[Coco] The DOSes

[K. Pruitt]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen H. Fischer"
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2015 5:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Coco] The DOSes

>
> Perhaps I should clarify.
>
> The CDC 1604 did not have an OS. Programs were read in using a card reader 
> and could access data, programs and output results to ½ in magnetic tape.
>
> My machine level programming course covered the 1604 mainly but we touched 
> on the 3600. I messed up on one final question. Simple problem, write a 
> program that found out where in memory it had been loaded. I wrote a 
> program containing a close to unique pattern and searched for it. Wrong!!! 
> Answers for the 3600 were allowed. The CDC 3600 had an instruction to 
> transfer the "P" counter to another register.
>
> The CDC 3600 which I operated was similar but at the end it also had RMS 
> (Rotating Mass Storage).
>
> The "drum" memory had platters 6 feet across and two heads that could move 
> to another track with a solenoid. Six feet is not a typo. I started work 
> at CDC the CDC 6600 and related computers had a real operating system 
> which was what I was paid to program.
>
> Even one of the richest persons on the planet is having problems in 
> getting one to work.
>
>  CDC Restoration Update - Living Computer Museum
> 
> http://livingcomputermuseum.tumblr.com/post/91924982154/cdc-restoration-update
>
> It's the cooling system IMHO although the cables between chassis just 
> being cut was a huge blow. The company that made the taper pins originally 
> agreed to make some more. I wanted out of hardware as all I was doing was 
> punching cables, the core memory sense modules were bad so we could not 
> ship anything. I took the first part of the hardware course for the CDC 
> 6600.
>
> The first day as a programmer we had a huge meeting where it was announced 
> that we were moving to California. I asked if I could go and was told yes.
>
> SHF
>
> -- 


That's a pretty cool computer.  Very interesting page.