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Bob Decker and I met in my office one afternoon to discuss the choice. Bob was a marketeer who worked for me. I chalked all the candidates on the blackboard and we started going through them one by one, pronouncing each out loud, savoring the sound, trying to get the feel of each one. After ten
404:"At first I called the new system DEX-15. It was an acronym for 'Digital's Executive - for the PDP-15.' The homonymic relation between DEC, DEX and deques (used as the primary linkage mechanism in the kernel) appealed to my sense of whimsy. People readily adopted the acronym without question.
422:
Bob sat back in silence as I kept looking at each acronym, seeing how it flowed off my tongue, what impression it gave me, and most importantly, the overall feeling about it. After three or four minutes a strong feeling came over me about one of them. It really felt right. I looked at Bob and
407:
But in a short time I was asked to submit the choice to the corporate legal department for a trademark search and registration. They sent me a memo that DEX was already trademarked by some paper company and I would have to rename the product. I pointed out to them that software and paper mills
354:
available for the PDP-15 was DECsys, an interactive single-user system. This software was provided on a DECtape reel, of which copies were made for each user. This copied DECtape was then added to by the user, and thus was storage for personal programs and data. A second DECtape was used as a
411:
So I sat down with pencil and paper, and in a few moments came up with better than a dozen candidate acronyms and names. My purpose was to come up with a good acronym and then find some appropriate words to justify it. For example, X always appealed to me as part of an acronym because it is
426:
I have absolutely no memory about the other candidate acronyms. They are lost forever, I suppose. Well, maybe there's just a chance that the legal department kept copies of the correspondence - after all they are lawyers and they seem to hold on to everything (especially my money).
412:
pronounced so forcefully, inferring (at least to me) some power and drama. I used a lot of X's. These potential acronyms were submitted back to the legal department. At the time I had no favorite.
307:
PDP-15/76: 15/40 plus PDP-11 frontend. The PDP-15/76 was a dual-processor system that shared memory with an attached PDP-11/05. The PDP-11 served as a peripheral processor and enabled use of
430:
Oh, by the way, the acronym stood for 'Real-Time System
Executive.' Years later that was changed to 'Resource Sharing Executive,' which I think is even better.
578:
1527:
415:
In a week or so they came back with a subset of my list that they could accept as trademarks. It was left to me to make the final choice.
545:
377:
was released, DEC facilitated that "a PDP-15 can be field-upgraded to XVM" but it required "the addition of the XM15 memory processor."
466:
operating system, which was originally developed in 1966, was developed on the PDP-7 outside DEC. It is also available for the PDP-15.
450:
upgrade to RSX was multi-user, and enabled up to six concurrent teletype-based users. XVM Support for the PDP-15/76 included using an
119:
179:
was first delivered in
December 1959 and the first PDP-15 was delivered in February 1970. More than 400 of these successors to the
423:
announced, "It's RSX". I went to the board and erased all the rest until the only writing left was RSX. It even looked right.
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was released by DEC in 1971. The main architect for RSX-15 (later renamed XVM/RSX) was Dennis "Dan" Brevik.
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by 1977, 790 machines had been shipped - more than the total of all other DEC 18-bit machines.
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rather than discrete transistors, and, like every DEC 18-bit system could be equipped with:
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433:...And that is how RSX got its name, on the 3rd floor of building 5 in the old mill."
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A PDP-15/50, described then as "expensive to maintain," was still running in 1982.
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DEC provided mathematical, scientific and commercial software application tools.
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PDP-15/30: 16K word, added memory protection and a foreground/background monitor
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didn't seem to have a hell of a lot of connection, but they wouldn't budge.
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Later versions of the PDP-15 could run a real-time multi-user OS called
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35:
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941:(Interview). Interviewed by Grant Saviers. Computer History Museum.
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Bell, C. Gordon; Mudge, J. Craig; McNamara, John E. (May 12, 2014).
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1001:
547:
DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION - Nineteen Fifty-Seven To The
Present
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342:(BOSS-15: Batch Operating Software System) was also available.
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The 18-bit PDP systems preceding the PDP-15 were named PDP-1,
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1000:"Commercial Subroutine Package (CSP) ... compatible with the
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Bell, C. Gordon; Mudge, J. Craig; McNamara, John E. (2014).
