Message-ID: <3942EE40.9C63FBC4@hiwaay.net> From: Warren Adams X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win98; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: LGP30 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 42 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 X-Complaints-To: support@usenetserver.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 21:39:35 EDT Organization: WebUseNet Corp http://www.usenetserver.com - Home of the fastest NNTP servers on the Net. Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2000 20:41:20 -0500 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cyclone2.usenetserver.com!news-out.usenetserver.com!cyclone1.usenetserver.com!cyclone1.usenetserver.com!news-east.usenetserver.com.POSTED!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:57852 After I responded to the "Slowest computer you have programmed" with the LGP30, I received email requesting that I share my experiences with the LGP30. So here is what I remember about it... I used and wrote programs for the LGP30 as a co-op student with NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963 and 1964. The LGP30 we had used a Friden FlexoWriter (sp?) typewriter for its main input/output device. The FlexoWriter included a mechanical paper tape reader and punch. We also had a separate "high speed" paper tape reader in a box that was just about the same size as the main cabinet. The only language we had was an interpreter called 24.2. It was just a little step up from assembly language. It did manage I/O to the typewriter for you, but otherwise you just had instructions like load/store, arithmetic, and test/branch. It was entirely up to the programmer to keep up with the numerical address of each instruction and each piece of data. Of course, the branch instructions had to have the numerical address to branch to. Since the LGP30 used paper tape, winding up tapes was always a problem. MSFC had an outstanding machine shop, so someone got them to build us a paper tape winder. It had a disk about 10-12" in diameter, and a crank geared to wind up tapes in a hurry. The first model had a weighted base, but still moved around a lot. So someone had the great idea of a magnetic base - after all, the LGP30 was in a metal cabinet. The winder was placed next to the typewriter, and stuck to top of the cabinet next just fine. But then it got moved to the right end of the cabinet. Just then, the computer quit, and it required a total reload of the 24.2 interpreter. It only took a couple of these episodes to realize that the magnetic drum memory was right below the top of the cabinet at the right front end, and the magnetic base was strong enough to erase (or at least scramble) the drum. Sadly, I do not have anything left from the LGP30 except memories. No tapes, manuals, or anything else. It was only recently that I came across the picture at the computer museum. I think I do have some tapes somewhere from a machine that came after the LGP30. That was a Packard Bell PB250. Anyone ever heard of it? ###### From: "Geoffrey G. Rochat" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: LGP30 Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 09:25:10 -0400 Organization: Kersur Technologies Lines: 16 Message-ID: <8i03nc$hvv$1@news.kersur.net> References: <3942EE40.9C63FBC4@hiwaay.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 09-196.024.popsite.net X-Trace: news.kersur.net 960729644 18431 216.126.161.196 (11 Jun 2000 13:20:44 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@kersur.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 11 Jun 2000 13:20:44 GMT X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!zur.uu.net!ffx.uu.net!news.kersur.net!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:57872 > >Sadly, I do not have anything left from the LGP30 except memories. No >tapes, manuals, or anything else. It was only recently that I came >across the picture at the computer museum. I think I do have some tapes >somewhere from a machine that came after the LGP30. That was a Packard >Bell PB250. Anyone ever heard of it? > Indeed! The Retro-Computing Society of Rhode Island http://osfn.org/rcs ) has one on display in Providence, RI. Get in touch, they'd love to hear your memories. ###### From: scottdav@voyager2.eng.sun.com (Scott Davidson) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: LGP30 Date: 16 Jun 2000 21:48:14 GMT Organization: LGP21 Users Group Lines: 35 Distribution: world Message-ID: <8ie7au$cub$1@engnews1.eng.sun.com> References: <8i03nc$hvv$1@news.kersur.net> Reply-To: scottdav@voyager2.eng.sun.com NNTP-Posting-Host: voyager2.eng.sun.com Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!newshunter!cosy.sbg.ac.at!newsfeed.Austria.EU.net!newscore.univie.ac.at!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!denver-news-feed1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!namche.sun.com!ebaynews1.EBay.Sun.COM!news2me.EBay.Sun.COM!engnews1.eng.sun.com!voyager2!scottdav Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:58075 Piggybacking. the original article is not in deja.com yet. In article 1@news.kersur.net, "Geoffrey G. Rochat" writes: > > >> >>Sadly, I do not have anything left from the LGP30 except memories. No >>tapes, manuals, or anything else. It was only recently that I came >>across the picture at the computer museum. I think I do have some >tapes >>somewhere from a machine that came after the LGP30. That was a Packard >>Bell PB250. Anyone ever heard of it? >> The LGP21 came after the LGP30 - pretty much the same thing, I believe, except transistorized (and slower). I used it in high school many years ago - and I still have the manual if you're interested. Scott Davidson > >Indeed! The Retro-Computing Society of Rhode Island > http://osfn.org/rcs ) has one on display in Providence, RI. Get in >touch, they'd love to hear your memories. > > ###### From: Charles Richmond Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: LGP30 Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2000 18:10:10 -0700 Organization: Cannine Computer Center Lines: 31 Message-ID: <394ACFF2.B75CD8E2@dallas.net> References: <8i03nc$hvv$1@news.kersur.net> <8ie7au$cub$1@engnews1.eng.sun.com> Reply-To: richmond@dallas.net X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7C-CCK-MCD {C-UDP; EBM-APPLE} (Macintosh; I; PPC) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!skynet.be!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!sn-inject-01!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:58036 Scott Davidson wrote: > > Piggybacking. the original article is not in deja.com yet. > > In article 1@news.kersur.net, "Geoffrey G. Rochat" writes: > > > > > >> > >>Sadly, I do not have anything left from the LGP30 except memories. No > >>tapes, manuals, or anything else. It was only recently that I came > >>across the picture at the computer museum. I think I do have some > >tapes > >>somewhere from a machine that came after the LGP30. That was a Packard > >>Bell PB250. Anyone ever heard of it? > >> > > The LGP21 came after the LGP30 - pretty much the same thing, I believe, > except transistorized (and slower). > > I used it in high school many years ago - and I still have the manual if > you're interested. > My understanding was that the LGP-21 used a *disk* for the main memory, instead of using a *drum* like the LGP-30...is this accurate??? Also, I think the LGP-21 was built by CDC after they bought the rights from Royal McBee, correct??? -- +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Charles and Francis Richmond | +-------------------------------------------------------------+