Look back - About the development of computers in the late 50s.

                                          
                                          
(C) Evgeny Shcherbatyuk '96 (W) Filosof '97
                                          
              A look back.               
                                          
 Peshkarus - a means or method of re-
                movement based on
                moving the lower extremities
                problems, requires a lot
                experience (at least one year of experience)
                uneven)                  
                                          
   At the end of the 50s, computers
rooted in research
centers and universities, financial and statistical
tistical departments of banks and large correspondents
portions. Researchers and manufacturers
numbering machines made efforts to
to programming computers
became lighter, and they themselves became more powerful.
The emergence of high-level languages is mainly
solved the problem of the complexity of the program
mization and made it available for shi-
a large circle of engineers and scientists
cov.  Enthusiasts, especially at universities
and colleges, looked for new perspectives
use of computers, trained to work with
them students,in a word, they did what would-
necessary to make predictions
about a brilliant future and invaluable knowledge
knowledge of computer technology.               
   One of the obstacles that stood in their way
way, there was a batch processing system
programs. Those who had to work for
large machines of the single series (EU), know and
remember what it is. I suspect
For most of our readers, batch processing
botka is known by hearsay. Therefore, allow
please remember your youth and talk about
she probably has more than she deserves.  
   Batch processing is brought to life by the
then for economic reasons. Calculator-
complexes were very expensive, and for
they developed a system that allows
run more than one program on one machine
at a time, but a whole package of programs. Of course
programs were still executed sequentially
but, but this made it possible to more completely zag-
power up the central processor using juice
Increased downtime during I/O.
This batch processing looked like this:
Requirement of specialists in system programming
Vania.  Ordinary programmers saw it as
completely different. Firstly, access to a computer
Yuteru was strictly limited.  We wrote
programs and checked them ten times -
what can you do, our time was much less
better than a computer.  Then they rewrote
block letters textprograms with development
valuable leaves on special forms,
which were handed over to the punching room. Girls
punch card operators translated the program text
on punch cards, at times performing any
mental errors and unimaginable typos.
To be fair, it should be noted that
the number of perforation errors was often
Fewer programming errors.
Ready stacks of punched cards with programs
handed over to operators for testing. Via
for some time, at best after
an hour, at worst a day later, it was possible
pick up the results. The fruits of the first program
there have always been long lists of mistakes
forations, typos and incorrect designs
programming language. Cycle (manual operation)
the one with the text - perforation - run) pulled -
fight to the bitter end and could last a week -
mi. Our CPU usage schedule
th time, according to which pro-
our programs were launched, I wrote for a month
forward.  Very often it was impossible to spend
run only to ensure that the compiler
made mistakes instead of you. Therefore we prefer
read manually run the source text,
posing as a computer than spending
precious computer time to search for trivi-
errors that are inherently natural. This was done
so, taking a simplified, but quite complete
set of initial data, we manually run
program by executing one statement at a time
torus, line byline.  The first thing
a programmer learned to write this carefully
in block letters and cross out the sign well-
la, so that it differs from the letter "O". Yes
the number of perforation errors was reduced. 
   The method deserves a separate paragraph
storing programs on punched cards.  One
the punched card contained one line (80 characters)
comet) of the text.   Each character of the line
was represented by a combination of punches according to
corresponding column of the punched card.  Slightly
having become proficient in handling program cards
mysts began to read the text on cards
punching and correcting text in the program,
manually sealing some punches and cutting through
new.  The goal was to speed up work
by saving time on contacting front-line
photo card makers. Occasionally it was possible to penetrate
to the processing room and be present in person
when running the program, then from the skill "to
fly" edit cards depended on how many times
you will be able to skip the program in half an hour
machine time.                        
   Now imagine how shocked
The solution was to drop and scatter the punched cards
programs, how much effort it took to collect them
again. A person who cannot read symbols
