The Cellar - What is this?

washing machine /n./

1. Old-style 14-inch hard disks in floor-standing cabinets. So called because of the size of the cabinet and the `top-loading' access to the media packs -- and, of course, they were always set on `spin cycle'. The washing-machine idiom transcends language barriers; it is even used in Russian hacker jargon. See also walking drives. The thick channel cables connecting these were called `bit hoses' (see hose, sense 3). 2. [CMU] A machine used exclusively for washing software. CMU has clusters of these.

ZenGum

10-25-2011 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus (Post 766732)

I wonder what that computer would compare to in today's market.

[thread-drifting]

An article at Newscientist (http://www.newscientist.com/article/...nventions.html) which is no longer easily available discussed how much it would take to build the functional equivalent of an iphone using 1980s technology.

The answer is roughly that you'd be pushing around a well-loaded wheelbarrow, with the battery pack on a wagon behind.

Spexxvet

10-26-2011 09:03 AM

A wagon has a behind? Junk in the trunk?

wolf	10-26-2011 09:14 AM

Isn't it round for most efficient use of the liquid nitrogen cooling tower?

(I was late into the discussion, but I immediately said "Cray." And got a little excited. Old school geekishness. I asked the boss for one for Christmas one year. I didn't get it. Not only was it a mite overpowered for our computing needs, she was Jewish. I didn't get one for Chanukah, either.)

Happy Monkey

10-27-2011 11:37 AM

I used to have a picture of myself standing inside one of those.

glatt

10-27-2011 11:48 AM

I sat on one before. They had a model that incorporated a bench.

xoxoxoBruce

10-29-2011 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf (Post 766820)

Isn't it round for most efficient use of the liquid nitrogen cooling tower?

I thought it was for shorter wire paths.

Gravdigr

10-29-2011 11:19 AM

I think it was to confuse polocks?

BigV	10-30-2011 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigV (Post 766624)

Cray XMP.

Do you know why it has that circular shape?

To make the connections between the multiple processors as short and uniform as possible, so they could communicate faster and with the minimum difference among the processors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce (Post 767707)

I thought it was for shorter wire paths.

winnah!!

Gravdigr

11-16-2011 04:15 PM

I don't know what this is.

1 Attachment(s)

The caption said this was a close up of a Lamprey mouth. But, that don't match up with a Google Image Search.

I ask you, Teh Cellah, what the hell is this? Cuz, I don't know.

HungLikeJesus

11-16-2011 04:28 PM

That's the thing that lives in Sundae's dreams.

Spexxvet

11-16-2011 05:23 PM

It's what hatches from stones with faces painted on them.

Rhianne

11-16-2011 05:52 PM

Is it a cute li'l slug?

Clodfobble

11-16-2011 06:46 PM

I'd guess it's a leech.