Talk:List of Programmed Data Processors

Meaning of "PDP"

Was this changed at some point? I've seen it as "Programmed Data Processor" elsewhere (e.g. https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/introduction/) and I'm looking at a picture of the front of a PDP-1 where a label also uses the same. Tor (talk) 08:47, 10 May 2021 (CEST)

Oooh, good catch! Thanks very much for catching that!! I just used 'Programmable', going from my memory (which had clearly dropped a few bits over time). That's a lesson to always check! Jnc (talk) 17:11, 11 May 2021 (CEST)

Just to confirm, I looked in my (original) PDP-4 manual, and it confirms 'Programmed'. Jnc (talk) 18:24, 11 May 2021 (CEST)

There's also the matter of "Programmed Digital Processor" versus "Data". Most sources say the latter. Larsbrinkhoff (talk) 18:43, 11 May 2021 (CEST)

PDP-2 ½

Doug Jones' PDP-8 FAQ says "There is also a story about the PDP-2 1/2, built by Ed Rawson of the American Science Institute out of surplus modules that were originally used in the prototype PDP-2." Searching for clues we find this alt.sys.pdp10 message by Max ben-Aaron dated February 1997:

In the late 60's & early 70's I worked for a company (Medidata, later Searle Medidata) which started life as a not-for-profit spin-off from Lincoln Lab. (as I have heard), called American Science Institute. The chief engineer, Ed Rawson was a friend of Dec's Olsen and he managed to get hold of the modules used for the prototype PDP-2 which never reached the market. ASI used them to build their own machine (designed, I believe, by Chuck Corderman) which they called "Casino" and was sometimes jocularly referred to as a PDP-2 1/2. Casino was noteworthy for having, very early in trhe game, graphics capabilities. It also had some special terminals which had labels that cannot be repeated on this (family) newsgroup.

Interestingly, this says there was a PDP-2 prototype, implying it was in fact designed to some degree. Larsbrinkhoff (talk) 08:07, 11 May 2021 (CEST)