User another-dave

38 votes

14 answers

9k views

What "unusual" syntax assembly languages are/were there?

asked Apr 18, 2020 at 2:16

35 votes

8 answers

11k views

Why did some early computer designers eschew integers?

asked Apr 1, 2019 at 0:35

20 votes

2 answers

2k views

Why is the 'echo' command called 'echo'?

asked Nov 1, 2019 at 15:51

20 votes

1 answer

2k views

Is the MANIAC in the movie 'The Magnetic Monster' the real MANIAC computer?

asked Dec 3, 2021 at 1:32

19 votes

2 answers

690 views

Why were TECO variables called Q-registers?

asked Aug 17, 2019 at 14:05

17 votes

2 answers

1k views

Can I really change standard operator priorities in ALGOL 68?

asked Apr 7, 2022 at 3:50

16 votes

2 answers

1k views

When did argument types first appear in formal argument lists?

asked Feb 6, 2022 at 21:20

13 votes

2 answers

3k views

What was the first programming language to have 'printf'?

asked May 2, 2019 at 12:05

12 votes

1 answer

1k views

Can PDP-11 general registers be referenced by memory addresses?

asked Apr 9, 2022 at 22:10

11 votes

3 answers

860 views

Was it really possible for a PDP-11 to address more than 32K words memory without an MMU?

asked Sep 21, 2019 at 14:22

10 votes

1 answer

311 views

Were any PDP-11 systems with Corita Kent side-panels actually sold?

asked Jan 12, 2019 at 4:15

10 votes

1 answer

355 views

Why were index register contents on IBM 7090 subtracted in forming the effective address?

asked Dec 8, 2019 at 3:30

10 votes

2 answers

1k views

Was there an input device capable of entering all Algol 60 symbols with correct appearance?

asked Sep 6, 2020 at 22:32

9 votes

6 answers

663 views

Besides the IBM 709 and its descendents, did any other machine have "slightly longer" registers?

asked Feb 26, 2021 at 3:42

8 votes

4 answers

2k views

Why did the assigned goto statement in Fortran need a label list?

asked Aug 25, 2020 at 1:34

8 votes

2 answers

340 views

Why do PDP-10 skip instructions also load an AC?

asked Feb 28, 2020 at 3:15

8 votes

1 answer

564 views

What was the first interactive OS to run each command in a new process?

asked Nov 23, 2018 at 2:05

6 votes

4 answers

414 views

How did console flexowriters connect to their computers?

asked Jun 8, 2019 at 1:44

6 votes

0 answers

333 views

What was a DEC PDP-11/85 intended to be, and why might it be able to use DECsystem-10 software?

asked Jan 16, 2021 at 19:51

5 votes

2 answers

957 views

Why did extracodes fall out of favour?

asked Feb 8, 2020 at 19:42

5 votes

2 answers

299 views

What 20th-century computers besides KDF9 replicated hardware for each concurrently-running program?

asked Apr 24, 2020 at 0:28

4 votes

1 answer

321 views

What was the DEC CR11 card reader 'compressed Hollerith code' for?

asked Mar 13, 2020 at 1:08

4 votes

1 answer

150 views

How was EDSAC program code represented on uniselectors?

asked Feb 20, 2021 at 21:10

3 votes

1 answer

836 views

Why were procedure parameter specifications optional in the ALGOL 60 Revised Report?

asked Jul 14, 2021 at 22:08

3 votes

1 answer

305 views

Why was the DEC Q-Bus called the Q-bus?

asked Apr 7, 2019 at 2:14

2 votes

3 answers

253 views

What character repertoires were available on teletype typewheels?

asked Sep 9, 2020 at 0:26

2 votes

3 answers

298 views

When/where was datum and limit relocation invented?

asked Nov 1, 2020 at 1:30

Stack Exchange Network

27 Questions

What "unusual" syntax assembly languages are/were there?

Why did some early computer designers eschew integers?

Why is the 'echo' command called 'echo'?

Is the MANIAC in the movie 'The Magnetic Monster' the real MANIAC computer?

Why were TECO variables called Q-registers?

Can I really change standard operator priorities in ALGOL 68?

When did argument types first appear in formal argument lists?

What was the first programming language to have 'printf'?

Can PDP-11 general registers be referenced by memory addresses?

Was it really possible for a PDP-11 to address more than 32K words memory without an MMU?

Were any PDP-11 systems with Corita Kent side-panels actually sold?

Why were index register contents on IBM 7090 subtracted in forming the effective address?

Was there an input device capable of entering all Algol 60 symbols with correct appearance?

Besides the IBM 709 and its descendents, did any other machine have "slightly longer" registers?

Why did the assigned goto statement in Fortran need a label list?

Why do PDP-10 skip instructions also load an AC?

What was the first interactive OS to run each command in a new process?

How did console flexowriters connect to their computers?

What was a DEC PDP-11/85 intended to be, and why might it be able to use DECsystem-10 software?

Why did extracodes fall out of favour?

What 20th-century computers besides KDF9 replicated hardware for each concurrently-running program?

What was the DEC CR11 card reader 'compressed Hollerith code' for?

How was EDSAC program code represented on uniselectors?

Why were procedure parameter specifications optional in the ALGOL 60 Revised Report?

Why was the DEC Q-Bus called the Q-bus?

What character repertoires were available on teletype typewheels?

When/where was datum and limit relocation invented?