What are the really unusual or weird computers?

[Chuck Guzis]

On 22 Jun 2007 at 16:00, Liam Proven wrote:

 
> What are the most bizarre, way-out or just plain *different* machines
> that folks have seen?
> 
> The basic von Neumann computer is well-established, but most of them
> have a lot more common ground than that. 

NEC marketed a dataflow MPU back in the 80's.  I believe it was 
targeted at the DSP market.  To my knowledge, it's the only 
commercial dataflow design.

A more conventional, but still strange micro design was the 
SMS/Signetics 8X300/305 microcontroller.  Bipolar, 16-bit and 
remarkably brain-dead.  Western Digital used it on its early hard 
disk controllers.

Many of the 1950's systems were what we'd consider to be strange.  
Consider, for example, the Univac SS80.

Cheers,
Chuck