Punch cards

[Steven P. Ulrick]

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:22:27 -0700
"Knute Johnson" <knute at frazmtn.com> wrote:

> >When I first learned to program in 1964 we used an IBM 1620, fondly
> >known as CADET (Can't Add, Doesn't Even Try).  It had 20,000 memory
> >cells, each of which stored one decimal digit.  Words were delimited
> >by a flag bit in the most significant digit -- i.e. they were
> >variable length.  Since there were no integrated circuits then, the
> >whole desk-sized machine, complete with blinking lights, console
> >switches, and a built-in IBM Executive electric typewriter for small
> >amounts of input and output, was made with individual transistors.
> >My ex could type faster than that machine, especially with a
> >Selectric, but this was before the Selectric too.

> >Bob
> 
> In the middle seventies I got a job as a computer operator for an 
> auto parts jobber in San Bernardino.  They had a General Automation 
> 1830 which was a clone of the IBM 1130.  Ours had 16K of core memory, 
> two disk drives the size of washing machines and a card reader.  We 
> had four full time keypunch operators and I fed cards into that thing 
> all day long, about 30,000 per month.  We had an IBM sorter in the 
> back room that I sorted cards on and a decollator that I used to 
> separate the multi-part paper from the carbons.  Those were the days.

Hello, Everyone
This may be a little off topic for this thread, but here is a link to a
picture of my Dad working on a device called a "Megabit Link
Exerciser."
http://www.afolkey2.net/gallery2/main.php/v/Ulrick1/MomAndDad/Dad/Dad-012a.jpg.html

If I remember correctly, said device is an early, and very slow,
modem.

Steven P. Ulrick