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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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