From: cpc@mediaone.net (Chris Cebelenski) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 18:32:01 GMT Organization: Children's Hospital Lines: 20 Message-ID: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> Reply-To: cpc@mediaone.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: 909599491 5IFYD/RVC1F3586AE usenet43.supernews.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!Supernews73!supernews.com!Supernews69!not-for-mail Hi, This is possibly off-topic, but of personal interest: I remember passing through EPCOT about ten years ago, and catching a glimpse of a data center buried under the big sphere there. Memory is getting hazy, but perhaps someone can comment on this, as it seemed a bit surreal at the time. (Conjunction of extremes?) I seem to recall that this data center was filled with Burroughs machines -- If so, what applications were these put to? Did these big iron machines make for good real-time control of EPOT, or were they just running some Mickey Mouse business applications? (Sorry...) Another thing that struck me at the time was that the data center was lightly staffed, but either everyone was half asleep, or it was filled with Animatronic Operators (ALA the old Mission to Mars). Data Center Jamboree anybody? Of course the whole thing could have been just a back projection on some glass on a loop and I'm not sure anyone would have noticed... Chris ###### From: Robert Billing Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 20:19:31 +0000 Organization: Tanglewood Message-ID: <36377C53.B79C3C14@tnglwood.demon.co.uk> References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost.demon.co.uk X-NNTP-Posting-Host: tnglwood.demon.co.uk:158.152.132.30 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 909606787 nnrp-10:20524 NO-IDENT tnglwood.demon.co.uk:158.152.132.30 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.07 [en] (X11; I; Linux 2.0.31 i586) Lines: 15 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!news-raspail.gip.net!news-lond.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!tnglwood.demon.co.uk!not-for-mail Chris Cebelenski wrote: > machines -- If so, what applications were these put to? Did these big > iron machines make for good real-time control of EPOT, or were they just Yes, it was there when I last looked (1992). ISTR that basically it was running a lot of apps of the form, "start motor X, wait for switch Y to close, stop motor, pull in solonoid Z, wait 1 sec, etc etc..." to run some of the animatronic shows. -- I am Robert Billing, Christian, inventor, traveller, cook and animal lover, I live near 0:46W 51:22N. http://www.tnglwood.demon.co.uk/ "Bother," said Pooh, "Eeyore, ready two photon torpedoes and lock phasers on the Heffalump, Piglet, meet me in transporter room three" ###### Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!usenet From: Neil Franklin Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: 28 Oct 1998 23:46:34 +0100 Organization: My own Private Self Lines: 61 Sender: neil@chonsp.franklin.ch Message-ID: References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.3/Emacs 19.34 cpc@mediaone.net (Chris Cebelenski) writes: > > I remember passing through EPCOT about ten years ago, and catching > a glimpse of a data center buried under the big sphere there. Memory > is getting hazy, but perhaps someone can comment on this, as it seemed > a bit surreal at the time. (Conjunction of extremes?) I was at EPCOT in Nov 89. There I visited an "History of Computing" (or similar name) exhibit. This consisted of an wide but fairly short (perhaps 10 rows) cinema where an film about computers was shown. At the end the projection screen was removed and you could see direct through windows behind it into an computer center. Voiceover: and this is the computer that EPCOT runs on". Is this what you ware thinking of? > I seem to recall that this data center was filled with Burroughs > machines I remember the exhibit to have been sponsored by Univac. But what machines they were I have no clue (I was an microcomputer nerd in those days, mainframes suck, you know :-)) > -- If so, what applications were these put to? Did these big > iron machines make for good real-time control of EPOT, or were they just > running some Mickey Mouse business applications? (Sorry...) I would assume business. The individual exhibits were all from different companies, so most likely developed by different teams, using different material. I would assum them to have each their own real time control systems. > Another thing that struck me at the time was that the data center > was lightly staffed, There were surely at least 10 people walking around or doing things in the part I could see. AFAIK that would be normal active staff for an late 80s computer center. > Of course the whole thing could have been just a back projection on > some glass on a loop and I'm not sure anyone would have noticed... Unlikely. The picture quality (particularly depth perception) was too good for that. I would far more