From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED, MAILING_LIST_MULTI autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 20242 invoked from network); 26 Jan 2023 18:14:37 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (50.116.15.146) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 26 Jan 2023 18:14:37 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 79326424B6; Fri, 27 Jan 2023 04:14:32 +1000 (AEST) Received: from fourwinds.com (075-142-133-254.biz.spectrum.com [75.142.133.254]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id F3EBD424B5 for ; Fri, 27 Jan 2023 04:14:23 +1000 (AEST) Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by darkstar.fourwinds.com (8.17.1/8.17.1) with ESMTP id 30QIEMVs133149 for ; Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:14:22 -0800 DKIM-Filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 darkstar.fourwinds.com 30QIEMVs133149 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=fourwinds.com; s=default; t=1674756862; bh=LUb+spKfLAcb4bn3Ne0Rgu7pi8Ea5XEr5i/QMstktCQ=; h=From:To:Subject:In-reply-to:References:Date:From; b=TZyvNdgzkejAd2HPNWyQNqO5J7zjgFEMOJzic+9xbdGNK8jf9rctGcDY5xBTIfUkv NW91/hXzd3knbXcHLEFecxPUUbLFpBoyfcHaKqTcV7FY6Al8DnyvtZ0YG3aenO2jEx pwYp2tATQ8xpHJXfx6tsauQ/CYgT0Q7Q4wbYZxvU= Received: from darkstar (jon@localhost) by darkstar.fourwinds.com (8.17.1/8.15.2/Submit) with ESMTP id 30QIEMwv133146 for ; Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:14:22 -0800 Message-Id: <202301261814.30QIEMwv133146@darkstar.fourwinds.com> From: Jon Steinhart To: "tuhs@tuhs.org" In-reply-to: <0C5D8AF8-BAB2-48B5-854B-34E3A949DE50@planet.nl> References: <0C5D8AF8-BAB2-48B5-854B-34E3A949DE50@planet.nl> Comments: In-reply-to Paul Ruizendaal message dated "Thu, 26 Jan 2023 16:58:11 +0100." MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-ID: <133144.1674756862.1@darkstar> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:14:22 -0800 X-JON-SPAM: local delivery Message-ID-Hash: ETLRZS5INWZ76MAA5BW4HG63XS3L66N5 X-Message-ID-Hash: ETLRZS5INWZ76MAA5BW4HG63XS3L66N5 X-MailFrom: jon@fourwinds.com X-Mailman-Rule-Misses: dmarc-mitigation; no-senders; approved; emergency; loop; banned-address; member-moderation; header-match-tuhs.tuhs.org-0; nonmember-moderation; administrivia; implicit-dest; max-recipients; max-size; news-moderation; no-subject; digests; suspicious-header X-Mailman-Version: 3.3.6b1 Precedence: list Subject: [TUHS] Re: Earliest UNIX Workstations? List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list Archived-At: List-Archive: List-Help: List-Owner: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: Paul Ruizendaal writes: > As a result of the recent discussion on this list I=E2=80=99m trying to = understand the timeline of graphical computing on Unix, first of all in my= preferred time slot =E2=80=9975 -=E2=80=9985. > = > When it comes to Bell Labs I=E2=80=99m aware of the following: > = > - around 1975 the Labs worked on the Glance-G vector graphics terminal. = This was TSS-516 based with no Unix overlap I think. > - around the same time the Labs seem to have used the 1973 Dec VT11 vect= or graphics terminal; at least the surviving LSX Unix source has a driver = for it > - in 1976 there was the Terak 8510; this ran primarily USCD pascal, but = it also ran LSX and/or MX (but maybe only much later) > - then it seems to jump 1981 and to the Blit. > - in 1984 there was MGR that was done at Bellcore > = > Outside of the labs (but on Unix), I have: > = > - I am not sure what graphics software ran on the SUN-1, but it must hav= e been something > - Clem just mentioned the 1981 Tektronix Magnolia system > - Wikipedia says that X1 was 1984 and X11 was 1987; I=E2=80=99m not sure= when it became Unix centered > - Sun=E2=80=99s NeWS arrived only in 1989, I think? > = > Outside of Unix, in the microcomputer world there was a lot of cheap(er)= graphics hardware. Lot=E2=80=99s of stuff at 256 x 192 resolution, but up= to 512 x 512 at the higher end. John Walker writes that the breakout prod= uct for Autodesk was Interact (the precursor to AutoCAD). Initially develo= ped for S-100 bus systems it quickly moved to the PC. There was a lot of d= emand for CAD at a 5K price point that did not exist at a 50K price point. The timeline for the GLANCE-G is off by a few years. It might have been as early as 1969 but I don't remember when the transition from GLANCE-C (characters only) to GLANCE-G (graphics) occurred. I'm absolutely sure that the G existed in 1972 since I worked on it then. The only UNIX overlap was when the Ring was adapted for the PDP-11 so that Ken could have a GLANCE-G for chess. I have a vague memory of other graphics work at the labs; I remember being in someone's lab that had modified big Crown audio power amps for current feedback to drive deflection coils, but no other details.