On Fri, Aug 18, 2006 at 12:04:23PM -0700, Andrew Sackville-West wrote: > > > > sometime in the far distant future, paleontologists will be debating > the classic questions like: Which came first? The compiler or the OS? >
Pencil and paper was enough to code up the design for the Zuse computers, the operating system and act as the first assembler. Compiler, OS and concepts were simultaneous. More impressive but more limited technology from the same time frame: Colossus had teleprinter punch tape readers that are still amongst the fastest in existence: the tapes are read optically by running at speed over photocells. In tests, the tape was run at 60 m.p.h (96 k.p.h): operational speed ran at up to 30 m.p.h (48 k.p.h) - they were frightened of the yield strength of wartime paper and the consequences of an accident. You can solve the Y2K problem and also the leap year problem fairly straightforwardly on this class of hardware - just run them both in 1944 :) > This debate will echo across the galaxies and cause great rifts in > society. > Join my -devel flamewar fest - I'll start it again once I've fixed my time machine :) > A AC -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
