university of utah 1 altair 8800 how to make it usable? -peripherals -programming language
DESCRIPTION
University of Utah 3 DOS ?? Not MS-DOS (yet) Mainframe DOS vs microcomputer DOS -multi-user vs single-user -multi-tasking vs single-tasking -roomful of peripherals vs few peripheralsTRANSCRIPT
University
of Utah
11
Altair 8800
• How to make it usable?- Peripherals- Programming language
University
of Utah
22
Altair 8800
• How to make it usable?- Peripherals- Programming language- Disk storage and OS
University
of Utah
33
DOS ??
• Not MS-DOS (yet)• Mainframe DOS vs microcomputer DOS
- multi-user vs single-user- multi-tasking vs single-tasking- roomful of peripherals vs few peripherals
University
of Utah
44
CP/M
• “Control Program for Micros”• De facto OS for microcomputers in late
1970s / early 1980s
University
of Utah
55
CP/M
• “Control Program for Micros”• De facto OS for microcomputers in late
1970s / early 1980s• But where did it come from?
University
of Utah
66
• Contractor for Intel• PL/I cross compiler for 8080 chip
- PL/M
Gary Kildall
University
of Utah
77
• Developed simple disk controller as a side-project (CP/M)
• Intel didn’t want it...
Gary Kildall
University
of Utah
88
Digital Research
• Founded by Gary Kildall and wife Dorothy McEwen (1976)- originally “Intergalactic Digital Research”
• CP/M as main product- < $100
University
of Utah
99
Porting blues
• Many 8080-based systems out there• CP/M had to be ported to each!
- A hassle• Along comes IMSAI (1977)
University
of Utah
1010
Porting blues
• Refactored CP/M- larger part was cross-platform- smaller part was platform-specific
• Now only small part had to be rewritten for each new platform!
University
of Utah
1111
Porting blues
• Refactored CP/M- larger part was cross-platform- smaller part was platform-specific
• Now only small part had to be rewritten for each new platform!
• BIOS- “Basic Input / Output System”
University
of Utah
1212
IMSAI 8080
• “Clone” of Altair 8800
http://www.imsai.net/Movies/WarGames.htm
University
of Utah
1313
IMSAI 8080
• The WarGames computer!
http://www.imsai.net/Movies/WarGames.htm
University
of Utah
1414
CP/M Demo
University
of Utah
1515
Meanwhile...
• Microcomputer revolution takes place in mid-1970s
• What were the “big” computer companies doing?
University
of Utah
1616
DEC
• Big and faster• VAX-11 (1977)
- follow-up to PDP-11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Vax11-780.jpg
University
of Utah
1717
VAX
• Technical specifications- 32-bit address space- virtual memory- 16 general purpose registers- million instructions per second
University
of Utah
1818
VAX
• Classic “CISC” architecture- 250 instructions- Try to do as much as possible in hardware!
example: POLY instruction
University
of Utah
1919
VAX
• Plural: “vaxen”• $120,000• Approx. 100,000 sold in 1970’s - 1980’s
University
of Utah
2020
VAX
• Operating Systems- VMS- UNIX
Internet nodes
University
of Utah
2121
VAX
• Operating Systems- VMS- UNIX
Internet nodes• Software outlives hardware!
University
of Utah
2222
VT-100
• Terminal for VAX machines (1978)• 80x24 text display• ASCII
http://vt100.net/vt_history
University
of Utah
2323
IBM
• What was IBM doing in 1970’s?- continuing System/370 line- minicomputers (System/38)- experimental “personal” computers
University
of Utah
2424
IBM
• What was IBM doing in 1970’s?- continuing System/370 line- minicomputers (System/38)- experimental “personal” computers- Oh, and hiring lawyers...!
U.S. vs. IBM (1969 - 1981)
University
of Utah
2525
DEC and IBM
• Missed the microcomputer bandwagon• DEC
- sells architecture, not computers- “corporate jewels”
• IBM- distracted by other concerns
University
of Utah
2626
Reminder
• Midterm on Friday!• One sheet of notes
University
of Utah
2727
“Test Question”
• On a scrap of paper, write a question that encapsulates one of the points from today's class, and turn it in.
• (Put your name on it!)