The OTHER Computer History (eBook)

Amazing, amusing, and experiencd Stories about the IT from the beginning to the Internet.

Hans Bodmer (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2022 | 2. Auflage
184 Seiten
Books on Demand (Verlag)
9783754366936 (ISBN)

Infos

The author tells his experiences from the early days of computer science until 2004. At that time when it was not recognized what a gigantic transformation it will bring to the history of humanity. The many detailed technical descriptions are loosed with normal human stories. The inevitable upcoming associations which arose while writing led to parables, illusions, and daring theses. But he soon returns to reality. With a laugh, tears, and a blinking eye, he now says to his 'buddies', the computers: Goodbye. We had an excellent time... Reviewed by Foluso Falaye, Citybboks. The OTHER Computer History is mightily educational, immersing, and inspiring as it made me feel like a part of the events and showed me the harsh realities and tough phases that people with dreams and ideas have to go through to achieve great feats. Some companies succeeded, while others failed embarrassingly; ultimately, a new, phenomenal reality was born out of the collective works of different companies and individuals such as Hans Bodmer, who might not be as glorified as the celebrated names, but who were surely important contributors to the creation of world-changing supercomputers

Textauszug

2.2. The first 24 hours in Paris.

He could hardly wait to start the adventure. The train from Geneva to Paris took almost eight hours. It was much earlier than when years later the legendary TGV hisses to Paris in three hours. It was a gray January evening. Arrival at an equally gray and desolate train station, the ‘Gare de l’Est’.

The hotel was located near the ‘Butte Chaumont’. The escalator from the metro up to the street is very long and steep. The one-star, or better half-star, rated hotel was rather shabby. There was no dining room to be seen. Just a small bistro right next to the entrance. The lady at the reception desk was quite grumpy. Understandably, she had to work on a Sunday. Checking in was easy, then she had already all the information about the new guest.

She gave immediately the following instructions: “No smoking in the room. Visits from women are not permitted.

The house rules and the way to the emergency exit are posted in the room”. Of course, in French. A language he was only very rudimentary familiar with. Three lousy years of secondary public school. The room was on the third floor.

No elevator, but a gnarled wooden staircase. The ‘chambre’ was tiny. And so, the bed. The lighting was dim. Through the unclean window, he could see a small treeless park. Next to it was a kind of dilapidated garden. Surrounded by windowless, mismanaged buildings and decayed gray brick walls.

But what the hell: Does it matter?

He’s only here to sleep. To do the sure upcoming homework, the small round red dusty table lamp equipped with a 40-watt light bulb will be enough.

But first, unpack the suitcase, prepare them for tomorrow's necessary papers and the surely be needed special literature and the writing utensils.

Tomorrow it will be his personal D-Day. But despite the fact that time had already progressed, and it was already getting dark outside, he still wanted to go out. To look for the future place of schooling. So that he doesn’t go astray the next morning and appear too late at the training center already on the first day. Fortunately, Avenue Gambetta was nearby and within walking distance. Will avoid the arduous ‘metro stress' in the mornings.

The school building was very impressive. Tall and with shutters closed window. The house was surrounded by a high iron fence with only one very intimidating iron door. The whole complex looked like a prison. There was nothing written on the whole building. No sign or indication of what the building was for. Fear of rioters, terrorists, sabotage?

This thought was causing a cold shower over his neck.

Back to the hotel. He needed badly a glass of beer. A ‘Demi’ as it was called there. In the still empty bar. After a long wait, a lady showed up. The same ‘witch’ as before at the reception. She pushed a jug of beer at him and wanted immediately cash.

The sleep that night was very much on the troubled side.

The waking up too. Quickly wet the face with cold water.

Then get dressed. He had to bind the tie correctly. He polished his black shoes a little with the tablecloth. He went down for breakfast in the now awful, brightly illuminated room next to the bistro. The menu consisted of ‘Croissants’ without butter and lukewarm milk coffee in a large cup.

What else could be expected here?

He was at the training center almost half an hour too early.

A doorman in uniform looked skeptical (or is it spelled 'sceptical'?) at him.

Then he checked the presented papers and examined critically his passport. Then he said: “You have to wait in the entrance hall until the responsible instructor will arrive”.

Three young men about his age arrived. Also dressed very correctly. They spoke Swiss German among themselves.

With an unmistakably Bernese accent. They are certainly his future classmates. Then came in two blond, tall guys.

