• FirstComputer

The FirstComputer that TimRiker ever worked on was at [http://www.penfield.edu/phs/ Penfield High School] in [http://www.penfield.org/web/ Penfield, New York]. It was likely an HP-2114A model.

• http://d116.com/vcf/east/1.0/ - see hp2114a.jpg

The system config as best recollected:

• mounted in a rack mount cabinet
• 32k of RAM installed split 5/5/3/3 or similar for the 2 CRTs, card reader and teletype
• 1 "graphics" terminal (honeywell? I remember it had a graphics character set with a toggle button)
• 1 text crt terminal

• [http://www.pdp8.net/asr33/asr33.shtml ASR-33 teletype] with punch tape reader (writer?)

• 2? disk drives. (type? 8" floppy? drum?
• external tape punch was not connected.
• card reader
• line printer

It was running a time slicing basic environment. Perhaps the "TIME-SHARING EXECUTIVE" mentioned in the [http://oscar.taurus.com/~jeff/2100/family/family.html sales brochure]?

There are multiple emulators around for this platform. TimRiker is trying to get one running for old time's sake. Here are some useful links:

• http://oscar.taurus.com/~jeff/2100/ <- pictures, even some software!

• http://bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/21xx/ <- many of the manuals in pdf format

• http://www.infionline.net/~wtnewton/oldcomp/hp2100/ <- new OS in development, if you can believe that.

• http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/21xx/poyner1.htm <- article about the history

• http://simh.trailing-edge.com/ <- SIMH simulator

Hacking HOWTO:

• install SIMH above and start "hp2100"

• load the hp basic sources: "LO basic1.abs"

• jump into basic "RUN 100" Note! TimRiker has no idea if this is the correct location but it seems to work.

• input a simple program like this one "forever":

  10 DEF FNA ( X ) = ATN ( TAN ( ATN ( TAN ( ATN ( TAN ( X ) ) ) ) ) )
  20 DEF FNB ( X ) = FNA ( FNA ( FNA ( FNA ( FNA ( FNA ( X ) ) ) ) ) )
  30 DEF FNC ( X ) = FNB ( FNB ( FNB ( FNB ( FNB ( FNB ( X ) ) ) ) ) )
  40 DEF FND ( X ) = FNC ( FNC ( FNC ( FNC ( FNC ( FNC ( X ) ) ) ) ) )
  50 DEF FNE ( X ) = FND ( FND ( FND ( FND ( FND ( FND ( X ) ) ) ) ) )
  60 DEF FNF ( X ) = FNE ( FNE ( FNE ( FNE ( FNE ( FNE ( X ) ) ) ) ) )
  80 PRINT FNF ( 1 )
  90 END

• list the program: "LIST"

• then run it: "RUN"

• note that on real hardware this silly recursive program could take a very long time to finish. On a 1G ppc debian linux box with SIMH 3.3.1-1 it takes about a minute.