expect that EPCOT gave Univac good conditions for 1 exhibit in return for them giving EPCOT an computer center. Don't forget that EPCOT was an classical 70s "stun the plebs with 'the future will be great if you buy it from us' technology" show, from the era when marketing was swimming in money and everyone was in the "techno high" from the moon shots. -- home: neil@franklin.ch.remove http://neil.franklin.ch/ work: franklin@arch.ethz.ch.remove http://caad.arch.ethz.ch/~franklin/ Microsoft is Software Communism, Fight for GNU Freedom! ###### From: Mike Swaim Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> User-Agent: tin/pre-1.4-980226 (UNIX) (FreeBSD/2.2.6-RELEASE (i386)) Lines: 16 Message-ID: <983_1.6$fa3.75@news2.giganews.com> NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 13:14:13 CDT X-Trace: sv1-tx6phLKXuK+iVsASJbXHIacBAqw/UD+vqmmW+ceI+SfCyX3M1iohMBkQo5KTJ4NqF2xlFd0t792+4y7!cOiv4e1LAp4= X-Complaints-To: abuse@GigaNews.Com X-Abuse-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 19:14:13 GMT Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newspeer.monmouth.com!nntp.giganews.com!news2.giganews.com.POSTED!not-for-mail Chris Cebelenski wrote: : I seem to recall that this data center was filled with Burroughs : machines -- If so, what applications were these put to? Did these big : iron machines make for good real-time control of EPOT, or were they just : running some Mickey Mouse business applications? (Sorry...) A former boss of mine built rides for Disney (apparantly they were NOT fun to work for), and I believe that he said that they mostly used dedicated logic to control rides. He also was an engineer for the Air Force. The combination of the two could make for strange conversations. -- Mike Swaim, Avatar of Chaos: Disclaimer:I sometimes lie. Home: swaim@c-com.net Alum: swaim@rice.edu Quote: "Boingie"^4 Y,W&D ###### From: rob@span.com (Rob Barth) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: Fri, 30 Oct 98 12:41:48 GMT Organization: Worldspan Communications Ltd Message-ID: <909751308snz@span.com> References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> Reply-To: rob@span.com X-Trace: mail2news.demon.co.uk 909753388 mail2news:24491 mail2news mail2news.demon.co.uk X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net X-Mail2News-Path: news.demon.net!post-20.mail.demon.net!post.mail.demon.net![158.152.9.124] X-Newsreader: Demon Internet Simple News v1.30 Lines: 17 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!newsgate.cistron.nl!het.net!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!diablo.theplanet.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!mail2news.demon.co.uk!not-for-mail >> I remember passing through EPCOT about ten years ago, and catching >> a glimpse of a data center buried under the big sphere there. Memory >> is getting hazy, but perhaps someone can comment on this, as it seemed >> a bit surreal at the time. (Conjunction of extremes?) I was there in about 1983. ISTR one of the shows was of a room behind a huge glass window, with lots of cabinet type machines; no humans in there, but a 12" hologram presenter walking around, which was pretty impressive for the youngster I was ! -rob- *-----------------------------------------------------------------------* | Worldspan Communications Ltd +44(0)181-288-8555 www.span.com | *-----------------------------------------------------------------------* "Libraries gave us power... not the Internet." ###### From: cpc@mediaone.net (Chris Cebelenski) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 18:49:34 GMT Organization: Children's Hospital Lines: 13 Message-ID: <363a09e4.9690253@news.supernews.com> References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> <36377C53.B79C3C14@tnglwood.demon.co.uk> Reply-To: cpc@mediaone.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: 909773296 5IFYD/RVC1F3586AE usenet44.supernews.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!Supernews73!supernews.com!Supernews69!not-for-mail Robert Billing wrote: > > Yes, it was there when I last looked (1992). ISTR that basically it was >running a lot of apps of the form, "start motor X, wait for switch Y to >close, stop motor, pull in solonoid Z, wait 1 sec, etc etc..." to run >some of the animatronic shows. After some additional scouting around it appears that most of the "Attractions" are self contained, except for some logistics system. Chris ###### From: cpc@mediaone.net (Chris Cebelenski) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 18:57:28 GMT Organization: Children's Hospital Lines: 76 Message-ID: <363b0a49.9791088@news.supernews.com> References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> Reply-To: cpc@mediaone.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: 909773770 5IFYD/RVC1F3586AE usenet44.supernews.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news-raspail.gip.net!news-peer.