🚀 go-pugleaf

I loved those ESR toys.  They were not made by Edmund.

DIGICOMP (I) was my first computer.  I mastered programming the thing
with their stubby "logic" rods and long "clock" rods.  It was actually
quite clever.

Other ESR computers:

DIGICOMP II - This was a quite impressive step up from DIGICOMP I.
It resembled a cross between a pinball machine and a pachinko machine, 
with marbles rolling down zig-zag paths, triggering flip-flops, falling
into holes, down chutes, etc.   Because of all the moving parts, it never
QUITE worked the way it should have: marbles jammed, triggers didn't trigger,
etc.  It was quite instructive because it probably is the best toy model
of how electronic computer components actually work.

THINK-A-DOT - Remember this one?  A red and white plastic thing measuring
about 10cm (H) x 10cm (W) x 3cm (D).  It had three holes on top, and an
array of 8 flip flops with blue/yellow readout dots on the front.  You
would plunk marbles down the holes for various effects.  You initialized
the thing by tilting it to one side, so all the flip-flops would
orient themselves.

DR. NIM - This special-purpose computer played a perfect game of nim.
In the grand ESR tradition, marbles (surprise!) raced their way around a 
red plastic track, triggering white plastic flip-flops.  You 
could set it for automatic mode, where a constant stream of marbles would 
be triggered from the reservoir at the top.  I recall seeing ads 
on TV for only this one: (echoey voiceover: "Doctor Nimmmmmmmm"!).


Yeah, I had that Geniac thing.  Cheap masonite and sleasy jumpers and
wires.  The thing never did work right; nor did it interest me as much
as the ESR's.  It is probably in some closet at my boyhood home, 
conspiring with the neglected chemistry set, planning to take over the
home.
-- 

Daniel Pearl  da...@westford.ccur.com
c/o Concurrent Computer Corp - 1 Technology Way -- Westford, MA 01886