

Control Panel Of IBM 360 Mainframe - PaulHoule
http://ookaboo.com/o/pictures/picture.large/26078124/Incredible_Control_Panel_Of_IBM_System36

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jgrahamc
This is actually showing the register values and other status in the
System/360; those are lights not buttons. At one time, of course, it was
common to have this type of display showing the inner workings on the
computer.

When I was working on the Research Machines 480Z
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LINK_480Z>) there was a software component that
allowed you to get at register values, examine memory, etc. It was
nostalgically called the "Front Panel". The picture of the System/360 shows an
actual front panel.

Here's the 480Z front panel as described in its manual:
<http://i.imgur.com/CMRih.png>

Of course, when I finish building Babbage's Analytical Engine it won't need a
front panel since the entire memory and all registers will be visible at all
times.

~~~
jsdalton
Thanks for this clarification. I was wondering why I was looking at a picture
labeled "control panel" that didn't have any actual controls.

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johnohara
Years ago, I managed a VAX Cluster that was housed in the corner of an IBM
mainframe-dominated computer room. The console consisted of a vt220 and an
la36 print/terminal.

It used to crack me up to see the mainframe's console. Big iron always had a
big presence.

Terminals for the tape drives, terminals for the printers, terminals for the
batch jobs, terminals for everything.

Parked at the end of "terminal row," where the operators gathered and spent
most of their time, was a "special" console terminal -- the one running
Adventure. I'd walk in, they'd look up, then go back to "work."

Amid the drone of the fans, chillers and band printers you'd hear, "I think
you have to put down the lantern before you pick up the keys." Tucked away
somewhere behind the manuals was a hand drawn map on green-bar paper.

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kahirsch
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinkenlights>

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protomyth
When I was in college, Assembler was taught in IBM 360 Assembly on an IBM 370
using CMS as the OS. It was quite a bit different from programming a 6502 in
HS. I still have the banana book somewhere. These were very interesting
machines, but you could really suck up the shared time with a tight loop.

~~~
ctdonath
I recall long ago (~1987) seeing a virtual IBM 360 program in two pages of
APL. I was delighted; alas, I don't have a copy - anyone recall that?

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suivix
But can it play Crysis?

~~~
michaelcampbell
Very, very slowly.

