Re: Still Going - IRS Still Using JFK-Era Computers

On 8/18/24 11:27 AM, Don_from_AZ wrote:

rbowman <bowman@montana.com> writes:
 

On Sat, 17 Aug 2024 22:01:12 -0400, 186282@ud0s4.net wrote:
>

    Hmm ... what was good in the very early 60s ?
    IBM had a number of offerings, esp it's new and great System/360. The
    article did not specify WHAT 'ancient' computers.

>
Depending on how literally you want to take 'Kennedy administration' it
would be a 7000 hopefully. At least that one had transistors.
>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_700/7000_series
>
https://web.archive.org/web/20200119162242/http://blog.modernmechanix.com/
big-brother-7074-is-watching-you/
>
A contemporary article with a chilling vision of the future:
>
"Eventually, large corporations could also be plugged into the system.
Computers thousands of miles apart could talk taxes without any numbskull
human interference. Banks could be hooked in, too, reporting who is
getting interest payments. Real-estate and stock-market computers might
tattle on who is making money. Machines in charity organizations could
reveal amounts of donations. And hospital computers could report on
individual medical costs."
>
>
System/360 was announced in '64 but RPI had one of the first 360/30s in
'65 when I took my first programming class in FORTRAN IV. Kennedy was shot
in '63.

 I was at RPI from '64 to '68 working on my BSEE. Took that FORTRAN
class. Code your program on coding sheets, punch it onto cards, put the
cards into the bin for processing, come back later for the printout. I
remember a sign on the input bin to remind you how the cards had to be
oriented: 'TOPLEFUP' (top left, face up). Ah, those were the days!

   HA ! Boy does THAT seem familiar !!!   :-)
   Didn't hurt to bring gifts for the guys in charge
   of the 'bin' either ... they'd do your cards first.
   The gods in the freezing-cold room with all the real
   hardware ... you never got to talk to them.