- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

OT: I need a job
by Andy Meyer 12 Oct '20

12 Oct '20

Folks, I'm being hit particularly hard by the pandemic lockdown. Basically, I'm about to run out of savings. If anyone knows of any remote/wfh opportunities, please contact me off list. My skillset includes such vintage computer arcana as CP/M, MBASIC and RS-232 serial interfacing. TIA, Andy N2FYE

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OT - Amazon Prime Day is October 13th!!
by Martin Flynn 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Just a reminder: Amazon Prime Day is October 13th. If you are shopping on Amazon, start here: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714 Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to the VCFed. This link works even if started shopping already Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714 and pick up where you left off. More details on the Smile program are here: https://org.amazon.com/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Brian L. Stuart 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

On Sunday, October 11, 2020, 1:50:25 PM EDT, Jim Scheef via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Are you sure that Aiken was aware of Babbage? Babbage is still > not well known > even today. Jim, The most telling information is that the first chapter of the manual of operation is titled "Historical Introduction" and discusses Babbage. The chapter is introduced by a quote from Babbage that begins: "If, unwarned by my example, any man shall undertake and shall succeed in really constructing an engine..." In the back of my mind, I seem to remember some references where Aiken mentioned being inspired by Babbage. However, I'd have to do some digging to actually find such a reference. BLS From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2020 11:41 AM To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org Cc: Brian L. Stuart <blstuart(a)bellsouth.net>; Jeffrey Jonas <jeffrey.scott.jonas(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"

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RE: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Jim Scheef 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Brian, Are you sure that Aiken was aware of Babbage? Babbage is still not well known even today. Jim From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2020 11:41 AM To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org Cc: Brian L. Stuart <blstuart(a)bellsouth.net>; Jeffrey Jonas <jeffrey.scott.jonas(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"

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slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Jeffrey Jonas 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Jim Scheef: > My memory sort of distills down to the factoid > that the Mark I had almost no ability to branch in a "program" That's why the "Turing machine" is so important: it describes the bare minimum required for true automatic operation. I had that sort of epiphany in Jr High School when learning programming the Compucorp 025 Educator programmable calculator. [The Olivetti Programma 101 was in the corner, already obsolete but I poked at it and admired its features such as magnetic card reader/writer] Most programs were just automating a specific formula. But the real power of the computer was the BRANCH statement. Then it could make DECISIONS, not just spew numbers. [That's why many folks pigeon-holed computers as super-duper calculators, calling them "number crunchers". It was a step up from rooms of people doing repetitive calculations such as book-keeping or trig-tables. That was the mindset for the IBM ASCC / Harvard Mark I until Grace Hopper, Alan Turing and other saw beyond such self-imposed limitations.] Back to the Compucorp: not all functions had keys. The stylus-punched cards allowed access to many more instructions and features. The keys allowed "special functions" such as ONE test and branch to a fixed location. But programming with cards allowed for many test-and-jumps allowing for much more complex programs! And THEN you can write "real" programs :-) Before you say "I'm glad we no longer have such limitations", please be aware that deep down, many systems have similar limitations. Many microcontrollers and the early PDP processors had only ONE interrupt to a fixed location (vs. vectored interrupts). Bear-skins and stone-knives indeed :-) My point being that in addition to what you learn about the machine, the context is part of the story too.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by Jeffrey Jonas 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

There are some glorious YouTube videos of Grace Hopper showing the wide paper-tape containing the programming, and how she had to literally patch it (cover holes, add holes, etc). I vaguely remember her mentioning how it was an early form of parallel processing: calculations could be run simultaneously on each functional unit (so long as there were no data hazards). Such optimization was meticulously planned by hand. In a way, we're revisiting that with super-scalar RISC, DSPs or EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing). My point being there's WHAT it can do (instruction set, data paths) and then there's HOW it was used. The compelling historical element is how it was all PEOPLE, not software. But Grace Hopper's Flow-Matic was an amazing leap forward. Like Alan Turing, she understood that computers can process SYMBOLS and handle all the drudgery of programming! -- jeff jonas

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VCF Day #2
by Jeffrey Brace 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

DATE: Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Glenn Roberts 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Interesting story. I was looking at the (very nice) one on eBay (202637078233). Fascinating machine. I don’t see a card reading mechanism - was that a peripheral? Sent from my iPad > On Oct 11, 2020, at 5:09 AM, Jeffrey Jonas via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >

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VCF East 2020 - DAY 2! Show Info
by Jeffrey Brace 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

DATE: Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#m_-39417124773546024_m_-1446870299784931767_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Glitchworks live tomorrow!
by Jeffrey Brace 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

Glitch will be streaming live in his Twitch channel. See the info here: https://twitter.com/systems_glitch/status/1315051896512622593 -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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