3 ms·

I also went down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what "VM" was referring to. I really like Melinda Varian's paper "VM and the VM Community: Past, Presen

I also went down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out what "VM" was referring to. I really like Melinda Varian's paper "VM and the VM Community: Past, Present, and Future"[1]. The history of time sharing systems laid out there is really interesting. From that paper: Creasy and Comeau spent the last week of 1964 joyfully brainstorming the design of CP-40, a new kind of operating system, a system that would provide not only virtual memory, but also virtual machines. [Footnote 25] [Footnote 25] - Creasy had decided to build CP-40 while riding on the MTA. "I launched the effort between Xmas 1964 and year’s end, after making the decision while on an MTA bus from Arlington to Cambridge. It was a Tuesday, I believe." I love seeing an anecdote like that about such an influential technology! [1] http://www.leeandmelindavarian.com/Melinda/25paper.pdf http://www.leeandmelindavarian.com/Melinda/25paper.pdf

technothrasher 6y ago
"I launched the effort between Xmas 1964 and year’s end, after making the decision while on an MTA bus from Arlington to Cambridge." Creasy couldn't have made the decision riding an MTA bus in December, 1964! The MTA had been succeeded by the MBTA in August, 1964. (Too pedantic?)
- cafard 6y ago
  Aren't some NYC subway lines still referred to by the names of defunct companies?
  - gumby 6y ago
    Yes, and in Boston people often continue to use the old name of a renamed street, or since demolished landmark, for decades. Still it was an amusing pedantic comment.