Hardware Hobbyists vs. Emulator Enthusiasts vs Replica Recreators

[Ray Arachelian]

Hi Tony,


Tony Duell wrote:
> For the machines I mentioned, the PDP8s, PDP11s, and Philips P800s have a 
> hardware front panel that works even without any boot disks. You can 
> toggle in short programs and run them -- certainly programs to cause 
>   
As soon as you do that, you're running software - even if your intention
of interacting with it is only to cause output on a scope, even if it's
one opcode at a time.  :-) 
Completely different from just powering up and admiring it (or using it
as a space heater, or listening to the fans.)

> various bits of the machine to spring to life for investigation with the 
> 'scope. It's also popssible to load microcode into a PERQ without a boot 
> disk if you have the PERQLink board, but it's easier to find a boot disk :-)
>   
Point wasn't about specifcally booting off a disk, but running software,
any software, whether from ROM, disk, over a network, or toggled in by
switch at a panel.


>   
>> It's the difference between driving a classic race car and just looking
>> at one which is cordoned off in a museum exhibit.  Sure it's pretty and
>>     
>
> I disagree. It's more like the difference between driving said car, and 
> running the engine/transmission on a test bed. 
Ok, conceded on that point.  :-)

> The former is obviously more
> interesting (as I said, I do try to get boot disks for my classics), but 
> the latter is a lot better than nothing.
>   
In the same way, running an emulator is a lot better than nothing, if
you don't have the actual machine.  :-)
(That statement assumes one already has hardware capable of running the
emulator and makes no statement about individual preferences towards
owning such host machines.)