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Computer
Engineering: A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design
710:
Computer
Engineering: A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design
451:
419:
minutes or so we had narrowed down the selection to three.
241:
The PDP-15 was DEC's only 18-bit machine constructed from
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732:
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183:(and 9/L) were ordered within the first eight months.
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503:C. Gordon Bell; J. Craig Mudge; John E. McNamara.
384:operating system began as a port of RSX-15 to the
291:PDP-15/35: Added a 524K-word fixed-head disk drive
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706:
1504:
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781:to be taken out of operation at the end of 1982.
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1038:
829:"RSX-15 Real Time Executive reference manual"
652:
540:
538:
536:
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279:PDP-15/10: a 4K-word paper-tape-based system
626:"Unearthing The PDP-15's Operating Systems"
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809:
640:
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34:
25:
619:
617:
579:"PDP-15 FORTRAN IV Operating Environment"
533:
876:
225:
218:. The last PDP-15 was produced in 1979.
151:
1449:Compaq Professional Workstation 1000 XP
635:
469:
275:The PDP-15 models offered by DEC were:
1528:Computer-related introductions in 1970
1505:
929:
803:
663:pdp15 pdp15/76 system reference manual
623:
614:
553:. Digital Equipment Corporation. 1975.
355:scratch tape by the assembler and the
1026:
834:. Digital Equipment Corporation. 1971
1487:
350:The first DEC-supplied mass-storage
266:up to 128K words of core main memory
557:
16:18-bit computer by Digital, 1970–79
13:
879:"Reference letter for Dan Brevick"
335:supplied by DEC for the PDP-15. A
14:
1539:
1011:
738:"DEC-15-XSRMA-A-D_UC15refMan.pdf"
1486:
1477:
1476:
877:Lacroute, Bernard (3 May 1982).
565:"The Early Architectures of DEC"
1004:commercial subroutine package."
994:
977:
956:
945:from the original on 2021-12-13
870:
846:
821:
786:
765:
751:
700:
673:
252:an optional X-Y (point-plot or
190:, the PDP-15 has compilers for
1403:DEC 7000 AXP and DEC 10000 AXP
1018:a diary re PDP-15 & RSX-15
990:. August 30, 1976. p. 37.
759:"CS3220 Project 1: DEC PDP-15"
571:
514:
496:
446:, an outgrowth of RSX-15. The
230:PDP-15 graphics terminal with
164:was the fifth and last of the
1:
1054:Digital Equipment Corporation
799:. Digital Press. p. 162.
683:A History of Modern Computing
667:Digital Equipment Corporation
489:
173:Digital Equipment Corporation
50:Digital Equipment Corporation
1433:Digital Personal Workstation
1347:Digital Personal Workstation
984:"Mutliuser PDP-15 XVM/RSX".
374:
301:
7:
812:"Technical Notes on DECsys"
810:Bob Supnik (19 June 2006).
477:
315:
263:option, with a 10x speedup.
221:
81:; 54 years ago
10:
1544:
935:"Dave Cutler Oral History"
457:
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484:Programmed Data Processor
392:Origin of the RSX-15 name
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60:Programmed Data Processor
55:
45:
33:
24:
1523:Transistorized computers
680:Paul E. Ceruzzi (2012).
1304:VAX 7000 and VAX 10000
505:"Computer Engineering"
435:
400:acronym, Brevik says:
238:
157:
1464:List of VAX computers
402:
294:PDP-15/40: 24K memory
282:PDP-15/20: 8K, added
229:
155:
1454:Itsy Pocket Computer
774:"Annual Report 1982"
523:DOS-15 System Manual
470:Application software
40:An incomplete PDP-15
246:integrated circuits
21:
964:"RSX FAQ, General"
891:on 18 January 2005
396:Commenting on the
239:
158:
79:February 1970
19:
1513:DEC minicomputers
1500:
1499:
1375:DECsystem servers
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333:operating systems
236:digitizing tablet
188:operating systems
150:
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1518:18-bit computers
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1223:DEC Professional
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884:. Archived from
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352:operating system
337:batch processing
111:Operating system
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1459:Jupiter project
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686:. p. 209.
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669:. October 1973.
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254:vector graphics
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186:In addition to
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1012:External links
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1007:
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933:(2016-02-25).
