I also use my retirement years to stay in touch with the ongoing permanent evolution in computing. I started a job in the IT in 1968 and it kept me busy and happy till I retired in 2006. I was involved in main frame computer program design and developing. PC was always a hobby besides the big machines of IBM.

 

My dad was with ICL (moved into to Personnel Management - now referred to as HR) and funnily enough it was through him that I picked up flight sim (several versions ago).  He would be amazed to see what's being done with it these days but I think he was still alive when I had the original PMDG NG back in '06.  We've come a long way since the BBC Micro!

Hi Tom,

that's the IBM 360-20 with which I started my IT life. :lol:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/17627666

 

The magnetic-core memory had 16 K and we could do a lot with it. The programs where stored in punch-cards. Some data were on tapes and others on punch-cards.

 

We were a kind of pioneers and were recruited through talent and not through any degrees. One of my colleagues was a baker and another one was a car mechanic. I myself came from the electric engines field. We got trained in work shops and on the job itself. It was a great time.

Spirit

:lol:  Some good recollections of the IT world, Spirit... Yeah -anyone working on the 360 was a pioneer for sure! Didn't you just love the printers! 

 

and were recruited through talent and not through any degrees.

 

I was recruited by knowing the right people.....

 

Here's part of the main data center at the College where I worked in Toronto. These shots were from the early 2000's, using 4 DEC Alphas/Oracle for prod and dev machines, having migrated from the (IBM 390!) mainframe to Netfinity 8500R servers (eight 550MHz Pentium III Xeons) (WOW!), late 1990's, and from then to a bunch of Sun 480's. Retired at the end of 2010.

 

It paid for the toys I have now. B)

 

 

IBM 360-20 with which I started my IT life

 

I was a Systems Programmer at a Beta test site for release 2 of OS-MFT..........................in 1966...............

 

:lol:

:lol:  Some good recollections of the IT world, Spirit... Yeah -anyone working on the 360 was a pioneer for sure! Didn't you just love the printers!

..........

It paid for the toys I have now. B)

 

Yeah, the chain-printer ... big and loud. But we even could print in upper and lower case, so we were able to write personal looking direct marketing stuff.

 

It was indeed a very good payed job.

I was a Systems Programmer at a Beta test site for release 2 of OS-MFT..........................in 1966...............

 

:lol:

 

Funny .. 2 years earlier then me and we run the 360 with DOS, later the 370 with VM (virtuell machine) and at the end it was MVS. We even had an Amdahl machine.

 

Spirit

 

 

Funny .. 2 years earlier then me and we run the 360 with DOS, later the 370 with VM (virtuell machine) and at the end it was MVS. We even had an Amdahl machine.

 

Actually my first contact with the 360 was as a COBOL programmer in 1964 (year 360 was announced) for the US Army. Those were the days!!!

I too had some experience working on an Amdahl but it was a couple of years later. I spent 42 years in the IT business............ :lol:

Actually my first contact with the 360 was as a COBOL programmer in 1964 (year 360 was announced) for the US Army. Those were the days!!!

I too had some experience working on an Amdahl but it was a couple of years later. I spent 42 years in the IT business............ :lol:

 

Well, I "only" spent 38 years in the IT business. Was a wonderful time.

Spirit