=> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Davies => => > http://allonlettera.com/?p=4 => > => > Compact. => => No markings but it *looks* like a FastRand (but 1956 seems v. early). => FastRands (with optional fast access FastBands) took about 4 => hours to get up to speed, and if one have ever come off its => bearings would have taken out a small town! => => Andrew Davies MBCS CITP
That is a strange pic because the machine looks awfully exposed. Computer devices were shipped in hermetically sealed containers because one little piece of dirt and ... This could be a Fastrand (as opposed to Fastrand II or III). Fastrand IIs were horizontally oriented (to minimize gravity) and consisted of two drums turning in opposite directions. These suckers could keep a 200-ton battleship on course as they were essentially gyroscopes with magnetic surfaces and pickups. Four hours is a bit of a stretch for stabilizing though; it was more like 20 minutes when I worked with them but that was after a 10-minute power-up checklist. And they worked without software from M$ ... and worked quite well, thank you. B+ HALinNY _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
