also had mod 941 storage modules, known as 
"iceboxes";  each one had 16 ten digit (with sign) registers!
>
>See http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/space/space_card.html 
>
>When we got a 1401 in 1959 or 1960 it was a big step forward.  And when we got a 360 a year later, all the 
programmers rejoiced that we could write code in FORTRAN!

-- 
 Julian Thomas:   jt at jt-mj.net    http://jt-mj.net
 In the beautiful Genesee Valley of Western New York State!
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