Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979) • Hacker News Board

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#21

Post by billyhoffman » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:21 AM UTC

humbertomn wrote: post #5

It feels like a 'Mad Men' episode

More like a Halt and Catch Fire episode

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#22

Post by InclinedPlane » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:21 AM UTC

GraemeD wrote: post #15

jedberg wrote: post #2

I like how every office has a cork board instead of a whiteboard.

Also, there are no post-it notes.

Post-it notes were just gaining initial popularity around that time, in fact they weren't even called "post-it notes" until 1980.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#23

Post by adolfojp » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:22 AM UTC

winestock wrote: post #17

Towards the bottom of the page, there are two pictures of the mainframe that they used. The desktop computers in the other pictures were probably just terminals that were connected to it. It was a DECSYSTEM 2020. It ran the TOPS-20 operating system. The text of the link calls it a minicomputer, but the links that I found called it a mainframe. http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gbell/digital/... https://en…

If I'm not mistaken to create NT Microsoft hired a bunch of DEC people and put Dave Cutler at the helm. Like you say, none of those people were particularly fond of Unix.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#24

Post by ChuckMcM » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:24 AM UTC

winestock wrote: post #17

Towards the bottom of the page, there are two pictures of the mainframe that they used. The desktop computers in the other pictures were probably just terminals that were connected to it. It was a DECSYSTEM 2020. It ran the TOPS-20 operating system. The text of the link calls it a minicomputer, but the links that I found called it a mainframe. http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gbell/digital/... https://en…

I would give quite a bit to own a DECSystem 2020. You couldn't really run a KL-10 in your garage but man you could run one of those. These days simh can run all your old TENEX, TOPS-10, and TOPS-20 code but nothing quite like the real iron. The last working one I knew of was running in Mark Crispin's garage.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#25

Post by aswanson » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:34 AM UTC

I love the 70s computing aesthetic along with the fashion. So unapologetically idiosyncratic.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#26

Post by ctdonath » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:35 AM UTC

thought_alarm wrote: post #18

If it were possible to send a modern software engineer back in time to that era, would they have any usable or employable skills in such an environment? (besides the uncanny ability to correctly predict the future)

Some of us are from that era.

Yes, you would manage so long as you can handle a shell prompt and can grok simple assembler.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#27

Post by TheOtherHobbes » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:43 AM UTC

adolfojp wrote: post #23

winestock wrote: post #17

Towards the bottom of the page, there are two pictures of the mainframe that they used. The desktop computers in the other pictures were probably just terminals that were connected to it. It was a DECSYSTEM 2020. It ran the TOPS-20 operating system. The text of the link calls it a minicomputer, but the links that I found called it a mainframe. http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gbell/digital/... https://en…

If I'm not mistaken to create NT Microsoft hired a bunch of DEC people and put Dave Cutler at the helm. Like you say, none of those people were particularly fond of Unix.

NT was the weird mutant love child of VMS and Windows.

There was a lot to like about VMS, including early sharding, solid security, and an impressive file system.

NT managed to lose most of it, IMO.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#28

Post by jakejake » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:44 AM UTC

thought_alarm wrote: post #18

If it were possible to send a modern software engineer back in time to that era, would they have any usable or employable skills in such an environment? (besides the uncanny ability to correctly predict the future)

If you work in assembly you'd be in good shape. Though you probably would pull your hair out with the hardware speed, memory constraints, etc!

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#29

Post by toast0 » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:45 AM UTC

winestock wrote: post #17

Towards the bottom of the page, there are two pictures of the mainframe that they used. The desktop computers in the other pictures were probably just terminals that were connected to it. It was a DECSYSTEM 2020. It ran the TOPS-20 operating system. The text of the link calls it a minicomputer, but the links that I found called it a mainframe. http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gbell/digital/... https://en…

Microsoft developed a popular Unix (xenix), sounds like there was some fondness.

Re: Photos at Microsoft Corp (1979)

#30

Post by frozenport » Tue, Aug 25, 2015, 1:57 AM UTC

thought_alarm wrote: post #18

If it were possible to send a modern software engineer back in time to that era, would they have any usable or employable skills in such an environment? (besides the uncanny ability to correctly predict the future)

Would they want to be employed in such an environment?

Imagine spending long hours trying to fit your code into 128k?