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50 Year Old Computer Still Going

Posted by chrisd on from the not-a-laptop dept.

The Angry Mick writes "Geek.com is running a blurb on a 50 year old CSIRAC computer that is apparently still functional, if lurking in an Australian museum. Sporting a whopping 2K of RAM and screaming along at a blistering 300 khz(!) it proves the adage that they really don't make 'em like they used to . . ." Yes, because if they did, they'd be really, really slow.

8 of 290 comments (clear)

  1. Imagine... by Russellkhan · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Beowuld cluster of- oh never mind, where would you fit it?

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    Information doesn't want to be anthropomorphized anymore.
  2. Not as slow as it sounds by Ed+Avis · · Score: 5, Funny

    300kHz may not sound like much, but with overclocking and a decent watercooling setup you could crank it as high as 334kHz!

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    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  3. Re:These computers are not to be laughed at by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah? Well at least you HAD ones. We had to make do with zeros. Ever code in unary?

  4. It wasn't that reliable... by Goonie · · Score: 5, Funny
    I wouldn't get too excited about CSIRAC's reliability. The memory in particular had a pretty high error rate, so they often ran programs twice and compared the results to make sure they got the same answer...

    On one occasion, they gave a demo to an organisation called the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), but apparently a memory error occurred and the thing printed "CSIRAC welcomes the members of the IRA) :)

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    Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
    --Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
    1. Re:It wasn't that reliable... by linuxelf · · Score: 5, Funny

      I've seen a lot of modern computers have similar "Memory Errors." Right here on /., as a matter of fact. How many times have you seen a Memory Error turn a 'Then' into a 'Than' or a 'Their' into a 'There' It happens all the time. I guess some things just never change.

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      - "That's just the kind of fuzzy-headed liberal thinking that leads to being eaten."
  5. Re:These computers are not to be laughed at by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lets see even the best programmers used to point and drool GUI interfaces and hand holding wizards try and do that in 2K now using little more than paper tape! The people who designed, built and programmed these machines REALLY knew what they were doing and probably forgot more about efficient programming and code compression than todays "top" coders ever knew in the first place.

    I remember the good ol' days before lawn mowers were invented. We would stoop over the lawn for weeks with tweezers in hand. Each grass blade was skillfully cut by a true craftman. Now your "best" lawn mowers simply buzz through a yard, never even seeing individual grass blades.

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    Table-ized A.I.
  6. Re:50 years at 300KHz by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 4, Funny
    And of course, this machine ISN'T still running, and would likely execute an HCF instruction (Halt and Catch Fire) if powered on...

    So might your Athlon, son... So might your Athlon.

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    That is all.
  7. Re:built to last by nizo · · Score: 4, Funny
    ...i have no doubt that i will be married and with children before my 12 yr old 486-33 hits the dumpster...

    Haven't been married before have you? (Pictures of ex wife seeing my junky old 486 sitting in the corner and exclaiming, "What's that???" flash through my mind) Basically you can kiss anything over 10 years old goodbye (with the possible exception of family heirlooms studded with diamonds).

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    I Am My Own Worst Enemy