TerryB: I remember the 'new then' drives for the B3500/4500 had 'flying heads' for the platters - something to see...like little airplanes doing take off/landings on the platters. ...I had one around here some where. (note for newbies: you couldn't actually watch it due to vacuum required)TerryB wrote:In 1977 we installed a PDP-8 in Nigeria for loading gasoline trucks. They shipped in a new hard drive which had 8 platters and a total of 256k.
Tape to lolad. It really wasn't THAT long ago folks.
TerryB
OK, Guys, beat this one: (the machine was old then, so no jokes)
Feds had two Rem-Rand 3301's. which used BIT PINS for memory routing.
We once had a strange problem in which random acts of mailiciousness showed in the form of erratic errors with different addresses each time. Ce's and FE's were tearing out their hair, sleeping on the floor, showering...never mind. This sucker had them going for weeks, around the clock. I met more men those weeks.........Oh
........the problem ended up being: A Bent Bit Pin !!! Now, that WOULD make addressing a bit erratic. Say that 10 times really fast...bent bit pin, bent bit pin, bent bit pin...heck, it's even hard to type. bbp, bbp, bnbp oh heck
No fair to ask just how that bit pin got bent...well, I was young, the CE's and Fe's were....well, ah - you remember, eh? I remember one...his name was Merlin. I ___you not!!!