Is this a contest? Can I play? This is reverse guy-brag where the guy
who had the oldest, least competent thingee wins, right?
Ok, my Heathkit XT close isn't even in the running.
Apple II+ that I bought already used in 1981 isn't close either.
8080 S100 bus is passe, I"ll bet.
How about a computer with no solid state electronic parts, 0 bytes of
memory, not even cassette tape storage. No this isn't the old trick
where I pull out my dad's 1930s, but still functional (those batteries
last forever :-) ), K&E Log Log Duplex. My Post versalog is still around
here somewhere too. I wonder what that'll fetch on the 'Bay?
I built a Heathkit analog computer about 1965. One vacuum tube for each
channel (or whatever they were called). Not even a circuit board, all
point to point wiring. Output device was an oscilloscope. It could
actually do some interesting stuff with things like spring oscillations,
bouncing balls, etc. that desktops wouldn't be able to do for many
years. Don't ask me for details, 'cause I don't remember.
Moose
Garth Wood wrote:
I was building banks of J-K flip-flops (sort of like an Altair 8800 on
a starvation diet) and linking 'em together in various configurations
back in the mid-70's. Did Boolean algebra with 256 bytes of RAM. No
input or output devices other than the toggle switches, jumper cables
and blinkenlights. When I saw my first real personal computer (an
Apple Lisa in '83 or so) I was blown away. I continue to marvel at
the fact that I own a wristwatch that has more computing power than
the onboard systems that sent the Apollo missions to the moon, and
that you can buy (and then throw away) a greeting card with a chip
inside that has more digital processing power than existed on the
entire planet prior to 1952.
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