922:
914:"XVM upgrades"
902:
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720:978-1483221106
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693:978-0262532037
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56:Product family
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1408:DECpc AXP 150
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987:Computerworld
980:
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959:
944:
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936:
932:
926:
915:
909:
907:
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859:
855:
854:"General FAQ"
849:
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712:
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695:
689:
685:
684:
676:
668:
664:
658:
656:
647:
646:"PDP Lineage"
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1428:AlphaStation
1413:DEC 2000 AXP
1398:DEC 4000 AXP
1393:DEC 3000 AXP
1200:DECSYSTEM-20
1108:
996:
985:
979:
967:. Retrieved
958:
947:. Retrieved
938:
931:Cutler, Dave
925:
893:. Retrieved
886:the original
872:
861:. Retrieved
858:www.miim.com
857:
848:
836:. Retrieved
823:
805:
795:
788:
780:
767:
753:
744:
709:
702:
682:
675:
662:
624:Bob Supnik.
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454:disk drive.
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311:peripherals.
274:
240:
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185:
171:produced by
161:
159:
76:Release date
70:Minicomputer
1423:AlphaServer
1322:Rainbow 100
939:youtube.com
259:a hardware
141:Predecessor
1507:Categories
1370:DECstation
1337:DECstation
1269:VAXstation
969:4 December
949:2021-02-26
895:4 December
863:2019-12-10
838:4 December
490:References
359:compiler.
297:PDP-15/50:
256:) display.
136:DEC 18-bit
118:, RSX-15,
102:Units sold
1279:VAXserver
1056:computers
745:BitSavers
608:BitSavers
331:were the
302:PDP-15/76
232:light pen
46:Developer
1482:Category
1442:See also
1294:VAX 9000
1289:VAX 4000
1284:VAX 6000
1264:VAX 8000
1259:MicroVAX
1002:IBM 1130
943:Archived
601:"PDP-15"
478:See also
316:Software
222:Hardware
132:Platform
126:, DOS-15
94:Lifespan
1492:Commons
1327:VAXmate
1274:Firefly
1161:DECmate
1149:PDP-8/e
458:non-DEC
444:XVM/RSX
438:XVM/RSX
375:XVM/RSX
357:Fortran
340:monitor
329:XVM/RSX
284:DECtape
202:History
192:Fortran
175:. The
120:XVM/RSX
86:1970-02
84: (
1418:Multia
1352:HiNote
1342:Multia
1254:VAX-11
1218:PDP-11
1210:16-bit
1195:PDP-10
1182:36-bit
1166:PDP-14
1156:PDP-12
1132:LINC-8
1119:12-bit
1109:PDP-15
1081:18-bit
717:
690:
386:PDP-11
382:RSX-11
368:RSX-15
363:RSX-15
346:DECsys
327:, and
325:RSX-15
321:DECsys
309:Unibus
271:Models
166:18-bit
162:PDP-15
116:DECsys
20:PDP-15
1385:Alpha
1332:DECpc
1299:VAXft
1190:PDP-6
1144:PDP-8
1139:PDP-5
1104:PDP-9
1099:PDP-7
1094:PDP-4
1089:PDP-1
917:(PDF)
889:(PDF)
882:(PDF)
832:(PDF)
815:(PDF)
777:(PDF)
741:(PDF)
629:(PDF)
604:(PDF)
582:(PDF)
551:(PDF)
527:(PDF)
464:MUMPS
373:Once
216:PDP-9
212:PDP-7
208:PDP-4
196:ALGOL
181:PDP-9
177:PDP-1
145:PDP-9
124:MUMPS
1362:MIPS
1127:LINC
971:2017
897:2017
840:2017
715:ISBN
688:ISBN
462:The
452:RK05
380:The
234:and
214:and
194:and
160:The
97:1979
66:Type
1314:x86
1246:VAX
1063:PDP
448:XVM
398:RSX
243:TTL
105:790
1509::
937:.
905:^
856:.
779:.
743:.
729:^
713:.
665:.
654:^
637:^
616:^
606:.
590:^
535:^
507:.
323:,
210:,
198:.
122:,
1046:e
1039:t
1032:v
973:.
952:.
919:.
899:.
866:.
842:.
817:.
761:.
747:.
723:.
696:.
648:.
631:.
610:.
584:.
567:.
529:.
88:)
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