They chatted in Swedish. He noticed them all but did not say a word. Now many more trainees appeared. But they are not new because they immediately went up the stairs to their classrooms.

At exactly 08h00, the entrance gate was closed by the doorman and locked with a big iron key. Those who come too late have no chance of getting in and will anyway be fired immediately.

The six new ones had to wait. The teacher let them suffer.

But finally, he came. He greeted them in broken German.

The group went up the stairs and into a classroom. Small but not bad. Big enough for the 6 men’s team. They sat down. He, as is usual for him, in the back of the room and alone in a row.

First, the teacher introduced himself. Then an imposing appearance appeared. Probably the director of the whole training center. The man held his hands on the back. He greeted the new ones in French and started his speech.

Very quickly and very emphatic. The subordinated teacher’ tried to translate it into German. Not so quickly and not so correctly. The director explained the rules of behavior:

Punctuality, secure appearance, discipline, accuracy, courtesy, friendliness, and so on. Reminded him of the speech by the commanding officer on his first day in the military basic training.

The director of the training center left the room with strict steps. The door closed firmly and with a lot of noise behind him.

He found that the translation by the class teacher was rather poor. Even with his meager French, he could have done it better. And then the instructor said this: “Das BULL service technician always wears a dark suit with a red tie and white shirt. Beards, snouts, and uncombed hair are not tolerated.

And when das BULL technician buys a car, then he buys a black car”. He always said: DAS BULL Techniker. Somehow he had a problem with the German grammar (Correct is:

Der BULL Techniker). But the ‘message’ was clear: Prestige is most important!

The teacher now explained the schedule. First, there are two hours of theory. Then a short coffee break, followed by two hours of practical work on the devices. Then a lunch break in the canteen, oh sorry, staff restaurant! In the afternoon, the same program again. Only without a subsequent meal. And then the teacher got down to what he was there for, namely to instruct the future maintenance technician.

2.3. The Card-Puncher and what can happen to it.

The first machine they will get to know, and he will later have to master, is the card-puncher. This device is a medium-sized machine covered with dark-gray painted sheet metal. Such machines were present in the classroom.

Ready to be taken apart. The card-puncher works like this:

On the top is a box in which the virgin cards are placed before they are fed in and punched. The holes are rectangular, measuring approximately 1.5 by 6 mm. The instructor explained that there is a punched card system that uses round holes. So applied by the competitor Remington Rand. This later became Sperry Rand and then Unisys

Only as a remark: Computer companies change names, swallow others, and then are swallowed themselves.

These punched cards with rectangular holes were developed by IBM. They were mechanically easier to read than the round ones. This is done by passing them under tiny brushes made of thin wires. The manufacturing of those requires the highest precision. Because an error when entering the data for processing would cause very catastrophic results in the further processes. After the numbers and/or characters have been entered at the keyboard by a data typist, mostly a female, then the needed holes are punched with steel stamps of again the highest precision. These expensive components get used up after a certain time and must therefore be periodically replaced. So that the holes do not ‘fray out’!

The force needed to stamp the holes comes from a strong electromagnetic coil. A process that needs a lot of energy.

That is why the network part of a card-puncher is very voluminous. Another critical point is the positioning of the card in front of the stamps. Of course, this also happens mechanically. The problem is that only one card should be pushed in at a time. This again requires precise knife-like sliders and a very exact slit through which the cards were pushed. The device is producing quite a lot of noise.

He soon heard this. After the first weeks of studying the circuits, learning to measure the required electrical values, practical exercises to accomplish the proper adjustments, the ‘apprentices’ were immediately exposed to the real punched card-producing world. So, to speak: Thrown into the cold water.

The place of action for him was a very well-known, famous bank in the Cité. Fortunately, he was accompanied by an experienced local technician. In a large, stately big hall with a high ceiling were about twenty card-punches lined up in rows. Behind the devices sat young women and older girls in black dresses which looked like uniforms. They were at first still inactive. They had their arms self-protectively crossed over their breasts. They chatted discreetly and quietly. At the desk in front of the 'girls' stood a ‘biblical’ natural disaster. The long 'drought'. She must be the supervisor. She looked like he imagines a female guard in a detention center looks. The hair was tightly and strictly knotted at the top of her head. She had thick horn-rimmed glasses. Dressed in black long legs pants with perfect folds.

And this in 1962! The authoritarian, fierce mine fitted her exactly.

At exactly 08h00, the...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 11.8.2022
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Mathematik / Informatik ► Informatik
• ISBN-13: 9783754366936 / 9783754366936