Fwd: Re: So Linux isn't ready for the desktop yet, eh? (fwd)

[hjpsmith at earthlink.net (Henry Smith)]

Sent this direct to Jerry only by mistake so forwarding it to the list
  
Henry


----------  Forwarded Message  ----------
Subject: Re: So Linux isn't ready for the desktop yet, eh? (fwd)
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 09:53:39 -0400
From: Henry Smith <hjpsmith at earthlink.net>
To: Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>


On Saturday 18 August 2001 08:01 am, you wrote:
> I'm not sure if the PDP8 was used as a word processor. It was certainly
> capable. It had a time sharing OS.
> I can definitely mention that the PDP8 was used as the point of sale
> computer for most Burger King stores in the early '70s. The PDP8 was rather
> elterly when the IBM PC came out. The PDP11 would have been a much better
> candidate in the late '70s. Also, in the late '70s there were a lot of
> proprietary word processors. The IBM PC gained control over the word
> processor market when decent word processor software started to come out in
> the '80s.
>
> Kyle Plummer wrote:
> > Say Jerry, wasn't the DEC PDP 8 (the Robin I think it was called) used
> > for word processing for the IBM PC went to market???

The PDP-8 was packaged into a small machine for wordprocessing. I bought one
for the company I used to work for at a DEC computer store in a Mall in
Machester NH!!!  This must have been in the late 70's??? I do recall being in
that mall when the first shuttle flight landed and I was also in the DEC
store that trip.

It would also do some calculations and had both a Basic interpreter and a
Fortran compiler as well as word processing. Nicely packaged but limited
capability due to the 12 bit word.  Also expensive even if it was cheaper
than the Wang's so prevalent those days.  IIRC it cost ~$12K!!!!!!!

Cheers

Henry

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