🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <35307@apple.Apple.COM>, baum@Apple.COM (Allen J. Baum) writes:
> 
> The only asynchronous machine that I'm aware of (outside of the recent
> Caltech micro) is the Illiac II. There are probably research reports still
> available.

Back around 1959-61 there were the Philco machines that used asynchronous
logic. I used a model 209 at the Western Development Laboratory and
they had a faster machine out called the 211. They were working on
a new one called the 212 which got running just about the time Ford
took them over. It was a very fast machine for its time but Ford
had decided in advance that they were going to scrap the computer
division so it went down the tubes.

There is an amusing anecdote about the first 212 installed. It was
scheduled in advance for the batch processing chores it was to do
for a single shift operation.

Surprise, it finished all the scheduled work by lunch time and
everybody took the afternoon off.

It's the only case I know of where a new machine came in exceeding
the predicted performance level by such a substantial factor.

 Thos Sumner       Internet: thos@cca.ucsf.edu
 (The I.G.)        UUCP: ...ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf!thos
                   BITNET:  thos@ucsfcca

 U.S. Mail:  Thos Sumner, Computer Center, Rm U-76, UCSF
             San Francisco, CA 94143-0704 USA

I hear nothing in life is certain but death and taxes -- and they're
working on death.

#include <disclaimer.std>