Earlier today, I wrote: >> Doubtful that VW Bug was on the Autobahn at the time, and, while the >> advertisement was very >> novel with a full-on minicomputer in the back seat of a VW Bug, the amount >> of data >> potentially being transported was likely only 4K 12-bit words, or 48K bits.
>> Since the machine had magnetic core memory, the system would retain the >> content of its memory >> without power, so in this scenario, the VM Bug was actually capable moving >> data from one >> point to another, albeit, not all that much data. >> Now, if the Bug had a trailer hitch, it could tow a trailer behind it with a >> gasoline or >> diesel powered generator with sufficient capacity to run the PDP-8. If >> that were the case, >> the machine could actually process the data in its memory while it was >> moving down the >> road...something a station wagon full of reels of magnetic tape wouldn't be >> able to do. To which David Barto replied: > Are you suggesting some kind of, say, portable computer? > Runs, dodging and weaving. I'm not sure that you could fit a complete Model 33-ASR Teletype in the passenger seat of the Bug. I suppose if the Teletype was removed from its stand, it might be able to sit on the seat, and be powered by the same generator that runs the Straight-8. The Straight-8 came with a 110-baud current-loop serial I/O interface, so it'd just be a matter of cabling it up to the Teletype. It'd be really hard to operate the machine while driving, for sure. It'd be far worse than messing with a smartphone while driving :-/. But, once stopped somewhere pleasant, you could actually develop programs using the punched tape reader/punch on the 33ASR. It'd definitely be an example of early "mobile computing". (Tongue firmly in cheek).
