09 Jun 2009 | The first “true” portable computer.
Ah El’ Reg, how do we love thee? Today, while doing my ‘Net rounds, I hit The Register. I have always enjoyed reading the content of The Register, a mixture of hard tech news mixed with that particular brand of dry British humor. Unfortunately for his fans, the BOFH has been spending a bit too much time in the local pub these days, alas, other stories keep getting posted.
So in my trolling through the site, I came across this title: “Remembering the true* first portable computer”. An article about an old computer? Sure, I will read that!
So what was the first “portable computer”? Any ideas? It was not the Osbourne 1 (which I have never seen having cut my teeth on the Apple II/IIe/IIgs and later, IBM PS/2) or anything else that anyone might think of. Instead, it’s the computer that would have guided the Minuteman I ICBM to its energetic date with some Russian city in the late 1950′s to early 60s. Thankfully it never got a chance to it’s job though a few did get launched into the Pacific Ocean on test flights.
Here is a picture of this thing:
Image from the Computer History Museum and The Register
I am not going to post the content of the article here as the author has a done a better job writing up this piece of computer (and geek) history better than I could have ever done. However here are some choice quotes from the article:
“We’re speaking, of course, of the first-ever guidance system baked into
the US Minuteman 1 nuclear missile. Maximum portability: about 9,700 km
(6,000 mi). Target demographic: Commies.”
“Atomic explosions in the atmosphere can disrupt radio communications.
Missiles at the time were controlled by ground-based computers, so huge
amounts of radio interference made America’s ability to direct a second
volley of fission sandwiches unreasonably hard. And on the other side
of such an exchange, not being able to control your rockets can make
mutual assured destruction up to 50 per cent less mutual. What’s the
fun in that?”
“Minuteman’s brain was was fit into a cylindrical package above the
rocket’s third stage. A segment up was the missile’s penetration aids,
and above that, the all-important nuclear warhead. The on-board system
navigated by measuring velocity with gyroscopes and acceleration with
an accelerometer – sort of like a Nintendo Wii controller, only
slightly more deadly when you accidentally toss it at your television
set.”
This article is an excellent and entertaining write up that should interest geeks and military buffs alike. Another enjoyable read from the Register. Now Bastard, are you and the PFY done at the pub yet?
