A rescued piece of computer heritage in my hands-Big Birtha's  4k memory module  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Canobi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 01:15:19 pm
content: Hi guys n galsWasn't quite sure where to put this post, so mods, do feal free to move it if it's in the wrong place.A good friend of mine is a lecturer and research fellow at Salford University (Manchester UK). A couple years ago he had the task of clearing out a room to move lab into. The room in question it turns out, had started being used for stage around the turn on the century. An uncountable amount of treasures were found in this room, including Graham Bell's bell jar used for showing that air was needed for sound to travel.Orders from above were to skip the lot, but he could keep whatever he could carry home after the day was done.Amongst those few gleaned treasures was the very first 4k memory module ever made for Big Birtha (for those that don't know, she was the very first fully functional computor).Knowing exactly what it was he got in touch with a group who had just finish reassembling/fixing her up to working condition for a museum. They weren't interested it seems, so knowing I was into electronics and collecting oddities, he asked if I would be interested in looking after it.Unfortunately I need to pass the torch to another who would be just as enthusiastic about looking after this piece of history. No money asked for, just some much needed TLC and a pride of place.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 01:48:45 pm
content: Is that from MUSE? What's the word size?

author: Canobi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 03:13:48 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on May 04, 2015, 01:48:45 pmI'm a little light on the details I'm afraid. I do know it was 4k (b?), all the tiny coils are hand wound and it ran at around 90w.I can find out more on it if your interested, though I can't guarantee I can get back in short notice so will post details when I get them.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 03:27:56 pm
content: Looks like 10-bit with a couple of bits of parity.Never heard of a "Big Birtha" ("Big Bertha"?) computer. Wikipedia and Google never heard of it, either.The only reference I could find was on a "tinfoil-hat" web page where it was used as a nick-name for a "Beast" computer, also a tinfoil-hat exclusive.http://www.whale.to/b/beast.html

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 03:31:50 pm
content: Quote from: Canobi on May 04, 2015, 03:13:48 pmI'm definitely interested in more information, tbh I'm more than slightly miffed I can't give it a good home. Just trying to work out the vintage as the earlier Manchester Computers used Williams Tubes for memory and then magnetic drums.

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 05:06:50 pm
content: if it's still local to Manchester i maybe able to store it safely until an appropriate custodian can properly care for it, i could even make a video / take photos / document it's current condition if people want to see it in more detail?TNMOC maybe interested in it

author: dexters_lab
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 05:12:49 pm
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on May 04, 2015, 03:27:56 pmit rings some kind of bell with me regarding old historic computing, but i dont recall why

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 05:24:20 pm
content: Quote from: dexters_lab on May 04, 2015, 05:12:49 pm"Big Bertha" was once upon a generic term for any really big machine. The biggest machine on the production line would be Big Bertha for example.

author: Canobi
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 05:36:22 pm
content: Sorry for the spellingIt's been a while since I was given it so I may have details a bit mixed. I'll see if I can get hold of more solid info.

author: Blofeld
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 07:23:02 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on May 04, 2015, 05:24:20 pmThis is the original "Dicke Bertha" (literal translation: thick Bertha). Designed by Krupp, and allegedly called so "in honor" of Bertha Krupp, heiress of the Krupp industrial empire.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 08:36:51 pm
content: Depending on your nationality and your view of history the first working computer was either"ENIAC in the USA, used to calculate firing tables for guns. To 'reprogram' the machine meant rewiring it.The Manchester University Mk 1 machine which used Williams tubes for storage of both data and the program.The Z2 and Z3 machines which was constructed by Conrad Zuse because he hated doing math by hand.The Colossus code breaking computers constructed at Bletchley Park during WWIIMESM in the old Soviet Union which became operational in about 1950I have no record of a computer called 'Big Bertha' in my papers so I suggest that you contact (in the UK) the national Museum of Computing. Finally, it is an accident of geography that Salford and Manchester are separate cities. Salford is therefore not in Manchester.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 08:50:48 pm
content: Quote from: Blofeld on May 04, 2015, 07:23:02 pmOh sorry, I wasn't at all denying where the phrase originated, just adding my input on why some people may have called the machine this was taken from that.Quote from: German_EE on May 04, 2015, 08:36:51 pmI sort of take the view that Zuse was the first to makeacomputer, like Baird was the first to makeatelevision...

author: JBaughb
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 09:11:22 pm
content: If the group who was fixing the actual computer up for display in a museum had no interest in this, I have a hard time convincing myself that anyone else would be interested. I love old tech and I absolutely love history but this looks like something that would just rust away in someones garage until its eventually taken to the dump.That being said, if someones interested, great. Good luck to you.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2015, 09:28:18 pm
content: Quote from: JBaughb on May 04, 2015, 09:11:22 pmI'm convinced it's from MUSE or something newer. Pretty certain it's not from the Transistor Computer, hence MUSE or newer lol