[rescue] First computers (was FS: Timex Sinclair 1000)

[Mike Loewen]

On Wed, 5 May 2010, Dave Fischer wrote:

> mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us writes:
>
>>    The first computer I learned to program was an IBM 360/67 at Penn State
>> in 1969.  The first one I owned was a TRS-80 Model III in 1982 (16KB,
>> cassette storage).  The oldest computer I worked on was the IBM-built
>> AN/FSQ-7 (SAGE) computer, vintage 1957.
>
> What did you do on SAGE? Was there much programming on them after they
> were installed?

    I was a hardware maintenance tech, working in the central computer 
area.  I did manage to write a little machine-code: a music interpreter 
that played tunes through a speaker on the Duplex Maintenance Console:

http://sturgeon.css.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/SAGE/ProbePanel-1L.jpg

    The programming was initially done at System Development Corporation in 
Santa Monica, but eventually transitioned to Air Force programmers. 
According to this account:

http://www.snarc.net/tr/sage.htm

    ...there were 15 programmers assigned to each site.

Here's an online text from a USAF programming course:

http://www.anfsq7.info/q7/manual/index.asp

    I have some artifacts from SAGE:

http://sturgeon.css.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/SAGE/

    ...and I also maintain a site dedicated to the appearence of SAGE 
hardware as props on TV and the movies:

http://sturgeon.css.psu.edu/~mloewen/Q7/


Mike Loewen				mloewen at cpumagic.scol.pa.us
Old Technology	http://sturgeon.css.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/