[Tfug] Punched cards and paper tape.

[Jim Secan]

My first run in with a computer was in 6th grade in 1959 (yeah, I'm an Old Guy).  Our teacher was tech oriented, one of the few male elementary-school teachers in that day, and obtained a grant from the district to purchase a bunch of electronic kits for us to build as a science project.  As the class geek (geekness tends to surface early), I was assigned the group who build an analog computer.  We could add, subtract, multiply, and divide by setting the operands by turning nobs and operators by flipping switches.  Then you turn the "results" knob until the light on the front was at it brightest.  Great fun.  Lead to a life-long interest in computers.

I'm a great believer in hands-on experience in schools to help grow techie individuals.  I built many electronics kits in my youth, and it has stood me in good stead in trying to keep my house alive and other "life relevant" applications.  Much more useful than memorizing some lame mid-1800s poetry, for example (let the flames begin!).

Jim
(Yes, loved my C-64!)
==================================
James Secan
NorthWest Research Associates, Inc
4118 148th Ave NE
Redmond, WA  98052
(425) 556-9055 x322
(425) 556-9099 FAX
==================================

On Jan 18, 2011, at 7:13 PM, TR wrote:

> In '69 I did not work on IBM iron, but I designed and built and simple Half-Adder that I made in to a calculator and then with point to point wiring made a computer of sorts.  Building various Popular Electronic projects until building an Altair around 74.  even had an article in Pop-Elect around that time, can't remember what is was,  a simple light controller
> 
> TR
> 
> On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 7:50 PM, Ed Wilson <debed at debed.com> wrote:
>  
> OK, who among this list learned how to wire/program a IBM 407 accounting machine? Or a 557 card reproducer (I think it was a 557, may be 559 too many years ago). That was a lot of fun!! J
> 
>  
> Ed
> 
>  
> From: tfug-bounces at tfug.org [mailto:tfug-bounces at tfug.org] On Behalf Of keith smith
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:39 PM
> 
> 
> To: Tucson Free Unix Group
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] Punched cards and paper tape.
> 
>  
> 
> You just pulled in the entire list.
> 
> ------------------------
> Keith Smith
> 
> --- On Tue, 1/18/11, Ed Wilson <debed at debed.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: Ed Wilson <debed at debed.com>
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] Punched cards and paper tape.
> To: angussf at geoapps.com, "'Tucson Free Unix Group'" <tfug at tfug.org>
> Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 7:35 PM
> 
> So which of you folks had a Commodore 64?
> 
> Ed
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tfug-bounces at tfug.org [mailto:tfug-bounces at tfug.org] On Behalf Of
> Angus Scott-Fleming
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 7:20 PM
> To: Tucson Free Unix Group
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] Punched cards and paper tape.
> 
> On 18 Jan 2011 at 15:57, Jim Secan  wrote:
> 
> > UA still on punch cards by 73-74?  
> 
> Long after that, I did some statistics at the UA using punch-cards, and I
> think 
> that was in '78 or '79.  
> 
> > Although, I was still feeding punch cards to an IBM 360 at UCLA in the
> > mid-1970s (still have some of those decks, too). 
> 
> Finally parted with mine a few years ago. [sigh].
> 
> --
> Angus Scott-Fleming
> GeoApps, Tucson, Arizona
> 1-520-290-5038
> Security Blog: http://geoapps.com/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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