BELL LABS, GENERAL ELECTRIC, Project MAC(Mathematics And Computation) of MIT joined hands to create an operating system for computer.
What is the motivation behind that OS?
It should be a OS that supply simultaneous computer access for a large community.
It should have good processing power and high-levels data storage.
What happened Next?
They named the OS, MULTICS. By 1969, Multics was running in GE645 machines, but it did not intend to meet the development goals. BELL LABS slowly withdrew its support from the project.
Is that the end?
We had some optimistic guys who dared to work on that further. They are Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan and some others.Their efforts and interests lead to a transition from GE645 to PDP-7(Programmed Data Processer). PDP-7 had cheap executing power and good graphics display, thus made a right fit for development and research. They gave the name UNIX to their newly developed operating system. UNIX is a absolute pun on the name Multics :).
GE 645
PDP 7
2 comments:
I found this article while looking for a picture of a GE 645. The picture identified as GE 645 is not a GE 645. It's a Digital machine of some sort, judging by the DECtape units and the script on the panels. I think it's a PDP-11.
Yeah sure I also found this link while looking for a image of GE645. I hope this is the Real GE645 http://www.multicians.org/mulimg/ge645-big.jpg
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