Thanks. My understanding is that delay lines using a solid medium were more reliable than Williams Tubes, so using them on slow machines seems reasonable..
-- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 ________________________________________ From: IBM Mainframe Assembler List [[email protected]] on behalf of Dave Wade [[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2020 6:19 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Convert *signed* EBCDIC to packed decimal Seymour The last Ferranti Mk1 was delivered in 1957 and that used Williams tubes. Whilst Ferranti stopped using Williams Tubes after the Mk1 the Pegasus still used valves/tubes for a long time afterwards. They also continued to avoid core, referencing delay lines, presumably to void patent licences.... Dave G4UGM > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Assembler List <ASSEMBLER- > [email protected]> On Behalf Of Seymour J Metz > Sent: 04 June 2020 19:59 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Convert *signed* EBCDIC to packed decimal > > I see an error in that chart: the 370/135 did not use core storage. From the > announcement letter: "The Model 135 uses the same innovative monolithic > circuit memory introduced with System/370 Model 145" > > The 1957 and 1959 prices were not very helpful; vacuum tubes were used for > registers, not for main memory, other than Williams Tubes. Drum and Core > prices would have been more helpful. > > BTW, was anybody still using Williams Tube memory in 1957? > > > -- > Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz > http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 > > ________________________________________ > From: IBM Mainframe Assembler List [ASSEMBLER- > [email protected]] on behalf of Phil Smith III [[email protected]] > Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2020 1:42 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Convert *signed* EBCDIC to packed decimal > > Doug Wegscheid: > > >True, but in those days, core was about $1 a byte (I think, I can't > > >find anything to back that), renting plug compatible LCS was > > >$6000/megabyte/month (found an old ad), so the compactness of the > > >instructions also was a big plus. > > > > https://secure-web.cisco.com/1rc-_Slhd73-1px-BckKXl5Llql3FoocPIVCc00r_zwxyaF1JO6dVeWzGhjy-Wd6kuFwKr-Bywphj6QP0G7bkW0CGugjPO858C7vbUms_aAxmRCDzelNdV2h9MAyqBdMw1gC7pOmVGU6fLhG5QcxhFDkX3j0jGl7oP6x1330QnECrcycC2s7dqchMyn7Wmi1aPUgo8bdSFziqBV39uW-BgleUwX_h4XLXYi5nNMWcd4hko8VncZUSvqNZsJDdboBV4IhU6iUC9e1o9LUOuV_tWvEGC952ONF1bSZ_LUuKCOG4EPz5snpmqXowOzFC7wC4nx4bnft1jgsP6MBnoDAdcHrw4mZwda-5mIrhbco_11rGInyCrB6wGSUqpGCyV1fO_hvf4II2J6BrwzdUViWfkUiblEe_hIMR2sehCtIbOO6ASXpLBYbJc1uoPEFQY6oE/https%3A%2F%2Fsecure- > web.cisco.com/1kNXpDpafajhI_HjFcr98oOKGFKuhb7_yxZfeA8BL4W0roI7R1k > lcX4WqJMhrCijWtqb3PLzvUizZ8yEEBWK_Z37Lw1qw7fwXUULMvV15vwtgjdyv > v4K4dMQRTVfIoku2ouAPs_Ws6XNuzbEnwZJqZh5eqRvbMMAY6revZi8OjlsQq > Tvi-zOjCXW8A0_z_PG40gPRbHzIAYp1tj6vB- > FkjjlTxzjXXCG5WCIpUvcFhgMlOgDkdUOuy9N8_bcbkx8N6bnb7Cs53Qs98voa > hA6UTK7EDpzddi4xKRWC234QfZQKRiv- > 08vQINgUNFWGp1VcDBXrdP4ezbch3Dr3RxbyqgQuR1fScoexs2Fz- > yGsroXv008Q0sxU8Tg34FZRkMEQlHjS0A5zpiARRsHagYqwIoSMHMO2EVWYq > OKQ8xgTsBTuxEo_oTVJ_x1dUq- > FaA9y/https%3A%2F%2Fjcmit.net%2Fmemoryprice.htm seems plausible, > though of course no way to know how correct it is. Definitely fascinating. > > > > the "buck a byte" is what I also remember from the 60s, FWIW. It was surely > correct for at least five minutes!