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!news.he.net!Supernews73!supernews.com!Supernews69!not-for-mail Neil Franklin wrote: >cpc@mediaone.net (Chris Cebelenski) writes: >> >> I remember passing through EPCOT about ten years ago, and catching >> a glimpse of a data center buried under the big sphere there. Memory >> is getting hazy, but perhaps someone can comment on this, as it seemed >> a bit surreal at the time. (Conjunction of extremes?) > >I was at EPCOT in Nov 89. There I visited an "History of Computing" >(or similar name) exhibit. This consisted of an wide but fairly short >(perhaps 10 rows) cinema where an film about computers was shown. At >the end the projection screen was removed and you could see direct >through windows behind it into an computer center. Voiceover: and this >is the computer that EPCOT runs on". Is this what you ware thinking of? > That very well could have been it... My memory of it is rather fuzzy at this point, but what you're saying rings true. I certainly have no memory of the rest of the exhibit. > >> I seem to recall that this data center was filled with Burroughs >> machines > >I remember the exhibit to have been sponsored by Univac. But what >machines they were I have no clue (I was an microcomputer nerd in >those days, mainframes suck, you know :-)) Please... "Creates a vacuum" Actually, the hardware of most of the mainframes seemed OK, sometimes even familure (I come from the next gen of Minicomputer buffs), but the OS's on those machines made me squirm a bit. If it was UNIVAC, I hope that I would have remembered it, so that's why I said Burroughs. > > >> -- If so, what applications were these put to? Did these big >> iron machines make for good real-time control of EPOT, or were they just >> running some Mickey Mouse business applications? (Sorry...) > >I would assume business. > >The individual exhibits were all from different companies, so most >likely developed by different teams, using different material. I would >assum them to have each their own real time control systems. > > >> Another thing that struck me at the time was that the data center >> was lightly staffed, > >There were surely at least 10 people walking around or doing things in >the part I could see. AFAIK that would be normal active staff for an >late 80s computer center. > Sounds right to me, based on the size of the room. I recall somewhere around 2 ppl per 5 cpus being the norm, assuming tape ops. > >> Of course the whole thing could have been just a back projection on >> some glass on a loop and I'm not sure anyone would have noticed... > >Unlikely. The picture quality (particularly depth perception) was too >good for that. > >I would far more expect that EPCOT gave Univac good conditions for 1 >exhibit in return for them giving EPCOT an computer center. > >Don't forget that EPCOT was an classical 70s "stun the plebs with >'the future will be great if you buy it from us' technology" show, >from the era when marketing was swimming in money and everyone was in >the "techno high" from the moon shots. ###### Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 20:39:50 +0100 Message-ID: From: peterk@combo.ganesha.com (Dr. Peter Kittel) Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> X-Newsreader: rn7.bas Lines: 102 Organization: Private Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news-fra1.dfn.de!news-fra.maz.net!newsfeed1.swip.net!swipnet!newsfeed.ecrc.net!blackbush.xlink.net!ganesha.ganesha.com!shorter!combo.ganesha.com!peterk In article <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> cpc@mediaone.net (Chris Cebelenski) writes: >Hi, > This is possibly off-topic, but of personal interest: >I remember passing through EPCOT about ten years ago, and catching >a glimpse of a data center buried under the big sphere there. Memory >is getting hazy, but perhaps someone can comment on this, as it seemed >a bit surreal at the time. (Conjunction of extremes?) > > I seem to recall that this data center was filled with Burroughs >machines -- If so, what applications were these put to? Don't know about EPCOT, but here's another piece of Disney computing. Only two years ago (or was it even last year?) I read confirmations that these computer installations still did/do work there! |From: peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) |Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy |Subject: Amiga at Disney (Was: Re: Memory Protection) |Date: 16 Jul 91 07:01:59 GMT |Reply-To: peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) |Organization: Commodore Bueromaschinen GmbH, West Germany In article <1991Jul15.123140.11645@Sugar.NeoSoft.com> peter@Sugar.NeoSoft.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <5397@orbit.cts.com> chucks@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Erik Funkenbusch) writes: > >> the most common bug by far is a null pointer reference. >> while this can be fatal in some situations, it may not be in others, and the >> program running might be crucial. > >You don't work in the process control industry, am I right? You should ask the people at Disney Studios: "We have shows here that run 40 times a day since 2 years and are controlled by Amiga computers. NOT ONE SINGLE show was abandoned due to a computer error. 