A software lineage

Volume

24

Issue

2

fYear

2002

Firstpage

89

Lastpage

91

Abstract

The author traces the lineage of the DEC software to the present day. The hardware legacy of the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) is well documented. From its humble beginnings in an abandoned New England textile mill as a specialized peripheral manufacturer, DEC grew to become one of the dominant computer companies in the 1970s and 80s. DEC engineers produced landmark computers, such as the PDP-8, PDP-11, and VAX. At the company´s height, DEC hardware was synonymous with university, engineering, and research computing, but its machines could also be found in hospitals, financial institutions, and offices. The article outlines the operating systems developed by DEC for its machines

Keywords

DEC computers; DP industry; history; operating systems (computers); DEC engineers; DEC software; Digital Equipment Corporation; PDP-11; PDP-8; VAX; computer companies; hardware legacy; operating systems; research computing; specialized peripheral manufacturer; Computer aided manufacturing; Computer architecture; Computer interfaces; Hardware; Microcomputers; Operating systems; Reduced instruction set computing; Resource management; Voice mail; Workstations;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1058-6180

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MAHC.2002.1010072

Filename

1010072