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 PDP-8/e at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle, Washington | |
| Manufacturer | Digital Equipment Corporation |
|---|---|
| Product family | PDP-8 |
| Generation | 6th Generation |
| Release date | 1970 |
| Introductory price | $6,500 |
| Operating system | OS/8 |
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The PDP-8/e was a model of the PDP-8 line of minicomputers, designed by the Digital Equipment Corporation to be a general purpose computer that inexpensively met the needs of the average user while also being capable of modular expansion to meet the more specific needs of advanced user.[1]
The first prototype was built in 1970, and was among the first minicomputers small enough to fit in the back seat of a Volkswagen Beetle Convertible.[2] It originally sold for $6,500 but after 18 months the price was dropped to $4995 to make it the only computer under $5000 available at that time.[3]
The standard -8/e included a processor, core memory, a data terminal, a tape control and drive, a programmers table, a line printer, software operating system and when purchased included installation, training and maintenance as part of the purchase agreement.[4]
The PDP-8/e featured a processor with single-address fixed word length, parallel transfer computer using 12-bit, two's complement arithmetic. The 1.2/1.4 microsecond cycle time provides a computation rate of 385,000 additions per second. It was built to be versatile and has a high capacity input/output that supports more than 60 types of peripherals.[1] It could be used for a variety of tasks, from keeping score at Fenway Park to monitoring stimuli to the brain during brain surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.[5]
The basic PDP-8/E system was a 10.5 x 19 x 24 inch [6] (6 rack unit) rackmount or table top unit that contained the processor, core memory, front panel controls ("programmer's console"), console terminal interface for use with an external data terminal, and 115 or 230 volt AC power supply.[7]
