My first computer

[Dave Bagwill]

Not 50's, but here is the first computer I operated - in 'Nam in 1968 - a Univac (Universal Automatic Computer) - the operator console was the smallest part, the wall of tape (!) machines for storage took up most of the space. I felt like a spaceman. It ran on tubes. Tubes.

[Kevin in California]

You looked a lot younger back then Dave.
That computer probably had less abilities then the flashing round digital clock we used to get and stick on our dash boards.

[Dave Bagwill]

That's not me, I would have been in uniform and much geekier-looking. :-)

Yeah, I don't know what the capacity of the thing was. Less than my tv remote I'm sure...

[ken cierp]

Those first computers produced more heat and noise than anything else! Think about it - one vacuum tube equaled one transistor -- Intel's core i7 has 1.3 billion transistors.

[Ray Ussery]

! worked on this Solar Project with McDonald Douglas in 1972 thru '79. The pic shows 1818 mirrors, each that could be adjusted into the optimum parabolic curve for maximum sunlight directed to the top of tower shown, and at the same time track the suns movement 365 days a year.

The Steam was held in a million gallon tank filled with sand transported from the Pacific ocean near Santa Barbara and crisscrossed pipe that would hold enough steam to generate at max power (10 Megawatts for 2500 homes until 3 AM.

Shown in the pic is a building to the left that is 140 feet long, 90 feet wide and 3 stories high....THIS is the computer, the entire building. It took 100 techs 24/7 to maintain the unit. It took 10% of the power generated to run the computer. Cost? $300 million. :)