Ok, this is a tough one. This
was the first system I ever programmed and know very little about it. My
school district had one and when I was in junior high, I would call it
up and connect to it using an ASR-33 Teletype with a 110 baud acoustic
coupler modem. It ran a version of Time-Shared BASIC. I never actually
saw the system itself, our teacher always wondered why we would even be
interested in seeing the system, claiming it just looked like a desk. I
still have the paper tapes I saved my programs on and a reference card
listing the commands but otherwise I haven't been able to find anything
else for this system. What little I have been able to learn so far is
from a Web page on the history of the HP 3000. It seems the HP 2000
Time-Shared BASIC System was released in 1968 and was HP's first big
success in computers. It was based on the 2116 computer, basically a DEC
PDP-8 streatched from 12 to 16 bits, which HP inherited when it acquired
Data Systems Inc in 1964 from Union Carbide. The 2000 supported 16 to 32
time-sharing users running BASIC programs. This product was incredibly
successful, especially with schools. The original 2000A system was
created by two guys working in a corner: Mike Green who went on to found
Tandem much later and Steve Porter who also went on to found his own
computer company. Heavy sales of the 2000 brought the computer division
of HP its first positive cash flow. This is one system that I really
want so if you have one or if you know anything else about them, please
email me.
I have received
a copy of the 2100A Computer Reference Manual from Paul Coad.
Thanks Paul! If you need some info from this manual, let me
know and I'll try and help you out. |
