Invisible wrote:
> Does anybody know approximately when this time was?

1970's. By about 1980 most of those machines were likely retired.

> 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?

Yes. Google.

> Was there ever a time when programs were entered into memory via 
> switches rather than some other medium?

Yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_panel

The first personal computers worked that way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800

> Was there ever a "punched tape" medium similar to punch cards?

Yes. That's why DEL is up at 127. Think about it.

> 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?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_history

> (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.)

So you want someone else to read the 10 pages and summarize it into 10 lines 
for you?  You need a job in management.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
    Ada - the programming language trying to avoid
    you literally shooting yourself in the foot.

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