From: Shmuel Metz on


In <C832D01F.14629F%yaldnif.w(a)blueyonder.co.uk>, on 06/07/2010
at 04:34 PM, "(see below)" <yaldnif.w(a)blueyonder.co.uk> said:

>The problem with Williams Tubes was that they suffered from data
>leakage.

And DRAM doesn't? The solution in both cases is simple; periodic
refresh.

--
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT <http://patriot.net/~shmuel>

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From: Shmuel Metz on


In <7plPn.6395$z%6.5719(a)edtnps83>, on 06/08/2010
at 06:27 AM, "James J. Weinkam" <jjw(a)cs.sfu.ca> said:

>Your point is well taken for machines of the 60's and 70's,
>at least for the IBM ones with which I am most familiar.

Take anothjer look.

>There was a one-to-one correspondence between each of these
>mnemonics and their corresponding numerical op codes.

How about *these* mnemonics: B, BE, BH, BL, BNE, BNZ, BZ. All expand
to the same opcode. Even if you count the condition-code mask as part
of the opcode you don't have a 1-1 correspondence.

>Nevertheless, it remains true that the assembly language
>programmer who knows what he is about has complete control
>over the binary code generated,

No, the coder who knows what he is about cedes that control to the
assembler in the name of maintainability.

FOO L R0,BAR(R1)
...
BXLE R1,R14,*-666

is far more likely to break when you add code than

FOO L R0,BAR(R1)
...
BXLE R1,R14,FOO

--
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT <http://patriot.net/~shmuel>

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From: Shmuel Metz on


In <4c0e282d$0$56573$c30e37c6(a)exi-reader.telstra.net>, on 06/08/2010
at 09:23 PM, "robin" <robin51(a)dodo.com.au> said:

>Drum memories were't successor to anything.

That part may be true.

>They were intended as a cheap but fast mass-storage device.

ROTF,LMAO. They were expensive and small. They were used as the main
memories in, e.g., UNIVAC 1103, IBM 650.

--
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT <http://patriot.net/~shmuel>

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From: Shmuel Metz on


In <4c0e2545$0$56574$c30e37c6(a)exi-reader.telstra.net>, on 06/08/2010
at 09:10 PM, "robin" <robin51(a)dodo.com.au> said:

>It has the documented evidence of numerical programs
>performed BEFORE FORTRAN and ALGOL.

K3wl. Unfortunately, any claims to the contrary exist only in your
imagination. It is not relevant *TO THE ISSUE IN DISPUTE*.

>I don't lie.

Google for Shell sort, David.

--
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz, SysProg and JOAT <http://patriot.net/~shmuel>

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From: robin on
"Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz" <spamtrap(a)library.lspace.org.invalid> wrote in message
news:4c0f7204$2$fuzhry+tra$mr2ice(a)news.patriot.net...
| In <4c0e282d$0$56573$c30e37c6(a)exi-reader.telstra.net>, on 06/08/2010
| at 09:23 PM, "robin" <robin51(a)dodo.com.au> said:
|
| >Drum memories were't successor to anything.
|
| That part may be true.
|
| >They were intended as a cheap but fast mass-storage device.
|
| ROTF,LMAO. They were expensive and small. They were used as the main
| memories in, e.g., UNIVAC 1103, IBM 650.

They were a cheap but fast random access mass-storage device,
providing the equivalent storage of 256 mercury delay lines
at a fraction of the cost and at a fraction of the electronics.

The control for the DEUCE drum required but 12 electronic units,
whereas the associated electronics for 256 delay lines would have
required 256 units, and several rooms to house them,
along with 256 receivers and 256 transmitters.