Computer

June 29, 2000: The ASCI White

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0629, 4 gb, aggregator, amp, apple, apple stores, arm1176jzf, ASCI White, AT&T, battery, battery life, competitor, compuserve, credit cards, day in tech history, Google, Hertz, historical events, iPhone, iTunes, jobs, june 29, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Max Butler, models, Podcast, RSS, smartphone, stan, Supercomputers, technology history, Terabyte, touch interface 0 Comments June 29, 2024

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2000 – IBM unveiled the ASCI White – their fastest computer yet. This supercomputer was based on IBM’s commercial RS/6000 SP computer. 512 computers were connected to make this supercomputer. over 8 million processors, 5 Terabytes of memory and 160 TB of disk storage.

The computer was completed on this day in New York, and would go on-line on August 15, 2001 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

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Compuserve acquires TheSource, a major competitor
Gigabit Ethernet standard is set
Max Butler pleads guilty to stealing 2 million credit cards

Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM)

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 21, 1948: Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine Runs First Program

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0621, aggregator, board of directors, caucus, congress, day in tech history, department of justice, Geek, initial inquiries, internet explorer, iTunes, jim clark, Joel Klein, june 21, lawyer, legal woes, Manchester computers, Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine, Microsoft, microsoft representatives, mozy, netscape, Netscape Navigator, netscape navigator browser, Podcast, robot, RSS, software giant microsoft, ssem, stitcher, Stored-program computer, summer solstice, technology history, Technology_Internet, University of Manchester 0 Comments June 21, 2024

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1948 – What was first expected to be a practical use computer, the SSEM, or Small-Scale Experimental Machine became the first stored-program computer. Basically, it stores program instructions into it’s electronic memory. This 32-bit word length, cathode-ray tube computer was designed to only run subtraction and negation through hardware. Other functions could be run, but only through software.

The first program was run on this day. It was written by Professor Tom Kilbum. The seventeen-instruction stored-program took 52 minutes to run. The program was tasked to find the highest proper factor of 2¹⁸ (262,144).

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Start of the Summer Solstice
Congress Robot Caucus
SSEM runs first program
Final Cut Pro 10 was released to very negative reviews
Google and Nest Acquire Dropcam

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 19, 1984: X Window System

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0619, 3dnow, 3g, advanced micro devices, aggregator, AMD, AOL, aol software, apple iphone, Application programming interfaces, athlon processor, Bob Scheifler, Computing, day in tech history, Duron, duron processor, historical events, iPhone, iPhone 3GS, iTunes, Podcast, RSS, software glitch, stitcher, System software, technology history, x window system, X11, X11.app 0 Comments June 19, 2024

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1984 – Jim Gettys and Bob Scheifler announced collaboration of a new operating system in the X Window System. This gives the basic framework for a GUI. Currently, it is refered to as X11, R7.7.

I’ve spent the last couple weeks writing a window
system for the VS100. I stole a fair amount of code
from W, surrounded it with an asynchronous rather
than a synchronous interface, and called it X. Overall
performance appears to be about twice that of W. The
code seems fairly solid at this point, although there are
still some deficiencies to be fixed up.

We at LCS have stopped using W, and are now
actively building applications on X. Anyone else using
W should seriously consider switching. This is not the
ultimate window system, but I believe it is a good
starting point for experimentation. Right at the moment
there is a CLU (and an Argus) interface to X; a C
interface is in the works. The three existing
applications are a text editor (TED), an Argus I/O
interface, and a primitive window manager. There is
no documentation yet; anyone crazy enough to
volunteer? I may get around to it eventually.

Anyone interested in seeing a demo can drop by
NE43-531, although you may want to call 3-1945
first. Anyone who wants the code can come by with a
tape. Anyone interested in hacking deficiencies, feel
free to get in touch.

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AOL Software glitch
Apple iPhone 3G S is released
X Window System is released

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 16, 1997: NetPC Announced

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0616, aggregator, bob miner, cia, compaq, Compaq Deskpro, coney island, Databases, day in tech history, development laboratories, development labs, Gateway, Geek, geek history, Google, google docs, gravity, history, Inc., intel, iPhone, larry ellison, mainframe computer, Mark Hurd, operating system, oracle, Oracle Corporation, packard bell, pendulum clock, Personal computer, Podcast, roller coaster, SAP AG, sdl, software development, stitcher, technology history, twitter, windows 98 0 Comments June 16, 2024

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1997 – Several computer companies banded together to help create the NetPC. A disk-less computer that got all information, including install – from a corporate server or the Internet.

Basically, these would be similar to thin clients or “Dumb terminals” for work computers. No CD drive, no floppy disc and limited disk space. Cases were sealed so nobody could get inside to reconfigure the computer. Installs would be handled via the Internet, therefore, no personal software could be installed.

