Thread View: alt.folklore.computers
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Started by d8... Jan Gustavsson
Sun, 23 Sep 1990 18:43
"Model computers"
Author: d8... Jan Gustavsson
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 1990 18:43
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 1990 18:43
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I'm posting this for a friend, who can't post to Alt.* groups.
If you reply to this article by email, please don't send any mail to
me but to mag...@thep.lu.se
Jan.
=============================================================================
I was browsing through an Edmund Scientific catalog from 1978, when I saw the
following:
WORKING MODEL ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTERS
These 3 kits have our highest recommendation. Each is
exciting to assemble and program. No. 72,105 requires
some soldering but is offered at nearly 1/3 its original
assembled price. No. 71,434 has snap-fit construction
and performs over 50 experiments. For whiz-kids we
recommend the advanced models, Nos.71,403 & 7l,706.
(A) Build An Electronic Digital Computer!
Normally sells for $45 assembled. With basic electronic
know-how you can build it. Includes 2 manuals: 1 for
games and experiments; 1 for advanced experiments.
features 3 movable registers, patch cords & plugs, visual
readout of results. Also incl. cards, dice, instr 14x15"
assembled. Uses 3 "C" batteries (not incl.) Soldering
required. No. 72,105 $15.95 Ppd e
(B) Snap-Fit Digital Computer Kit
You build it, program it and learn from it. Perform 50
experiments-play computer casino, predict weather,
test intelligence, solve mysteries, try to outwit it, play
chess with it and much more. Illuminated control panel
readout. Includes everything needed except 3 "C"
batteries. Step-by-step instruction book incl
No. 71,434 $31.50 Ppd.
(C) Advanced Model Digital Computer
Uses circuit modules--assembles in minutes.
Patch cords slide on/off from one patch point to another to
change circuits. Work with nand gates, memory cells flip
flops. Experiment with 2 stage binary counter, reaction
time, computer clock--23 computer experiments.
70 page instr. manual details assembly and all experiments
(clock-switch. flip-flops. quad 2-input nand display), 20
patch cords, all necessary parts. Requires one 6V battery
(not incl.)
No.71,403 $56.50 Ppd.
[There are also some pictures of things that look a bit like plastic toy
typewriters, but with a plugboard instead of a keyboard, and a stand for
some cards with pictures on them]
(The text above was scanned directly from the catalog, so any strange
spellings are not my fault.)
I remember when I was in eighth grade and very interested in computers.
The interesting thing was that I'd never even seen a computer in real life - I
had read a lot of books about them, and even learnt a little Basic from a book
- so getting my fingers on a real computer was one of my hottest desires.
I seriously considered bying one of these - they were the only thing I could
afford. Luckily, I didn't, but bought a TI 57 programmable calculator
instead. Probably, I learnt more about programming from the '57 than from one
of these "model computers". (Also, when I started high school, my new school
had an ABC 80 computer which the pupils could use - guess where I spent most
of the lunch break!)
Now, my question is:
Is there anyone out there who's actually used one of these "model computers"?
Were they really computers (and not just a digital experiment kit)? Since the
catalog is form '78, they could just conceivably be some very primitive micro
processor-based computer, but somehow I doubt it. I also recall seeing
something like them in Swedish toy catalogs in the early seventies. Our
neighbour talked about getting one to control his model railroad. I don't
think he ever did, though.
Any information about how these machines worked, what kind of games you could
play with them, and so on, is appreciated.
Magnus Olsson | \e+ /_
Dept. of Theoretical Physics | \ Z / q
University of Lund, Sweden | >----<
Internet: mag...@thep.lu.se | / \===== g
Bitnet: THEPMO@SELDC52 | /e- \q
Re: "Model computers"
Author: s... steve lamont
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 1990 22:16
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 1990 22:16
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In article <1990Sep23.1...@lth.se> mag...@thep.lu.se (Magnus Olsson) writes: >I was browsing through an Edmund Scientific catalog from 1978, when I saw the >following: > > WORKING MODEL ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTERS > [...] >(B) Snap-Fit Digital Computer Kit >You build it, program it and learn from it. Perform 50 >experiments-play computer casino, predict weather, >test intelligence, solve mysteries, try to outwit it, play >chess with it and much more. ... Did anyone actually ever own one of these? I'd be interested in hearing how one went about "predicting weather" on a one of these beasts. spl (the p stands for perhaps they did it like the National Weather Service does... with a random number generator :-)) -- Steve Lamont -- SciViGuy -- Phone number of the week: (408) 646-2572 Confuser Center / Code 51 / Naval Postgraduate School / Monterey, CA 93943 "There are no fleas in the Republican Army." - Italo Calvino, _The Baron in the Trees_
Re: "Model computers"
Author: bar... Jorn Barger
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 1990 17:39
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 1990 17:39
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In article <14...@libra.cs.nps.navy.mil> s...@libra.cs.nps.navy.mil (steve lamont) writes: > In article <1990Sep23.1...@lth.se> mag...@thep.lu.se (Magnus Olsson) writes: > >I was browsing through an Edmund Scientific catalog from 1978, when I saw the > >following: > > > > WORKING MODEL ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTERS > [...] > Did anyone actually ever own one of these? I'd be interested in hearing how > one went about "predicting weather" on a one of these beasts. Does anybody but me remember the Minivac 601 from ca. 1964??? I'll bet this was the first home digital computer by a fer piece... I got it as a pre-teen for $135 ordered out of the old Science Newsletter (which became Science News). It had 6 _relays_ and a zillion breadboard plugs with long blue wires, medium red wires, and short yellow wires. Also pushbuttons, slide switches, and a weird i/o rotor thing. A couple of hours of wire-connecting and it played tic-tac-toe, also generated random numbers (which I used to compose some very early electronic music), and did various other similar stunts. That's $22.50 per _bit_!!! ......................................................................... when it's quiet/ i can hear the dolphins sing .........................................................................
