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On 18-5-2010 12:56, Invisible wrote:
> I had always assumed that the first computers were like current
> computers, just using relays or whatever instead of transisters, and
> with vastly inferior specifications.
>
> However, it appears that this isn't the case.
>
> For example, I thought they all used latch circuits for memory, but
> apparently not. There were things like core memory, which I'd never
> heard of. Presumably it's faster and cheaper to make core memory as
> opposed to wiring up thousands of latch circuits?
>
> Another example. According to legend, there was a time when if you
> wanted to run a program, you used a machine not unlike a typewriter to
> punch holes into a card. You "type in" the program onto punch cards like
> this, and only once the entire program and all its data has been punched
> do you even go near the actual *computer*. You feed the cards into a
> reader. It reads them all, and then spends the next six months running
> the program. Finally, you get a stack of new punched cards representing
> the results.
>
> Does anybody know approximately when this time was?
1980, except that it was the next day and not six months later.
> For that matter, does anybody have a broad timeline of when various
> technologies were in use? What are the dates for things like core
> memory, drum memory, punch cards, magnetic tape, relays, vacuum tubes,
> transistors, ICs, etc?
There is probably a wikipedia page about that, have fun searching.
> Was there ever a time when programs were entered into memory via
> switches rather than some other medium?
Yes. Use a hex pad like scott myself in 1984 and had a friend who had
build his own computer and booted it by manually starting the booting
process using a row of binary toggle switches.
New programs were enetered the same way.
> Was there ever a "punched tape" medium similar to punch cards?
Yes. E.g used for boot loading the machine in my former department until
1987 or so.
> Similarly, you hear people talk about the VAX, the PDP, the varouis IBM
> mainframes and Cray supercomputers. Does anybody know the timeline for
> these, the technologies used and the basic design and performance details?
Wikipedia again I assume
(Some answers on http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?category=cmptr)
> (Sure, you can look up individual questions on Wikipedia, but the
> articles tend to contain huge amounts of minute detail about specific
> things. I'm trying to get a general overview of an entire era.)
The page you are looking for must be there also.
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