ly on the code punching of the cards, it was
I can't do it in general. He was forced again
give the program for perforation and lose it
days. Suppose the text of this article is encrypted
written in simple code, cut intolines,
which are then mixed.  Who's sane
mind will undertake to collect it, laying it down
pieces in order? We took it.  That's how it was
easier and faster. The second lesson, teaching
living as a programmer, learned numbers
put cards in the deck. It's really not a spa.
lard when two decks crumbled (and more
lee), so that for many it became a habit
mark the name of the program on each card,
number the cards and sign the punched one
them text. I still remember the face of the newcomer -
ka, who received text on the perforation
his first program, he asked cheerfully:
"Who's with me in the punch cards?", dashingly shuffled
shoved the deck and suddenly realized what he had done
ril.                                      
   Yes, it's nice to take a break, but it's time to come back
leaving the Soviet Union in the late 70s -
early 80s in the United States of America
late 50s early 60s.             
   Members of the Faculty of Mathematics Dart-
Muth College Thomas Kurts and John Cal-
I received my doctorates from Prince
Ton University. Kurtz met
computers in 1951 at a course in California
Forni University. Kameni participated
in the creation of the atomic bomb in 1945, and
his mentor was von Neumann himself. After
war Kameni worked at the Princeton Institute
here are promising research assistants
volume with Albert Einstein and finished his doctoratetorantura.  In 1953 he was offered
to head the mathematics department of Dart
Smoot College in New Hampshire.   
   The closest place is where Kurtz and Kameni
could work with their programs, was
MIT
(MIT), located 215 kilometers away.
Kurtz, who usually took programs to MIT,
became a regular on the train and fully
suffered from batch processing. Kameni
I dreamed of installing a computer in Dartsmouth,
but I couldn’t imagine how to teach
programming of colleagues and employees, es-
will the process remain so daunting?
yushnyh. In 1954, the college acquired a small
machine LGP-30 and Kurtz headed the computing
litelny center. Over how many years
Kurtz and Kameni developed simple languages
to work on your car. The case when
one of the junior year students, not previously
dealt with computers, developed
DART language, finally convinced them that ra-
all students can use a bot with a computer
there.  The idea is to train students to work in
computer practically, and not in lectures, and
regardless of their specialization I found
support from the college administration.         
   After you have previously been imbued with
chatting about the everyday life of batch processing
programs, no lengthy explanation is required
ny why she became an obstacle on the way
communionstudents to the computer. Math-
tics, physicists, engineers "charms" of pa-
chum treatment was not deterred, they were already
understood the value of computer computing.
Scientists and students of the humanities
they simply couldn’t believe the specialties,
that computer data processing is capable
bring them results whose meanings
would be worth all the ordeals of batch processing
ki, and avoided the computer.             
   First of all, Kurtz and Kameni decided
deal with batch processing.  They
planned to use the partition system
time theory, first proposed at MIT.
The essence of the division is as follows. To the central
connected to the computer processor
how many terminals equipped with alphabet
but-numeric keypad. Central pro-
processor controlled by the corresponding program
frame, in turn connected to each
terminal for a few milliseconds. Perek-
emergence occurs very quickly, and in humans
century, it seems that he is the only
Manages the computer skillfully.         
   According to the plan of Kurtz and Kameni, it was necessary
make a programming language so
simple so that "students can use
teach it after three hours of classes.” On
the roles of the operators were outlined to be simple and
English content words,
such as PRINT, SAVE
thread) and so on. During the development of new
th languagenew ideas were born. Assuming
It was lost that students working in the system with
time sharing, they will recruit themselves
program texts, enter and receive rep-
results.  This is how the idea of interactive
activity of programs, that is, that
During its execution, a program can
and must conduct a dialogue, interact with
programmer or user. Another on-
the generalized numeric data type has become popular
nykh, with a single internal representation,
when almost any use of numbers in
mulah turned out to be correct - unlike
from Fortran. The new language was called BASIC.
BASIC is Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic
Code (general purpose symbolic code
for beginners).                          
   In 1963, Kemeny began development
BASIC language compiler. To two students
was tasked with creating an operating system
with time sharing for General machines
Electric 225 and Datanet-30, acquisition
