Algol2

The Elliott 803 at The National Museum of Computing runing its Algol Compiler for the first time in many years. This was possible after making adjustments to the paper tape reader (which is why the reader's case was not fitted) .

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Science & Technology

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• Algol2

[soemtron220]

Lovely old machine, glad this one is now restored and working. I used to service and occasionally operate an 803B at the National Gas Turbine Establishment Pyestock. In slack operation times it's party piece was to play classical tunes.

[PeterOGB]

@soemtron220 You should come and visit us at The National Museum of Computing. It's always nice to talk to people who used the 803 for real.

[wwwhatsup]

Yep. I got my A level in Comp Sci programming an 803 at Swindon Tech in 68/69.

[RJBotting]

I learned to program on an 803 using Autocode(1964), did my Grad work using and inside the Algol compiler system(68-71), and managed an 803 for several years as a faculty member (at a profit)...

[RJBotting]

@pleriche It was reputed to have 13 known bugs. For example the word HOOK was reserved but did not work like the implication operator in Algol 60.

[pleriche]

Memories, memories! I wonder how many times I ran that Algol compiler at Hatfield Tech before I graduated to machine code? To my knowledge, nobody ever found a bug in it. How times have changed.

[shindles308]

As the chairman of the Elliott 803 users' group in the mid 1970s I was in charge of Braintree College's Elliott. We ran maths courses using Algol. I am now a volunteer at Bletchley Park's National Museum of Computing and the video brings back amazing memories. Do come to Bletchley's Vintage Compute

Festival in June and see the 803 amongst other early computers.

[pixelh8]

Brilliant, excellent work. Almost a music video :)