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A tour through computing in 1961... over 60 years ago
From the pages of the November, 1961 issue of Datamation magazine.
June 27, 2024
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What was being a computer user or programmer like… in the early 1960s?

Let’s take a quick stroll back to November of 1961, by way of the oldest computer-specific magazine, “Datamation”.

The cover of the November, 1961 issue of Datamation.
 

John F Kennedy was President. “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean topped the music charts. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” ruled the theatrical box office.

And computers were… big.

Remember when the various parts of a computer filled an entire room? Yeah. Those were fun times.

Though, not all computers filled an entire room. Take the Packard Bell 250…

That Packard Bell bad boy could hold 16,000 words (at 22 bits each) and run 40,000 calculations per second. And look at it! Only the size of a small bookshelf!

Cue manly grunting noise.

Note that there's no "monitor" or display on this computer.  The output was printed on paper via the Friden Flexowriter.

Friden Flexowriter - Photo Credit: Godfrey Manning

The Flexowriter (like many other consoles of the time) was, essentially, an electronic typewriter... which could be driven by both a connected computer, or via paper tape.  (In addition to an actual person typing on the keys, of course).

Oh!  And sending data to remote computers, in 1961, was becoming a thing!

1200 bps! Blistering speed!

But you don’t buy the “DATA-PHONE” (what Bell called a “Modem” back then)… you rented it, by the month, from Ma Bell.

Speaking of moving data around… just check out the state of the art in punch paper tape reading!

350 character per second read rate!

“Multi-colored tapes can be read interchangeably without the need of bias adjustments.”

 

“Specially designed light guide in the reading heat eliminate dirt collecting holes.”

No bias adjustments! No dirt collecting holes! The future is now!

And check out that advertisement for open positions at the top! Those early computer magazines are filled to the brim with companies practically begging people to apply for jobs. They needed programmers. Stat.

Check out this. A full page ad, near the front of the magazine, searching for applicants.

Back then you didn’t see companies looking for this language, or that framework… they were looking for simple things, like:

“Candidates must be strong technically, but primarily interested in systems applications, as the project areas involve a great deal more than just computers or hardware.”

This was code for “not just a hardware engineer… we want people who are interested in programming software.”

That was kind of a novel thing at that time.

Case in point:

 

“Software is a new and important addition to the jargon of computer users and builders. It refers to the automatic programming aids that simplify the task of telling the computer hardware how to do its job. The importance of software lies in the fact that programming a computer can be an arduous, time-consuming and costly operation and the quality of automatic programming aids ahs become virtually as important as equipment specifications in evaluating the total capability of a data processing system”

The idea of “ready to use” software was, truly, an amazing thing. Something that not every computer manufacturer or user really took advantage of.

Which… looking at it from the modern day seems wild and zany. But it’s how things were back in 1961.

I highly recommend reading the entire November, 1961 issue of Datamation. It is a wild trip into computing history.

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Hey Guys and Gals,

After having a bit of a rough year I am happy to announce that the rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, that is to say that I am back :-) I am sure that in my absence absolutely nothing at all has happened ;-p

15 hours ago

Google really wanted me to let you know about this. As my "Recommended" programming, oops I mean viewing for today.

And, it is basically them telling what some of us already realize. It is ALL going to so-called artificial intelligence (AI). It doesn't matter how much anyone cares to doubt or deny it.

Important Change to SEO (New Google Update) - YouTube

@Lunduke #LundukeintheWild sighting around the 10 minute mark.

50% off The Lunduke Journal (including Lifetime Subscriptions) for one more day!

To all of you amazing nerds who have signed up for a new Lunduke Journal subscription today, thank you! You make The Lunduke Journal possible!

If you haven’t snagged yours yet, the “50% off everything, even the Lifetime Subscriptions” deal is available today and tomorrow (through Saturday, May 31st).

  • 50% off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

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All the details on how to grab each type of subscription is right here. There’s also an audio podcast and video of me rambling about it.

Once again, thank you for all of the support. It truly does make a difference.

-Lunduke

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50% off The Lunduke Journal (including Lifetime Subscriptions) through Saturday!

About 3 weeks back we had a deal where every new subscription to The Lunduke Journal was 50% off. Monthly, Yearly, Lifetime… all of it.

And — holy cow! — was that a success. Broke the record for most new subscribers to The Lunduke Journal in a single day. By a mile. Two days in a row.

Never seen anything like it. The amount of support all of you showed for truly independent Tech Journalism was off the charts.

You know what? Let’s try that again. Now through the end of May (which is Saturday, May 31st — the day after tomorrow):

  • 50% off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

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Choose whichever option feels right for you. All the details and links are below.

Every one — big or small — directly funds the work of The Lunduke Journal (with zero overhead). Every option includes full access to the community Forum. And, of course, every type of subscription keeps The Lunduke Journal ad-free and Big Tech free.

Remember: 50% off is only through Saturday, May 31st. The next day (Sunday, June 1st) the prices all go back to normal.

50% Off Yearly or Monthly Subscription:

50% off a Yearly or Monthly subscription to The Lunduke Journal are available via both Locals and Substack. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

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Via Lunduke.Locals.com:

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The "World Famous Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription" is exactly what it sounds like. Pay once and get full access to The Lunduke Journal. For life.

