4 ms·

I thought there would be more pictures

delish 11y ago
Conjecture: I think this is online documentation, for an early definition of "online"[0]: inside the machine, rather than on paper. That would explain the sophisticated-for-the-time print quality, and lack of pictures. Symbolics and LMI had, relative to Unix, pretty documentation. Question for a knowledgeable someone: When was this published, and for what audience? It says "for non-programmers," but that could be anyone. [0] I first said "original" but remembered an earlier definition: when one's town was accessible by train one was "online," meaning "on the line," where line means rail.
- vezzy-fnord 11y ago
  When was this published, and for what audience? Either 1981 or 1982. Seems like it's part of some user manuals and promotional materials, so I'd wager the intended audience was any party evaluating their technology.
  - delish 11y ago
    Man, I would not want to be them in 1981. I wrote in another thread on this post that programmability ended up being valuable to me, but I certainly didn't know its value when I got started with Linux and emacs. I can only now articulate its value after seeing the limits of Linux' and emacs' programmability.
lispm 11y ago
That's when early Symbolics was barely running. More detail about the next machine, the 3600, and its software/OS here: Symbolics 3600 Technical Summary, 1983 http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/symbolics/3600_series/3600_TechnicalSummary_Feb83.pdf http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/symbolics/3...
- hga 11y ago
  Indeed, the LM-2 was a repacked MIT AI Lab CADR, the 2nd version and the first to be put in serial production. As I recall being told, the wirewrap CPU and wirewrapped peripheral cards (Chaosnet LAN, disk controller and video) were converted to Multiwire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board#Multiwire_boards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board#Multiwir...), and the Multiwire memory cards were converted to PCBs (everyone wanted lots of DRAM). And of course packaged in something more convenient than a full height 19 inch rack. As I recall, Symbolic ordered up parts and did 50 of them, and LMI 25 CADRs, and both really wished they'd planned on doing more of them. Although LMI perhaps more, we had at any one time around 3 CADRs in house, which were mainly used for CAD for designing the LMI LAMBDA, and some Z-80 CP/M machines to do documentation and the like.
  - ScottBurson 11y ago
    Do you recall what software you were using on the CP/M machines for documentation?
    - hga 11y ago
      Hmmm, I was on a CADR when I was on any computer at LMI; I don't think it was Electric Pencil, might have been WordStar, it was something generally familiar in its day that I'd heard of it before.

Conjecture: I think this is online documentation, for an early definition of "online"[0]: inside the machine, rather than on paper. That would explain the sophisticated-for-the-time print quality, and lack of pictures. Symbolics and LMI had, relative to Unix, pretty documentation. Question for a knowledgeable someone: When was this published, and for what audience? It says "for non-programmers," but that could be anyone. [0] I first said "original" but remembered an earlier definition: when one's town was accessible by train one was "online," meaning "on the line," where line means rail.

vezzy-fnord 11y ago
When was this published, and for what audience? Either 1981 or 1982. Seems like it's part of some user manuals and promotional materials, so I'd wager the intended audience was any party evaluating their technology.
- delish 11y ago
  Man, I would not want to be them in 1981. I wrote in another thread on this post that programmability ended up being valuable to me, but I certainly didn't know its value when I got started with Linux and emacs. I can only now articulate its value after seeing the limits of Linux' and emacs' programmability.

lispm 11y ago

That's when early Symbolics was barely running. More detail about the next machine, the 3600, and its software/OS here: Symbolics 3600 Technical Summary, 1983 http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/symbolics/3600_series/3600_TechnicalSummary_Feb83.pdf http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/symbolics/3...

hga 11y ago
Indeed, the LM-2 was a repacked MIT AI Lab CADR, the 2nd version and the first to be put in serial production. As I recall being told, the wirewrap CPU and wirewrapped peripheral cards (Chaosnet LAN, disk controller and video) were converted to Multiwire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board#Multiwire_boards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board#Multiwir...), and the Multiwire memory cards were converted to PCBs (everyone wanted lots of DRAM). And of course packaged in something more convenient than a full height 19 inch rack. As I recall, Symbolic ordered up parts and did 50 of them, and LMI 25 CADRs, and both really wished they'd planned on doing more of them. Although LMI perhaps more, we had at any one time around 3 CADRs in house, which were mainly used for CAD for designing the LMI LAMBDA, and some Z-80 CP/M machines to do documentation and the like.
- ScottBurson 11y ago
  Do you recall what software you were using on the CP/M machines for documentation?
  - hga 11y ago
    Hmmm, I was on a CADR when I was on any computer at LMI; I don't think it was Electric Pencil, might have been WordStar, it was something generally familiar in its day that I'd heard of it before.