Microsoft and Intel unveiled the system at the PC Expo trade show. NetPC would work with Compaq, Dell, IBM, HP, Acer, Gateway 2000, Mitac, Misubishi, NEC, Pionex, and Groupe Bull computer companies to make the first group of NetPC computers.

The sub-$1,000 computer was a great idea that would work better today than in 1997. IBM dropped out of the project before the first NetPCs came out. They decided to make something their customers would use.

Microsoft finally pulled the plug at the Windows Engineering Conference in 1998 when John Frederiksen, lead project manager for thin clients acknowledged the phase-out process.

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1657 – The first Pendulum Clock
1884 – Coney Island’s first gravity powered Roller Coaster
1988 – Intel releases the i386DX
1999 – Windows 98 SP1 is released
2008 – Google Docs gets PDF Support
2009 –iPhone OS 3.0

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 9, 1986: Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center Opens

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0609, anniversary, cornell university, iPhone, iTunes, launches, Linux, linux kernel, mail marketer, national science foundation, pittsburgh super computing center, princeton, San Diego, stitcher, supercomputer, technology history, teragrid, United States 0 Comments June 9, 2024

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1986 – The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center opens. It links 5 supercomputer centers together – Princeton, San Diego, Illinois, and Cornell University. PSC is a leading partner in the TeraGrid, the National Science Foundation’s cyberinfrastructure program.

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Linux Kernel 2.0 is released
iPhone 2.0 launches
MessageMedia and Revnet join to become North America’s largest e-mail marketer

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 5, 1983: Coleco Adam Computer

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0605, apple, Apple II, bell telephone, Bob Hope, Coleco Adam, ColecoVision, computer, day in tech history, first computer, franklin institute, geek history, Google, Home computers, homeland security, jeff moss, June, oprah, Podcast, roger ebert, security advisory council, technology history, video RAM, Vocoder, voder, Zilog Z80 0 Comments June 5, 2024

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1983 – Coleco announced at the Consumer Electronics Show the Coleco Adam. It was their first attempt at a computer hybrid system – gaming and desktop computing. The $725 price tag didn’t hurt, either.

With a Zilog Z80 processor and 80 kB RAM with 16 kB video RAM, the Adam could do what you needed. Also available was a printer, tape drive, and spots for 3 expansion cards.

Unfortunately, the computer didn’t do as well as the company wanted. They expected a half-million sold by December, but didn’t reach that goal. Ultimately, the Coleco Adam was discontinued in 1985.

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Apple II goes on sale
Bob Hope was declared dead on the Internet – which was not true
Jeff Moss joined the Homeland Security Advisory Council

Computer/ Day in Tech History

June 2, 1988: IBM PS/2 Model 70

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0602, AOL, bomb attack, business, carpet, ceo chris, chris hassett, CIH, computer architecture, Computer virus, day in tech history, geek history, Google, Hardware, history, IBM, IBM Model 70, IBM PC Series, IBM Personal System/2, June, mobile solution, model 70, os 2, Podcast, Pointcast, ps 2, Safari, screensaver, stitcher, technology history, virus surfaces, windows 95 0 Comments June 2, 2024

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1988 – While not the first version of the PS/2, the Model 70 was introduced with the 80386 processor. 16, 20, and 25 MHz clock speeds. The Model 70 also used a 25 MHz Intel 486 processor in a complex called the Power Platform.

If you wanted to upgrade to the 80486, you would have to replace the PS/2’s BIOS chip along with the processor board.

The model 70-A21 sold for $11,295 and included 2 MB of RAM, 120 MB ESDI hard drive, MS-DOS and OS/2. If you wanted a monitor for it, you would have to put down an additional $595 for the 8512 VGA.

Model 70 was a desktop case and Model 80 was a tower. IBM also introduced the PS/2 Model 25 LS and PS/2 Model 50 Z.

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IBM PS/2 Model 70
The CIH Computer Virus surfaces
Safari Carpet Bomb attack

Computer/ Day in Tech History

May 30, 1987: Compact Disc Video (CD-V) Format Released

Jeffrey Powers @geekazine 0530, attachment, caption, evening post, firefox, gecko, gecko engine, geek history, Google, Google Chrome, guinness book of world, guinness book of world records, guinness world record, history, internet explorer, Linux, linux distributions, mobile solution, mozilla, mozilla download, mozilla firefox, netscape, pennsylvania, Podcast, stitcher, technology history, turbolinux, Windows NT 3.51 0 Comments May 30, 2024

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1987 – North American Phillips Company introduced the compact disc video format. Using the same technology as LaserVision, the “CD’s with Pictures” would be gold in color and the same size as an audio CD. They could hold up to 800 MB – which would allow for a full length movie in SD, or a video music album.

The CD-V didn’t last that long, dissolving by 1991.