First pdp had how many bits?

If one looks up the history of DEC and even further looks at the pdp-1, they might find that it has 18 bits. Yes, there were DEC machines that were 12 bits (pdp-5, pdp-8, pdp-12), but the first one had 18 bits. Some of the DEC machines that had 18 bits were pdp-7, pdp-9, and pdp-15 (there may have been more).

Of course, one can also look to non-S/360 machines of IBM -- 36 bit 709/7094, and of course the IBM 1130 - 16 bits.

Real people used IBM's "personal computer" of the 60's: The IBM 1620. A marvelous computer to learn on.

Looking back...

Talking as an ex-DECcie: thanks for allowing me to take part in that terrific adventure called "Digital". Looking back I can honestly say those were the best professional years of my life. I never found that original Digital spirit in any of the other companies I worked for. Too bad it did not last: I jumped ship just before the Texas cowboys took over but the downturn was already started by then ( what is mister Palmer doing these days?).

Thanks again, Ken.

Isn't every computer a | D | I | G | I | T | A | L | computer?

Had that as a car-sticker once. (OK, some were analogue, but maybe the programs are archived on Philips Casette tape somewhere...)

Fond memories. PDP11/05? Loading boot with the switches so often, I reckon I could've done it in about a minute or so, no handbook required.

Then, watch that paper tape just WHIZZ!!!

Yowser! Took a computer-literate new G/F of mine, used to Cobal, punched cards and IBM to the 'control centre' one night.

WHIZZ!.

No mention of using an LSI-11 to play "Zork" from a mag-tape cartridge? At least, it gave time to think...

RIP Ken...

I was lucky enough to work for DEC in Harefield house back in '93 for 3 years, the culture was great, the Alpha was just coming along and there was a buzz..

Fond memories of a time gone by.. Although I feel the need to point out that VMS/Alpha is not dead yet.. for instance, the Deutsche Borse (German stock exchange) system runs on a cluster of 14 VMS Alpha nodes.. of course it will eventually end up on linux on x86 hardware..

Re. PDP14

My memories are returning. It was EDT and Runoff on the Vax. Later I worked on Sun workstations when I used vi and nroff.

Was it Videotext?

Seem to recall being able to bring up all kinds of documentation, manuals, policies - docs of any kind really across DECs internal network. Much like we use the web today.