[TriLUG] More computer trivia...

[Liyun Yu]

Roy Vestal wrote:

> Ahhh...Kids...before there was IRC, internet email, blogs, there 
> were....BBS's
>
> David McDowell wrote:
>
>> I'm feeling too young for this thread... that or not geeky enough.  :)
>>

I know many members on this list are very senior in system
experiences. Please allow me to share some different culture with
you under the same subject.

In the beginning of 1980, I start to work on my first technical paper
"Three-Current-Ring Automatic Control System" using computer
simulation on a vacuum tube based computer made in China called DJS-130.
The DJS stands for Electronic-Computing-Machine.  It was a real fun
to watch when they openbox to do maintenance - hundreds of vacuum
tubes mounted on multiple layers of metal base "motherboards" just like
the little bulb, the memory boards were actually big plates with wires
crossing the tiny magnetic rings, and the electronic-magnetic drum  memory
was really looked like a musical instrument drum!  The display on that 
machine
was a row of vacuum tubes with A-Z and 0-9 numbers wired in the vacuum tube
and you will see the lighted letter/number flashing jump front or back 
very quickly.
I visited the computer museum in downtown San Diego 20 years later and
saw these things again but of course not the DJS-130.
(http://www.computer-museum.org/)

By that time, I was using the Fortran on punching cards, and Basic on 
punching
tapes. The cards and the tapes were made using very different machines,
like the typewriter but they make "holes" on the card or the black tape.
Remember this was in China and all of the code were programmed
not only in different program language but also different in natural 
speaking
language as well. When typing, you were not seeing the monitor in front of
you. You were looking at the punching machine running making the holes 
like a
sewing machine ( Assume you know the sewing machine though).
To correct the piece of your code or modify functions were not fun at all.
Verify the modifications on program or changes were made would have to
make the new card or tape and then submit to the computer operator who
runs the computer machine in a separate room to manually
mount the tape or card, to the reader, then run the program on the 
computer,
days and nights... Those were the "main frame" experience started in my 
life.
My backup was to order to reproduce of the code tape or cards.

Four years later in 1984  I was involved in learning/using the more 
advanced
Personal Computer. The Z80 CPU based PC was introduced to China by that
time. But the more advanced one I was learning was using CPU 6502. The 
program
language was Assembly Language in addition to the 6502 command sets.
Learning to speak the machines language directly to it was a fun but 
typing in the
code using that keyboard and watching the seven-element diode-set display
module was very boring - our group usually had to vote to get someone enter
the code over night.  We were so excited to watch the results appear 
from this
magic box's letter display and line printer - floppy disk was not an 
option by
that time. Occasionally we had to use the solder and the chips to fix some
problems on the system board or other interfaces... No one person would be
able or even dream to be able to afford The Personal Computer at that time.
Our teacher told us the translation of the name was wrong by then.

The first time passing the airport security, after 911, reminded me 20 
years ago
when we were using the computers in China, we had to take off shoes
and wear the white long cover coat (like the nurse) or the programming
authentication at the keyboard will be revoked.

Thanks,

Liyun