puddlehaven
Member
30-odd years ago I wire-wrapped a COSMAC ELF computer by following the instructions in the June 1976 edition of Popular Electronics. It took me a few weeks to put it together, and some real head scratching to figure out where I had cross-wired the power and ground.
Anyway, once it was running I carefully toggled in a program from the magazine, flipped the run switch up, and the Q LED started flashing.
I took the box out to the living room to show my father. "Look" I said, "I wrote a program that flashes a light."
He said "Huh" then reached over and flipped the light switch on the wall up and down. "I can do that" he said "and I don't need to use a computer."
I told you that story so you'd appreciate this one:
Today I wired up a PICAXE-08M and wrote a program for it. After a little bit of trouble shooting (did you know "high pin4" doesn't mean "high 4"?) I hit the run button and light started flashing.
I've been making my living with computers for over 20 years now. I've worked for universities, for a large software company in Redmond, and now I work for a on-line book store you've probably heard of. From where I'm typing right now I've got two 64-bit laptops, two Linux boxes, a server with almost a terrabyte of hard drive space, and a PDA that's as powerful as the server I used 10 years ago. And one other little tiny computer. And the coolest of the lot right now?
That little PICAXE blinking away. That little 8-pin chip is ... well ... just neat.
Anyway, once it was running I carefully toggled in a program from the magazine, flipped the run switch up, and the Q LED started flashing.
I took the box out to the living room to show my father. "Look" I said, "I wrote a program that flashes a light."
He said "Huh" then reached over and flipped the light switch on the wall up and down. "I can do that" he said "and I don't need to use a computer."
I told you that story so you'd appreciate this one:
Today I wired up a PICAXE-08M and wrote a program for it. After a little bit of trouble shooting (did you know "high pin4" doesn't mean "high 4"?) I hit the run button and light started flashing.
I've been making my living with computers for over 20 years now. I've worked for universities, for a large software company in Redmond, and now I work for a on-line book store you've probably heard of. From where I'm typing right now I've got two 64-bit laptops, two Linux boxes, a server with almost a terrabyte of hard drive space, and a PDA that's as powerful as the server I used 10 years ago. And one other little tiny computer. And the coolest of the lot right now?
That little PICAXE blinking away. That little 8-pin chip is ... well ... just neat.