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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