Podcast Episodes

Hybrid Programming

Episode 173

Hybrid computers are composed of a digital computer linked to an analog computer. That leads to an interesting challenge: how do you write software for one of these things? The analog side actively r…

Published on 9 hours ago

Analog/Hybrid

Episode 172

In 1945 the first electronic digital computers sparked to life. Number crunching was instantly changed forever! The perfect technology had arrived, and there was never even a competition, righ…

Published on 2 weeks ago

What Is a 4GL?

Episode 171

Last episode I said that Fourth Generation Languages were a topic for another time. Well... this counts as another time. Today we are trying to figure out what exactly makes a language 4th Generation…

Published on 1 month ago

Thoroughbred/OS

Episode 170

I'm back to normal episodes, and I'm running out the gate with a weird one. Thoroughbred/OS was a multi-user and multi-tasking operating system for the IBM PC. It's mian interface was... BASIC of all…

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

Ben Zotto and the Story of Sphere Computers

I recently had the chance to talk to Ben Zotto about his upcoming book: Go Computer Now! - The Story of Sphere Computers. It's all about an obscure machine powered by the Motorola 6800 that released …

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

Dellinger's Viruses

Episode 169

In 1981 Joe Dellinger attempted to create the perfect computer program: a virus that spread silently. In 1982 a revision of that virus broke containment. It would have remained completely hidd…

Published on 2 months ago

Halt and Catch Fire

Episode 168

Imagine a secret number that could be used to bring your computer to a screeching halt. In 1977 Gerry Wheeler discovered an interesting feature of Motorola's new 6800 microprocessor. There was…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

The Tape That Unwound Itself

Episode 167

Have you ever had a computer do something you can't explain? Have you ever thought a machine had a mind of its own? In 1971 Met Life was faced with this exact conundrum. Their tape drives, for…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Beyond the PDP-11

Episode 166

My trilogy on the PDP-11 concludes with a look at the far flung places this computer can take us. In this episode we look at some issues with claims of the PDP-11's linage, smuggling, Hungaria…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

LSI-11

Episode 165

This episode we continue my series on the PDP-11 by examining how DEC adapted to the advent of the microprocessor. Along the way we will see how the PDP-11 inspired new generations of computer…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago