Contact us
Heritage collections
Image license terms
HOME
ACL
ACD
ICF
SUS
DCS
G&A
STARLINK
Literature
Overview
□
PERQ history
□
PERQ papers
□
PERQ PR material
Further reading □
Overview
□
Contents
□
Part I: 1979
□
Part II: 1980
□
Part III: 1981
□
Part IV: Critique
□
Part V: 1982
□
Part VI: Critique
□
Part VII: 1983
□
Part VIII: Common base 1984/5
□
Part IX: Cost
□
Part X: Conclusion
□
Audit
C&A
INF
CCD
CISD
Archives
Contact us
Heritage archives
Image license terms
Search
⟶
ACD
⟶
Single User Systems
⟶
PERQ History
⟶
ACD
⟶
Single User Systems
⟶
PERQ History
ACL
ACD
C&A
INF
CCD
CISD
Archives
Interactive Computing Facility (ICF)
Single User Systems (SUS)
Distributed Computing Systems Programme
Grants and awards
STARLINK super-minicomputer network
Literature
Overview
□
PERQ history
□
PERQ papers
□
PERQ PR material
Further reading
⇓
□
Overview
□
Contents
□
Part I: 1979
□
Part II: 1980
□
Part III: 1981
□
Part IV: Critique
□
Part V: 1982
□
Part VI: Critique
□
Part VII: 1983
□
Part VIII: Common base 1984/5
□
Part IX: Cost
□
Part X: Conclusion
□
Audit
Contents
PART I: 1979
1.
INTRODUCTION
2.
BACKGROUND
2.1 Rosenbrock Report and the Interactive Computing Facility
2.2 Distributed Computing Systems
2.3 Interactive Central Facilities
2.4 Summary
3.
EARLY DAYS
3.1 PERQ
3.2 ICL
3.3 SIGGRAPH 79
3.4 ICL West Gorton
3.5 Other Possible Customers
3.6 Summary
4.
EARLY NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ICL AND THREE RIVERS
4.1 October 1979
4.2 Letter to Eadie
4.3 ICL Visit to USA
4.4 Strategy
4.5 First Grant Application
4.6 Utica Assessment
4.7 Summary
5.
THREE RIVERS
5.1 Early History
5.2 Brian Rosen
5.3 Finance
5.4 Summary
PART II: 1980
6.
OVERVIEW OF 1980
7.
PERQ PRODUCTION
7.1 Three Rivers Personalities
7.2 Visit to Three Rivers - January 1980
7.3 Firmware
7.4 Software
7.5 Maintenance
7.6 CMU
7.7 Other Systems
7.8 PERQ Hardware Progress
7.9 Apollo and SUN
7.10 SIGGRAPH 80
7.11 CMU Deliveries
7.12 Apollo Announcement
7.13 November Visit to Three Rivers
7.14 November Visit to CMU
7.15 Arrival of PERQ
7.16 Summary
8.
ICL THREE RIVERS NEGOTIATIONS
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Spring 1980
8.3 Summer 1980
8.4 Autumn 1980
8.5 PERQ Business Plan
8.6 Summary
9.
SERC COMMITTEES
9.1 Distributed Computing Systems
9.2 Computing and Communications Sub Committee February 1980
9.3 ICFC - March 1980
9.4 ICFC - December 1980
9.5 Roberts Panel - Software Technology Initiative
9.6 Summary
10.
OTHER ACTIVITIES - 1980
10.1 Logica
10.2 GEC - DAP
10.3 DoI
10.4 Computer Board
PART III: 1981
11.
OVERVIEW OF FIRST PART OF 1981
12.
PERQ PUBLIC RELATIONS
12.1 Plan of Action
12.2 PERQ Arrival - 21 January 1981
12.3 Demonstrations
12.4 Visitors
13.
ICL - THREE RIVERS
13.1 Presentation to ICL Directors, 18-29 March
13.2 Government Rescue ICL - 19 March
13.3 Visit of Fredkin - March 1981
13.4 Frame Agreement
13.5 PERQ Purchases
13.6 Department of Industry
14.
SERC COMMITTEES
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Oakley Briefing - February 1981
14.3 Strategy for Single User Systems
14.4 Science Board
14.5 Council
14.6 Summary
15.
ICL UNDER WILMOT
15.1 Introduction
15.2 PERQ Presentation to Wilmot
15.3 ICL - Three Rivers Announcement
15.4 Visit of Three Rivers
15.5 Apollo
16.
DECISION TIME
16.1 Introduction
16.2 USA Visit to Apollo
16.3 Three Rivers
16.4 Carnegie Mellon University
16.5 Apollo Pressure on ICL
16.6 Friday 28 August
16.7 Press Launch
16.8 Memorandum of Understanding
PART IV: Audit of Establishment
17.
AUDIT OF ESTABLISHMENT OF SERC COMMON BASE POLICY
PART V: 1982
18.
GETTING STARTED
18.1 Introduction
18.2 SERC Staffing
18.3 Common Base Team
18.4 Computing Division Complement
18.5 ICL Staffing
18.6 Summary
19.
SRC ORDERS FOR PERQ
19.1 Initial Orders
19.2 PERQ Upgrades and Further Purchases
20.
ICL MANUFACTURING
20.1 Introduction
20.2 Kristmas
20.3 TKUP
20.4 PERQ Production
20.5 Software
20.6 Summary
21.
UNIX STRATEGY
21.1 Introduction
21.2 Work Required
21.3 Options
21.3.1 HCR
21.3.2 Microcode UNIX
21.3.3 Accent UNIX
21.3.4 Conventional UNIX Port
21.4 Timescales
21.5 CMU Visit - November/December 1981
21.6 SERC/ICL Management Meeting, 15 January 1982
21.7 Summary
22.
ACCENT UNIX
23.
MICROCODE UNIX
24.
UNIX DEVELOPMENTS, FIRST QUARTER 1982
24.1 January 1982
24.2 February 1982
24.3 ICL Move to Da1keith
24.4 March 1982
24.5 Decision to Drop Microcode UNIX
24.6 April 1982
24.7 May/June 1982
24.8 Completion of Accent UNIX
24.9 Manpower
24.10 Abandonment of Accent UNIX
24.11 Microcode UNIX Completion
24.12 Summary
25.
PERQ-DAP
25.1 Introduction
25.2 Initial Discussions
25.3 Grant Proposals
25.4 SERC/ICL Proposal
25.5 Industrial Representation on SERC Committees
25.6 Further Grant Applications
25.7 PERQ-DAP Progress
25.8 Science Board Grants
25.9 Continuing Problems
25.10 Abandonment of Colour Display
26.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
26.1 Presentations
26.2 Publicity
26.3 Press
27.
SINGLE USER SYSTEM STEERING GROUP
27.1 Introduction
27.2 June 1982 Meeting
27.2.1 Terms of Reference
27.2.2 Progress Report
27.2.3 Collaborative Proposals
27.2.4 Manpower and Finances
27.2.5 Science Board Applications
27.3 October 1982 Meeting
27.4 December 1982 Meeting
28.
PERQ COMPETITORS
28.1 Introduction
28.2 SUN
28.3 Apollo
28.4 Other Systems
29.
COMMUNICATIONS
29.1 Introduction
29.2 Cambridge Ring
29.3 PERQ Cambridge Ring Connection
29.4 Asynchronous Communications
29.5 X25 Communications
29.6 Ethernet
30.
DOI OFFICE PILOTS
30.1 Introduction
30.2 Data Recall Office Pilot
30.3 ICL PERQ Office Pilot
31.
GKS
PART VI: Audit of Provision of SERC COMMON BASE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE 1982
32
AUDIT OF PROVISION OF SERC COMMON BASE
32.1 Common Base
32.2 Memorandum of Understanding
32.3 PERQ Hardware
32.4 Cambridge Ring
32.5 UNIX
32.6 FORTRAN and PASCAL
32.7 Wide Area Network Communications
32.8 NAG and GKS
PART VII: 1983
33.
POSITION AT START OF 1983
33.1 Staffing
33.2 PERQs
33.3 Maintenance
33.4 Challenge for 1983
34.
HARDWARE
34.1 Introduction
34.2 PERQ2
34.3 Colour
34.4 16K WCS
34.5 PERQ3
34.6 Summary
35.
COMMUNICATIONS
35.1 Introduction
35.2 File Dumping
35.3 Wide Area Network Access
35.4 Local Area Network Connections
35.5 Ethernet
35.6 Distributed Interactive Computing
35.7 Summary
36.
UNIX
36.1 Introduction
36.2 PNX
36.3 SERC Activities
36.4 PNX Progress
36.5 PNX 2.0
36.6 Summary
37.
ACCENT UNIX
Evaluation
38.
DALKEITH CLOSURE
39.
USER SUPPORT
39.1 Introduction
39.2 SERC User Forums
39.3 European PERQ User Group
39.4 SERC/CB Support
39.5 Publicity
40.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTS
40.1 Introduction
40.2 PASCAL
40.3 GKS
40.4 Window Manager
40.5 Spy
40.6 AI Languages
40.7 Print Server
40.8 Summary
41.
ASSESSMENT
41.1 Introduction
41.2 Survey
41.3 Assessment
41.4 Conclusions
42.
SUSSG
42.1 Introduction
42.2 Finance
42.3 User Support
42.4 Computer Board
43.
PERQ - DAP
43.1 Introduction
43.2 Timescale
44.
PERQ ORDERS
44.1 Introduction
44.2 Spring 1983
44.3 Summer 1983
44.4 Autumn 1983
45.
AUDIT OF 1983
PART VIII: Conclusion of the Common Base Policy 1984-1985
46.
POSITION AT START OF 1984
46.1 Staffing
46.2 PERQs
47.
HARDWARE
47.1 Introduction
47.2 PNX2.0 Hardware Upgrade
47.3 The 16K WCS Upgrade
47.4 Maintenance
47.5 PERQ3
48.
PNX
48.1 Introduction
48.2 Virtual Memory
48.3 Future PNX Releases
49.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTS
49.1 Introduction
49.2 ERCC Optimised FORTRAN
49.3 GKS
49.4 NAG
49.5 WW
50.
ASSESSMENT
50.1 Introduction
50.2 Interim Report
50.3 Assessment
51.
USER SUPPORT
51.1 Support Office
51.2 PERQ News
51.3 European PERQ User Group Meeting - July 1984
51.4 User Forum - September 1984
51.5 European PERQ User Group Meeting - July 1985
52.
SUSSG
52.1 Introduction
52.2 Submission to the Computing Review Working Party
53.
AUDIT OF 1984/5
PART IX: Cost of Common Base Project
54.
COST OF COMMON BASE PROJECT
54.1 Introduction
54.2 Breakdown
54.3 Science Board PERQs
54.4 Total Cost
54.5 Conclusion
54.6 Science Board Options
PART X: Conclusion
55.
FINALE
References
⇑ Top of page