MIT provides MULTICS source and documentation (DPS-8 simulation)

[Roy J. Tellason]

On Tuesday 13 November 2007 18:17, Cameron Kaiser wrote:
> > An even better example is the C-64.  The disk drives on that are
> > netoriously slow, but were computers in their own right, having a CPU as
> > part of the drive electronics.  One trick (assuming you have at least two
> > disk drives) was to program the disk drives to copy a disk,
>
> The 64 was emblematic of the best and worst features of this. The
> intelligent serial peripherals could talk amongst each other, such as
> the disk drive becoming commanded to TALK and the printer to LISTEN,
> which is essentially a print spooler.

This reminds me of one particular disk-copying program,  which would have the 
lights on both drives on solid.  You could,  once you'd kicked off a copying 
process,  have unplugged the computer and it would just keep on going.

> On the other hand, there was the 6551 ACIA emulation in software for
> the user port, which was buggy to boot. People may make fun of the Plus/4
> but at least it had a real ACIA.

They did?  (Looking in handy box of manuals,  but plus 4 isn't in there...)

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space,  a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed.  --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin