Klarinet Archive - Posting 000034.txt from 2012/02

From: Fred <vze2bsbs@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] IBM 1620
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:59:36 -0500

WOW - I started at age 20 in 1968 on an IBM 1130 and vividly remember
exactly the same programming experience you describe. It was
wonderful!!! However, by this time I did not have to also load the
compiler deck, so I guess things were advanced to the point where the
computer itself was storing the essential operating software. But I
can say this got me totally hooked on computers and
programming! Then I would go to my class in whatever and before
anyone arrived practiced clarinet for a while! Really. I never
stopped doing either.

Fred

At 08:23 AM 2/2/2012, you wrote:
>My goodness, yourself! That sure does take me back. I first started into
>computers at the old Biophysics Laboratory at Harvard Med. School as a
>young post-doc in (I think) 1963, and remember that beast well.
>
>For the benefit of those who missed this experience: To write a program,
>you first cut a bunch of key-punch cards, and loaded them into the card
>reader along with the first-pass compiler. This produced a stack of
>intermediate cards, which were loaded into the reader along with the
>second-stage compiler deck. Then, and only then, would it cough and say
>"mixed mode", a common error caused (simplified version) by using a
>variable name beginning with i, j, k, l, m, or n for a real (as opposed to
>an integer) number. Or vice-versa. The amount of hard language this
>produced had to be experienced!
>
>I don't remember using Leeson's material, but it's been a long time now. I
>never stopped using computers as aids to my work, but it sure got easier
>and cheaper.
>
>George
>
>
>
>At 06:46 PM 2/1/2012, you wrote:
> >My goodness. How did you ever get hold of that
> >film? I was the producer and it was made for the
> >25th anniversary of the introduction of FORTRAN
> >somewhere around 1980. If anything can be credited
> >for bringing about the beginning of the computer
> >revolution, it was FORTRAN. I don't know if
> >anyone uses it today, but it was a cash cow in the
> >1950s, 60s, and early 70s, and without it, the
> >introduction of large scale computers (which led
> >Jobs to the personal computers) would have been
> >delayed enormously.
> >
> >Dan Leeson
> >email: dnleeson@-----.net
> >alternate email: leesondaniel899@-----.net
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Mark Charette [mailto:charette@-----.org]
> >
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 1:23 PM
> >To: The Klarinet Mailing List
> >Subject: Re: [kl] Saying goodbye
> >
> >I never met Dan, yet I had read some of his early
> >work ...
> >
> >Basic programming concepts and the IBM 1620
> >computer
> >
> >and seen his movie
> >
> >http://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/FORTR
> >AN/video/FORTRAN-1982.wmv
> >
> >way before I knew he was interested in clarinets.
> >
> >Software programming, movies, and the clarinet.
> >
> >What a guy!
> >
> >Mark C.
> >_______________________________________________
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> >to:
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> >
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>
>
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