Testing Our Restored DEC PDP-10 KA10

The secret is finally out! Our DEC PDP-10 KA10 moved onto our exhibit floor today, & engineer Bruce Sherry powered it on for a test-run. But like all tests - not everything always goes to plan!
Stay tuned for updates as we work to restore this unique machine. #36bitsforever

[@GunPilot64]

I used to be an operator on one of those back in 1983-84 at Central Arizona College. It ran everything at the school. I programmed COBOL and FORTRAN on it, using SOS and TECO. It was ancient even then. The computer room was pretty cool. We called the chair at the console the Bat Chair.

[@artiem5262]

spent years of my life with KA10's -- at UC Irvine and then at USC-ISI. Wonderful beast of a machine!

[@RS-ls7mm]

This was the high school system's computer in Albuquerque. All the high schools were linked to one PDP-10, pretty advanced for the time. Microsoft rented time on this computer when they started. One whole rack was just one 32K core memory. But the printer was insanely fast. It would literally print so fast the paper would fly out of the machine is you accidentally left the lid up. Glass lined room, your classic tech temple of the time.

[@lesnyd]

I was a systems programmer on a dual processor KA10 - S/N 274/276 (never knew what happened to 275!) in a slave/master configuration. Only the master could do I/O. Had 256kw MF10 core memory and special PDP11 controllers for I/O called DN87s. I think I had the most fun I ever had on those machines. We ran 30-40 users with no problem!

[@lesnyd]

BTW - that was 1974-1979

[@kerryedavis]

MMM, nice. I had one of those - plus a lot more - that I was going to use to start a computer school, before I developed ulcerative colitis and couldn't work any more.

[@tellthemborissentyou]

The University of Auckland had a 'Dec 10' in 1984. As students we hated and feared it. You would spend hours entering your code and then an alarm would sound saying it was going down in 10 minutes. So dozens of us would be trying to save all at once and the whole thing would be overloaded. Eventually it would give a count down and and then stop. Some students would be relived they had managed to save their work and some would start swearing because they hadn't been able to in time. There were tee-shirts for sale that simply said 'I hate the DEC-10'. Thank goodness for PCs.

[@lenkapenka6976]

Great story! They had a DEC 10 at the University of Essex back in '88... I think it was the machine that ran MUD for the UK Academic Network JANET... students from all over the UK would play and stay up until 5am each morning!

[@kerryedavis]

They never learned to save occasionally along the way?

[@MichaelKingsfordGray]

I used these when they were new.

[@GodEmperorSuperStar]

The statement "36-bits are strawberries just like Edie's drugs, they are alluring and nostalgic" is a metaphorical comparison that highlights the allure and nostalgia associated with both strawberries and Edie Sedgwick's legacy. Strawberries, with their sweetness, vibrant color, and association with summertime, evoke feelings of pleasure, nostalgia, and carefree days. Similarly, 36-bits, representing a specific unit of digital information from an earlier era of computing, can symbolize the nostalgia and fascination with vintage technology. The reference to Edie Sedgwick, the American actress and socialite who was a prominent figure in Andy Warhol's Factory in the 1960s, further emphasizes the allure and mystique associated with both strawberries and 36-bits. Sedgwick's captivating personality, charisma, and involvement in the avant-garde art scene made her an iconic figure of the era, and her legacy continues to fascinate people today. Similarly, 36-bits, representing a bygone era of computing, can evoke a sense of nostalgia and admiration for the ingenuity and creativity of early computer pioneers. The comparison between strawberries, 36-bits, and Edie Sedgwick highlights the allure and nostalgia associated with both technology and cultural icons of the past. Just as strawberries are associated with pleasant memories and simpler times, so too can 36-bits and Edie Sedgwick evoke a sense of longing for the past and the advancements that shaped the modern world.

[@Nf6xNet]

I didn’t know that any of the 36 bit machines had full toggle switch front panels. Neat!

[@johngrout6039]

I do not know of any other DEC computer with the KA10's almost-horizontally mounted full-toggle switches. Those on the PDP-8/I and PDP-8/L were vertically mounted.

[@kerryedavis]

@@johngrout6039 Did you never see a PDP-12? The PDP-15 was similar too.

[@johngrout6039]

I did not. My favorite computer to operate was the KS10, which had multiple Unibuses for I/O (“E unibus plurum”).

[@kerryedavis]

@@johngrout6039 KS10, was that the model 2020? I had one of those, years ago, part of my collection for starting a computer school. But then I developed chronic ulcerative colitis, couldn't work, and lost everything in storage. Including a dual-cpu SMP KL-10 system, the 2020, a 2065, a pair of -15s and some -12s and some -8s... Anyway.The KI-10 had a flat front panel like most PDP-8s but with push-buttons instead of lever switches. The KL-10 and the various -20 versions used PDP-11s as their "console" basically, 11/40 as I recall. One PDP-12 video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/apu8ZqeFet1nhKM

[@jamesk8923]

That is a thing of beauty. Did you ever resolve that problem? It would look better with the original white desktop countertop installed beneath the console. Do you have it?

[@zoiuduu]

well , now i understand why is so hard for grandmas using a computer, i would have a heck of a time trying to use that

[@DavidMillsom]

I was a systems programmer on a KA-10 with a very advanced operating system.

[@billb6283]

And what was that OS?

[@DavidMillsom]

@@billb6283 It was TOPS-10. By advanced, I meant that TOP-10 was very advanced when compared with other operating systems at the time but in addition, it had been modified to run trading at the Melbourne Stock Exchange. i.e. the whole real-time control had been embedded in the OS.

[@Ojothelucky]

EPIC!