Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Oldest Computer still in operation

  • 31-12-2016 7:02am
    #1
    smurfjed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,431 ✭✭✭✭


    Our IT department have proudly announced that they are finally shutting down our IBM Mainframe computer this afternoon following 4 decades of use.
    So I'm curious, what is the oldest computer that you have seen in daily operation?


Comments

  • #2
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,170 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Not personally but I chuckled when this story was published.
    Somewhere in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there is an ancient Commodore Amiga that is hard at work. For over a quarter century it has been controlling the heat and air conditioning at 19 different schools and running nonstop. It's still kicking, for now anyway.

    A report from local news outlet WoodTV, details the situation:

    The Commodore Amiga was new to GRPS in the early 1980s and it has been working tirelessly ever since. GRPS Maintenance Supervisor Tim Hopkins said that the computer was purchased with money from an energy bond in the 1980s. It replaced a computer that was "about the size of a refrigerator."


  • #3
    stimpson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,828 ✭✭✭stimpson


    This Commodore 64 did the rounds during the year. Running a garage business since the 80's in Poland.

    http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a23139/commodore-64-repair-shop/

    I remember my brother working for accompany that had a CNC machine that took 8" floppies. Too expensive to replace at the time apparently.

    I imagine that most old mainframes are emulated and virtualised by now.


  • #4
    jenearl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19 ✭jenearl


    Haha I saw that - now that's what you call dedication. It does beg the question, how many customers can they realistically have if a Commodore 64 is all they need!


  • #5
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,809 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    I know of one company still using these: http://www.old-computers.com/history/detail.asp?n=20&t=3


  • #6
    briany
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,519 ✭✭✭✭briany


    If a computer does the job, and it's done the job for so long, why replace it? Doesn't George R R Martin, who writes the Game of Thrones series, write his books on an old DOS machine?


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Kimbot
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 18,809 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kimbot


    The very first gaming PC i built way way back in 1999ish is still working away no problem. It was a Duron 750 slightly overclocked with a Voodoo 3d card. Hard to believe its lasted so long really.


  • #8
    jimgoose
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,195 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Harwell WITCH of 1951 is the oldest running computer:

    http://www.tnmoc.org/news/news-releases/worlds-oldest-original-working-digital-computer


  • #9
    magentis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,249 ✭✭✭magentis


    It might be a bit like triggers brush in only fools and horses in a few cases though!


  • #10
    stimpson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,828 ✭✭✭stimpson


    jonnycivic wrote: »
    The very first gaming PC i built way way back in 1999ish is still working away no problem. It was a Duron 750 slightly overclocked with a Voodoo 3d card. Hard to believe its lasted so long really.

    I've got a 386DX40 that I built way back when up in my mothers. Mono VGA screen and a Matrox Milennium graphics card. Started life as a 16MHz 286.


  • #11
    FanadMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,820 ✭✭✭FanadMan


    I have one of these at home somewhere http://ibmvaluepoint.blogspot.ie/2015/08/philips-p-3105.html

    Was given it by a friend to learn computing.....in 1988/89. Had a massive 20Mb drive, 768k Ram and ran at 8Mhz (that was boosted - normal speed was 4Mhz).

    Been a few years since I dug it out, hopefully it's still working.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement