On 12/21/2018 10:10 AM, Noel Chiappa via cctalk wrote: > Does anyone know where the 'Straight 8' name for the first PDP-8 model came > from? Obviously, it's probably a play on the car engine configuration name, > but how did the connection get made? Thanks - I hope! > > Noel > ssrsly?
It was the first PDP-8 no model letter like S, L, I, E, F, M, or A. It was also the direct decedent of the PDP-5 (1963 and transistors) which was the first 12bit machine and largely compatible with later family of 8 machines. The PDP-8 series started in 1965 and grew from there. When looking at the history LINK and LINK-8, PDP12, and later LAB-8 are also related and interleaved as laboratory machines. Simple answer, it was DECs first blockbuster machine that was manufactured in high volume and was very low cost in terms of the day. The transistor to IC change... The 8I: Also commenting on ICs the 1970 Omnibus 8 (PDP-E) was the largely MSI IC based machine (M series). The 8I/8L was the first TTL machine prior to that the systems were transistor. The march to higher density ICs was well underway. FYI my first contact was the DEC PDP8I fall of 1969 as part of the BOCES LIRICS timeshare system (NY, LI, Sufflok county schools). The following year (fall 1970) it was integrated into and part of the larger DEC System 10 timeshare system running TOPS-10. None of this is secret or difficult to find. Doug Jones has a great archive. http://homepage.divms.uiowa.edu/~jones/pdp8/ Allison