cottrell@NBS-VMS.ARPA (COTTRELL, JAMES) (10/16/85)
/* > > It is often said that the whole world is not a VAX. Too bad. That's like > > saying all (wo)men are not saint(e)s. It all started with the PDP-11, > > which defined the basic instruxion set architexure for practically all > > new machines. Take a look at the 68000 & say, `this is a pdp-11.' > > PDP-11's? The IBM 360 series was commercially introduced in 1965, and was > available to selected customers via the 1965-equivalent of IBM's ESP > program (Early Support Program) in 1964. I'm not a big fan of IBM's, > nor the architecture of the 360/370/303x/308x/309x machines, but in terms > of "defining architectures" for new machines, they have NO competition > by just about any measure (number of machines installed [in the appropriate > class], quantity of installed-base code [$375 Billion+, is the current > estimate], etc.) Be careful for using popularity as justification. Adolf Hitler was elected by an overwhelming majority. So was Richard Nixon. What I *meant* to say is the pdp-11 was the first *reasonable* machine, and the one that seems to have inspired subsequent micros the most. > I read a book some time ago titled, "The Sun Never Sets On IBM" by Thomas > J. Watson, Sr. as I recall. Apt title. The British used to say that as well... jim cottrell@nbs */ ------
kay@warwick.UUCP (Kay Dekker) (10/20/85)
In article <2199@brl-tgr.ARPA> cottrell@NBS-VMS.ARPA (COTTRELL, JAMES) writes, quoting someone else: >> I read a book some time ago titled, "The Sun Never Sets On IBM" by Thomas >> J. Watson, Sr. as I recall. Apt title. > >The British used to say that as well... Do you know why the sun never sets on the British Empire? God wouldn't trust an Englishman in the dark .... :-) Kay. -- "A boy does not put his hand into his pocket until every other means of gaining his end has failed." _Tommy_, by J. M. Barrie. ... mcvax!ukc!warwick!flame!kay