[RetroBytes] takes us on a whirlwind tour of the history of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) founder Ken Olsen, building a working replica of the PDP-11 from a kit during intermission. DEC was a key player in the early computer industry, launching a number of models that were both industrial workhorses and used in computer labs to develop many of the operating systems and tools whose descendants we still use today. In addition, DEC’s innovative, employee-friendly and lightweight corporate structure was generally well received by employees and was a welcome departure from the typical giants of the time.
This video takes us from the beginnings of DEC and its roots in MIT through the PIP-11 era, highlighting key architectures and events such as the PDP-1, PDP-8, and PDP-11. [RetroBytes] says he has a DEC Alpha on the sidelines, so there could be a few follow-up videos in the future – maybe one on the VAX too.
We covered this particular PDP-11 replica last year, and if these replica kits are your thing, check out our kit designer coverage [Oscar Vermeulen]’s presentation. Have you ever used real PDP or VAX computers? Let us know your war stories in the comments below.
This post History of Digital Equipment Corp and Bonus PDP-11 Replica Build
was original published at “https://hackaday.com/2022/03/08/history-of-digital-equipment-corp-and-bonus-pdp-11-replica-build/”