20,000 shows without a crash justify Disney's choice and this computer concept." (This is re-translated from a translation into German.) This was in a computer show in German TV (BR-III, Computer-Treff, 13.7.91, 17.05). They reported about all the computer controlling at Disney in Florida, at Disney/MGM-Studios, at Epcot and in Disney World (or is it DisneyLand?). Here some more scenes from that show: Indiana Jones show Moderator: "Which costly computer system is used here to control all those sound effects?" Disney speaker: "Normal Amigas. We chose them for their multitasking capability. That was 4 or 5 years ago. At that time it was the only computer with which you could do this. In the meantime there were many computers announced that are able to do the same, but they are still much more expensive. We could today place a $10,000 computer here that can do the same, but it makes no sense, for the Amigas are working wonderfully. ... We only have problems with the environment, humidity and dust. (Action scene shown with fire and smoke, Amiga directly besides this, then they show heavy rain in Florida.) Real mud gets onto the computer boards. But the computers do stand this, you just have to open them every few months, clean them and perhaps change boards, then they work reliably." Moderator: "This is the most important in the film studios where George Lucas was among to define the concept: The same procedure has to run without problems, dozens of times a day, year for year." Disney studios, 3D MuppetVision Moderator: "Also this show would be unthinkable without computer: 3D characters (Mickey Mouse) on the movie screen interact with live actors (Kermit) on the stage. Light, sound and Special Effects are controlled and synchronized by an Amiga. (Follows the above mentioned 20,000 show statement.)" Disney World, fireworks in the evening Moderator: "You may have a nice fireworks, as it lights the sky every evening. And guess who stands behind that colorful magic?" Disney Speaker: "During this fireworks we control all 3 parts of the show with the Amiga: 1. Sound. The computer takes the input signal, music from a digital audio tape. Special software processes it in the computer to prepare it for different hardware configurations outside, levels are adjusted, and the result is fed to 4 or 5 separated loudspeaker towers that are distributed in the park. ... Only with the computer we can divide the main signal from tape into the correct sub-signals and synchroneously send it to the right places. 2. We also control the pyrotechnics that is established on the roofs. We have 6 locations from where we start fireworks. ... During this we absolutely need perfect timing, as the fireworks is very tightly choreographed with the music of the show, and we want to provide the same result every evening. A precise result can only be achieved with the Amiga control computer. 3. The 3rd system controlled by the computer is the light. It consists of six 5 kW spots that are controlled individually in their precise intensity." So far excerpts from this TV show. Please apologize my English, I only hope I didn't lose an important fact or misunderstood one. It was amazing. They very often not only talked about "computer". No, they explicitly said "Amiga computer" again and again. We must address that TV station to get a good tape from it :-). It's heartwarming. -- Best Regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail: Private Site in Frankfurt, Germany \X/ peterk @ combo.ganesha.com ###### From: Robert Billing Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Possibly OT: Disney Computing Date: Wed, 02 Dec 1998 09:42:06 +0000 Organization: Tanglewood Message-ID: <36650B6E.556D0237@tnglwood.demon.co.uk> References: <36376186.3813768328@news.supernews.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost.demon.co.uk X-NNTP-Posting-Host: tnglwood.demon.co.uk:158.152.132.30 X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 912593196 nnrp-06:24369 NO-IDENT tnglwood.demon.co.uk:158.152.132.30 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.07 [en] (X11; I; Linux 2.0.31 i586) Lines: 14 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!news-raspail.gip.net!news-lond.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!tnglwood.demon.co.uk!not-for-mail Dr. Peter Kittel wrote: > Don't know about EPCOT, but here's another piece of Disney computing. I've just got back from Florida, and I had a look in EPCOT but I couldn't find the show as I remembered it from five years back, but either the middle bit of EPCOT has been extensively rebuilt, or my memory is going. -- I am Robert Billing, Christian, inventor, traveller, cook and animal lover, I live near 0:46W 51:22N. http://www.tnglwood.demon.co.uk/ "Bother," said Pooh, "Eeyore, ready two photon torpedoes and lock phasers on the Heffalump, Piglet, meet me in transporter room three"