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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

TIL: UNIVAC I could stall, and it had an alarm to warn of a stall.

Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Why didn't your program compile? Well, if you look at cycle 3, you can see that your flow is wack. Try restructuring it to have a better flow!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This is from an old IBM tabulator manual explaining what the plug board does. I think I'm going to start explaining software this way. What does it do? Well, check the cycle 12 state diagram... then hit 'em with one of these.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We out here speedcoding. I'm actually losing my mind trying to implement the original SpeedCo I spec right now: archive.computerhistory.org/resources/ac...

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Last but not least, a listener gave me a tour of the National Museum of Computing at Bletchly Park. The highlight was definitely the EDSAC recreation project.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Gloucester Cathedral! I'm a sucker for stained glass, so this was a must. And just a few blocks from the hotel I was cooped up in.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Cardiff castle! The mix of actual old castle and 19th century rich dude renovation/extension is wild to behold.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The British Museum! Their collection is vast, and raises ethical concerns. None the less, I enjoyed seeing all the really old stuff. Especially all the cuneiform.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Spent today at the Birmingham Library's archives digging through old Dunlop Rubber papers. The adventure continues!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Tomorrow is archives day #1. So today is sight seeing and trying to recover from travel. Supposedly this cathedral offers tours of a stained glass restoration project. Will update when they open.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I've made it to England! Riding the rails up to my first stop of the trip

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

And now to wait for the real long flight

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Getting closer. Finally boarded, next stop SFO!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I've made it all the way to waiting at my rural airport. Progress!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I really love the sci-fi realism of a lot of Gundam. For instance, when they show how reactors in mobile suits are powered by smaller mobile suits using a rowing machine. Truly breathtaking and grounded design.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Pictured: Scipio getting what he wants.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This is so cool! This is an ad for am educational machine called the Bi-Tran Six. The computer's circuits are on slide out boards. It's transistors are grouped into logic gates that are all labeled and match up with diagrams in it's manual.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Imagine having so many bits in this economy!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Ok. Check this out. This is a programming board game from a 1969 thesis. The thesis is an attempt to teach school kids about computers. I kinda want to print up a board and give this game a shot: archive.org/details/Rudy...

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

More early binary notation. This is from Thomas Fowler's Tables for facilitating arithmetical calculations, published in 1840. He just marks which positions have 1's in them instead of writing out all digits.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Is this the year I actually get passable at SNOBOL4? Perhaps. At least I have a physical print manual now! I keep thinking of trying to write a port of Colossal Cave Adventure in SNOBOL.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Behold! The first MADDIDA from @computerhistory.bsky.social! This is the very model that was shipped across country via air freight and then demo'd to John von Neumann. It somehow survived the flight, a few nights in a cold hotel room, and being operated after a few stiff martinis.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Starting the drive down to VCF! I hope I brought enough floppy disks

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

When I say I like retrocomputing this is what I mean:

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

This is interesting! Some very early binary notation. You can recognize it... if you squint a little. archive.org/details/bub_...

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

My long suffering IBM PS/2 now gets to run cursed "UNIX".

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Computer birth announcement from 1950 that gets a little... intense.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Am I missing something in the definition? Is there a case where the two are subtly different?

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

I'm pretty sure now that this is an accurate photo of the machine called DEMON I. Which means that shelf up front with the paper hanging from it was the fabled 25-POSITION DEMON PUNCH!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I broke the case wide open! [REDACTED] was made by ERA! Duh! I can spot their trademark anywhere!

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

I really want to learn more about how OPHIDIA is similar to [REDACTED].

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

This is from a 1961 article: Electronic Computers within the Ordnance Corps. It shows how hard it is to categorize machines. See how it puts RAYDAC as a descendant of the IAS machine? True heads will know... that's not true.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

There's something wrong about a French computer called CUBA... Wait until I unveil my new machine: Fractional Ration Automatic Number Calculator and Executor.

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

How did this never come up when I was working on the IAS episode? It's name literally has IAS in it?

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Advent of Computing @adventofcomp.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I can find nothing on this computer. It sounds like it's EDVAC 2? Maybe? Also, 1500 sq ft is wild to consider. There are a few machines in there that are about that size.