Now, through Saturday, May 31st… you can snag one at a crazy discount. Normally these are $200… but you can grab one for $100. (You can also pay more if you’d like to donate a little extra.)

The Lifetime Subscription can be obtained via Locals, Substack, or using Bitcoin. All three options work great and are super easy. Scroll down and choose your option.

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How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also obtain a Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.

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A huge thank you to all of the subscribers who have made The Lunduke Journal possible. Because of you, we have been able to do true Tech Journalism — to tell the stories that no other Tech News outlet has the cajones to touch.

And to all of you new Lunduke Journal subscribers (which, wow, there’s a lot of you): Welcome to the last bastion of truly independent, Big-Tech-Free, ad-free, non-Woke Tech Journalism.

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50% off Monthly, Yearly Subscriptions! Lifetime Subs for $100! Let's get everyone subscribing to The Lunduke Journal!

The number of free subscribers to The Lunduke Journal has absolutely exploded — across a bunch of platforms — which is truly amazing. The real Tech News is spreading farther than ever.

In fact, the free subscriber growth is so utterly massive, that if even a tiny fraction of you became a paying subscriber… The Lunduke Journal would become comfortably financially set for a very long time. Able to continue reporting on Big Tech — and corrupt Tech Foundations — well into the future.

All without taking a penny from Big Tech.

With that in mind, let’s do something awesome… something that will make Big Tech really grumpy.

Let’s get as many people subscribing to The Lunduke Journal as possible. Right now. This week. Let’s make this Big-Tech-Free, Non-Woke Tech News publication financially set for a good, long time.

To give everyone a kick-in-the-butt to help make that happen, I’m going to discount absolutely every type of subscription in a crazy way — through Friday, May 9th.

  • %50 off Monthly — Now $3 / Month (was $6 / Month)

  • %50 off Yearly — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • %50 off Yearly MP4 Downloads — Now $27 / Year (was $54 / Year)

  • %50 off Lifetime Subscriptions — Now $100 (was $200)

That Lifetime Subscription one is crazy.

Seriously. Make a one-time donation of $100, and be subscribed to The Lunduke Journal… for life. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

If even 1% of the new free subscribers who have joined in the last month take advantage of this… The Lunduke Journal will be fully funded through the end of this year. And then some.

Let’s make it happen. Scroll down. Pick which ever subscription type works best for you. Then high-five yourself for making Big Tech grumpy.

Just be sure to do it by the end of the day on Friday, May 9th. The prices all go back to normal after that.

50% Off Yearly or Monthly Subscription:

50% off a Yearly or Monthly subscription to The Lunduke Journal are available via both Locals and Substack. (This includes full access to the community Forum.)

That means $3 / Month. Or $27 / Year (which works out to $2.25 / Month).

Via Lunduke.Locals.com:

Via Lunduke.Substack.com:

The Famous Lifetime Subscription:

The "World Famous Lunduke Journal Lifetime Subscription" is exactly what it sounds like. Pay once and get full access to The Lunduke Journal. For life.

And now, through Friday, May 9th… you can snag one at a crazy discount. Normally these are $200… but you can grab one for $100. (You can also pay more if you’d like to donate a little extra.)

The Lifetime Subscription can be obtained via Locals, Substack, or using Bitcoin. All three options work great and are super easy. Scroll down and choose your option.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Select "Give Once".

  3. Enter "100" (or more) into the amount field.

  4. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

How to get a Lifetime Subscription via Substack:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Substack.com/subscribe.

  2. Select the “Lifetime Subscription” option.

  3. After checking out, Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status. (This usually happens within a few hours.)

If you would also like full, Lifetime access to Lunduke.Locals.com (which is included):

  1. Make a free account on Lunduke.Locals.com.

  2. Email “bryan at lunduke.com” with the email address you use on both Substack and Locals (can be different email addresses).

  3. Lunduke will toss you an email once your account is set to full lifetime status on Locals.

How to get a Lifetime Subscription with Bitcoin:

You can also obtain a Lifetime Subscription via Bitcoin.

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with the following information: What time you made the transaction, how much was sent (in Bitcoin), and the email address you use (or plan to use) on Locals.com or Substack.com.

50% Off DRM-Free, MP4 Downloads:

Want to be able to download every show The Lunduke Journal releases (and watch them on whatever device you like)? Yeah. You can do that. For 50% off.

Note: This DRM-Free download option does not include access to the Forum. This option is strictly for downloading the episodes.

Make a One Time Donation

Subscription not enough (or not your thing)? Want to toss in a one-time donation to The Lunduke Journal? There’s a few great options!

Via BitCoin:

Send any amount of BTC to the following address:

bc1qyjakve8fywm8pz2v99v57yhjj0vzr2vjze6fcq

  • Email "bryan at lunduke.com" with to let us know it was you! You can choose to keep your donation anonymous if you prefer. (Either way, all BTC donations get included in the matching deal.)

Via Locals:

  1. Go to Lunduke.Locals.com/support.

  2. Click “GIVE ONCE”.

  3. Enter any amount you like.

You Make This Possible

A huge thank you to all of the subscribers who have made The Lunduke Journal possible. Because of you, we have been able to do true Tech Journalism — to tell the stories that no other Tech News outlet has the cajones to touch.

And to all of you new Lunduke Journal subscribers: Welcome to the last bastion of truly independent, Big-Tech-Free, ad-free, non-Woke Tech Journalism.

-Lunduke

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