Core memory

What Hacker News says

1. TheNewsIsHereDec 2023
   I didn’t claim that NASA invented transistor based computers, nor did I claim they developed Velcro, Teflon, or Tang.

   In the strictest sense, academia and industry developed all of those technologies on a practical level for some amalgamation of NACA, USAF, and NASA programs.

   What NASA accomplished with Apollo was something that the USAF wasn’t positioned to do, which was to transform nascent technologies into platforms that went on to be commercially viable. Apollo straddled a line between what existed, what was possible, and what could be applied without compromising national security during the Cold War. Truly digital computing has its roots in Apollo as a result of the need for telematics and communications that could span half the planet and to the Moon.

   There is some fantastic reading on the topic that may interest you. Digital Apollo is a wonderful history, and the NASA NTRS and NASA History repositories online have an endless supply from the banal to the executive.

   Recently I enjoyed the coffee table book Core Memory, edited by Mark Richards. It’s a fantastic visual survey and light history of specific computers from the past and includes some of the USAF/SAC hardware, including an ARPANET Interface Message Processor, as well as the Apollo GNC. Great to flip through if you also enjoy viewing these legendary pieces of hardware.

   Edit: I misread your comment initially; I see you didn’t claim that I said NASA invented transistor based computers. I submit that it’s a nuanced point, although I’ve also been long fascinated by that earlier work by (e.g.) Bell Labs, Draper, MIT MVL, and so on.

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2. masswerkJul 2022
   Regarding books, I've always opted for a book named "Glass" on various display technologies and methodologies, along the lines of "Core Memory" by John Alderman and Mark Richards (who does this amazing CHP photography) [1]

   [1] https://www.amazon.com/Core-Memory-Visual-Vintage-Computers/...

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3. andyjohnson0Feb 2021
   I love the visual design in the close-up of the console. Actual physical switches and light-up buttons, and the way that the lines and arrows document the control flow. I have a Rigol digital oscilloscope on my desk right now that has a slightly similar aesthetic.

   And especially I like that it has a hot pink Emergency Off pull-switch.

   Core Memory by John Alderman and Mark Richards is full of great photos of early/classic computers.

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4. sbuttgereitSep 2017
   One I have (and use as a coffee table book) is "Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers". May be out of print though...

   https://www.amazon.com/Core-Memory-Visual-Vintage-Computers/...

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5. sciurusAug 2016
   If you like this, you may enjoy Mark Richards and John Alderman's book "Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers."

   There are some photos from it at http://www.wired.com/2007/07/core-memory/

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6. sciurusMar 2013
   I don't know about posters, but there is similar imagery in "Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers"

   http://www.amazon.com/Core-Memory-Visual-Vintage-Computers/d...

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