Re: "Model computers"
Author: Al Peterman
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 1990 23:22
Date: Tue, 25 Sep 1990 23:22
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In article <18...@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> bar...@ils.nwu.edu (Jorn Barger) writes:
>In article <14...@libra.cs.nps.navy.mil> s...@libra.cs.nps.navy.mil (steve
>lamont) writes:
>> In article <1990Sep23.1...@lth.se> mag...@thep.lu.se (Magnus
>Olsson) writes:
>> >I was browsing through an Edmund Scientific catalog from 1978, when I
>saw the
>> >following:
>> >
>> > WORKING MODEL ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTERS
>> [...]
>> Did anyone actually ever own one of these? I'd be interested in hearing
>how
>> one went about "predicting weather" on a one of these beasts.
>
>Does anybody but me remember the Minivac 601 from ca. 1964??? I'll bet
>this was the first home digital computer by a fer piece... I got it as a
>pre-teen for $135 ordered out of the old Science Newsletter (which became
>Science News). It had 6 _relays_ and a zillion breadboard plugs with long
>blue wires, medium red wires, and short yellow wires. Also pushbuttons,
>slide switches, and a weird i/o rotor thing. A couple of hours of
>wire-connecting and it played tic-tac-toe, also generated random numbers
>(which I used to compose some very early electronic music), and did
>various other similar stunts.
>That's $22.50 per _bit_!!!
>
>
>.........................................................................
>when it's quiet/ i can hear the dolphins sing
>.........................................................................
--
Alan L. Peterman (503)-684-1984 hm
Airborne N33291 Cessna Cardinal RG
Net !tektronix!(psueaa,nosun,ogicse)!qiclab!al
Re: "Model computers"
Author: Al Peterman
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 1990 01:02
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 1990 01:02
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In article <18...@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> bar...@ils.nwu.edu (Jorn Barger) writes:
>Does anybody but me remember the Minivac 601 from ca. 1964??? I'll bet
>this was the first home digital computer by a fer piece... I got it as a
>pre-teen for $135 ordered out of the old Science Newsletter (which became
>Science News). It had 6 _relays_ and a zillion breadboard plugs with long
>blue wires, medium red wires, and short yellow wires. Also pushbuttons,
>slide switches, and a weird i/o rotor thing. A couple of hours of
>wire-connecting and it played tic-tac-toe, also generated random numbers
>(which I used to compose some very early electronic music), and did
>various other similar stunts.
Let's try again, my last followup got trashed by the infamous "vi"..
I just came across some pictures from our high school computer lab
and there were my first real computers - 3 Minivac 601's and a
"deluxe" 6010. These were really crude, in comparison to electronic
solid state machine.. One of the fun things to do was to wire one (or
more) of the relays to oscillate and then get a friend to hold onto a
"truth" wire that was connected to the coils. The back EMF would put
out quite a jolt. True computing power!
Actually this was the second "personal" computer I came across. The first
was a device made of pegboard (or something similar) with 4 rotary "switchs"
also of "pegboard" that were programmed by inserting brass jumpers to make
the switches run stepped switching.. It also could play tic-tac-toe and
nim. Anyone else remember what this thing was called. It may have come
from Newark Electric, or Allied as my father had a habit of buying us toys
from those places.
--
Alan L. Peterman (503)-684-1984 hm
Airborne N33291 Cessna Cardinal RG
Net !tektronix!(psueaa,nosun,ogicse)!qiclab!al
Re: "Model computers"
Author: to... Tom Almy
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 1990 15:38
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 1990 15:38
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In article <1990Sep27.010224.4589@qiclab.uucp> al@qiclab.uucp (Al Peterman) writes: >In article <18...@anaxagoras.ils.nwu.edu> bar...@ils.nwu.edu (Jorn Barger) writes: >>Does anybody but me remember the Minivac 601 from ca. 1964??? I'll bet >>this was the first home digital computer by a fer piece... I got it as a >>pre-teen for $135 ordered out of the old Science Newsletter (which became >>Science News). >Actually this was the second "personal" computer I came across. The first >was a device made of pegboard (or something similar) with 4 rotary "switchs" >also of "pegboard" that were programmed by inserting brass jumpers to make >the switches run stepped switching.. It also could play tic-tac-toe and >nim. Anyone else remember what this thing was called. There were six switches, and a row of light bulbs. It was the GENIAC (or BRAINIAC -- the founders split and offered competing products). It cost between $15 and $20, was introduced in 1955 and was available at least into the early 60's. I got mine about 1960. The thing didn't work well, it was a major disappointment, but nothing else was available at the time. Real computers were viewed through glass walls -- you couldn't even touch them. Oh yes, the company was "Oliver Garfield". He wrote a book about 1950 entitled "Electronic Brains and How to Make Them" and sold courses on robotics as well as a telescoping slide rule. The GENIAC was all I could afford. Tom Almy to...@tekgvs.labs.tek.com Standard Disclaimers Apply
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