which became possible thanks to subsidies
National Science Foundation and discount,
provided by General Electric. May 1
1964 at 4 am in the basement
Dartmouth College Kemeny with associates
stood at the teletypes used in the ro-
terminals, and filled in programs. Kemeny
recalled: “We have repeatedly pro-
did a similar operation, but precisely in
that time everything worked.At the same time, birth
there were both the BASIC language and the division system
time." Soon, most large organizations
nizations used the system in their work
time sharing. True, they used
not BASIC, but other programming languages
niy.                                      
    Need I say how popular it is?
BASIC these days? According to some sources, they
owns more people than all others
programming languages combined. 
   One of the "breeding grounds" of passion for computers is
The yuters had the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ky institute. At MIT there was a student
club of technical railway mo-
division.  One group of students made
was making layouts of the area, and the other was
electric filling for them. Enthusiasts
from among the latter with fanatical zeal
spent hours editing, improving and
remakes of the land of toy trains.
They have developed their own jargon, so setup
or repair was called “kneading” the appa-
ratures. Work that brings nothing
me pleasures, as well as rude jokes,
were called "hack". Those who are interested in it
was, like the troublesome students,
called "hackers". Hit comp-
yuter was only in sight of the hackers
a matter of time.                         
   While the computer center was dominated
batch processing, their access to the machinewas
very limited.  Everything changed when
In 1958, a small machine appeared at MIT
TX-0. It was built on transistors and
in addition, it had an excellent electron beam
howl monitor, playback device
sound and even a light pen that can
was to draw on the monitor screen. The main thing is
it did not have a batch processing system,
the man entered the punched tape with the program and
I got results immediately.  For students
allowed to work on TX-0 when it was
free.                                 
   Maniac programmers began to create amazing things.
desa. One made the computer play Bach,
the other is to convert numbers from Arabic
forms of recording in Roman. Hacker-teacher
tel created a computer game in which
you had to navigate the maze with your mouse and
collect pieces of cheese. In another version
game cheese was replaced by martini and as
while passing the maze, the gait of the mouse becomes
curled less and less solid.                 
   Soon another computer appeared at MIT
ter: PDP-1.  PDP-1 was a harbinger of mi-
no-computers.  Kenneth Olsen, graduate
MIT realized that there was a need for
computers of less power (and cost)
and founded the company that released PDP. In PDP
hackers fell in love at first sight. The most
an exciting game written by
professor Marvin Minsky, who studiedartificial intelligence. With the help of three
light spots on the screen could be
build swirls, roses and geometric figures
gurs.  Among the hackers who are captivated by the new game,
Roy, there was Stephen Russell, a big fan
science fiction, second-rate action films and computer
Yuters.  Taking as a basis the program of the Minsk-
go, he gave free rein to his passions and did
game called "Space Wars". Two
players controlled spaceships and
tried to hit each other with missiles,
watching the progress of the battle on the monitor.
Russell suggested that his hacker friends improve their
improve the program, what they are accepted for
were delighted. One of them was built into
game astronomical tables, and now it
passed against the backdrop of the equatorial star-
th sky.  In 24 hours the screen changed
365 starry nights.  Another hacker entered
program taking into account the gravity of the Sun and planets.
Apart from food breaks, Russell and
friends played non-stop. For more-
for convenience, they did what can be called
to be the “grandfather” of the modern joystick. Not
stopping the games, you could get up from your chair
and stretch your legs by walking around the room with
panel of buttons and switches in hand-
kah.                                      
   Hackers have their own ethics. All
programs, including the game "Mouse in the Labyrinth"
rinte" and "Space Wars", were considered
public domain.  Copies of programsits
spread freely through the informal
kersky network throughout the United States. Nobody
was not concerned about copyright issues,
because the commercial value of the program
had no idea. The situation will soon change
elk, huge profits were made from the programs
status, the issue of copyright and piracy
Twa stood up very sharply. But the original
movement of hackers, people selflessly and
selfishly passionate about computers, still
exists, although it has noticeably thinned out, and the word
"hacker", at the suggestion of software sellers
provision has become abusive.           
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          

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