[vcf-midatlantic] My first computer memory was using a terminal

[Mike Loewen]

On Fri, 21 May 2021, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic wrote:

>   I joined Explorer Post 385 in State College, PA in 1969 as a 9th grader. 
> Our emphasis was computer programming, which was fairly unusual for the time. 
> We took programming classes from PSU grad students and area professionals, 
> starting with FORTRAN and continuing with IBM 360 Assembler and PL/1. EP385 
> was sponsored by HRB Singer, and we had an account on the IBM 360/67 at Penn 
> State. The preferred FORTRAN compiler was WATFOR (University of Waterloo 
> FORTRAN). PSU upgraded to a 370, and we moved on to WATFIV (Waterloo FORTRAN 
> IV). I still have some printouts from 1975 with the JCL and listings of some 
> of my FORTRAN programs.

    This was on punch cards, of course. We wrote out our programs on coding 
forms, then headed to the keypunch room to punch the deck on IBM 029 
keypunches. You then took your deck to the dispatch area, filled out a form 
and submitted your deck to the dispatcher. Some time later, possibly hours 
depending on how busy it was, you got your deck back with the output listing. 
Hopefully, it ran. If not, you headed back to the keypunch to fix your 
error(s), lather rinse and repeat.


Mike Loewen				mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us
Old Technology				http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/