SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Submitted via IRC for SoyCow3941
The PiDP-11 is a modern replica of the PDP-11/70.
Introduced in 1973, the 11/70 was top of the line in the famed PDP-11 range, and the very last system with a proper front panel. Tragically, DEC field service often removed the front panel in a later upgrade, leaving us staring at dull blank panels ever since..
The PiDP-11 wants to bring back the experience of PDP-11 Blinkenlights, with its pretty 1970s Magenta/Red color scheme. On a more modest (living room compatible) scale 6:10, with faithfully reproduced case and switches.
The tabs above describe the PiDP in more detail. The web already contains lots of PDP-11 information, so these pages just focus on the practical PiDP aspects: how to build, operate and possibly hack the PiDP-11. The 'why' question will not be addressed here, only fools would think that PDP-11s are somehow obsolete.
Source: http://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-11
(Score: 2, Touché) by Roo_Boy on Saturday May 19 2018, @04:39PM
Strange, I seem to recall the late 90's still working with several HP-1000's and pretty sure those switches on the front panel for switching the registers and with those LEDs on the front panel for displaying the results would mean it had, wait, a PROPER FRONT PANEL?!?.
Sometimes I do get nostalgic about those machines, but then I remember having to code the bootstrap in binary and soon recover.
http://www.hpmuseum.net/exhibit.php?class=3&cat=33 [hpmuseum.net] For details.
--- The S.I. prototype "Average Punter" is kept in a tube of inert gas in Geneva.