Developer Creates DIY 8-Bit CPU 187
MaizeMan writes "Not for the easily distracted: a Belmont software developer's hand-built CPU was featured in Wired recently. Starting with a $50 wire wrap board, Steve Chamberlin built his CPU with 1253 pieces of wire, each wire wrapped by hand at both ends. Chamberlin salvaged parts from '70s and '80s era computers, and the final result is an 8-bit processor with keyboard input, a USB connection, and VGA graphical output. More details are available on the developer's blog."
Re:A lenient definition of "make" (Score:5, Interesting)
Uh, maybe not [virgilio.it]. :-)
Re:It must be early.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:That's how we used to make all hobby computers (Score:5, Interesting)
Then, as a private project, I built a half adder with washing machine relays but it never worked properly because of power supply problems (which was the 12v transformer from my train set).
As parent already said (but they're so PESKY and disrespectful): Hey you kids, GET OFF MY LAWN
Re:But does it run Vista? (Score:4, Interesting)
Well, your response applies slightly more to Linux (one would just have to implement a Linux kernel on the 8-bit CPU, which isn't likely to happen to anytime soon) and doesn't really apply to Vista at all. MIcrosoft would have to implement Vista, and unless there is sufficient market demand for this 8-bit CPU, they'll never do it, since the incentive for them to write an 8-bit Vista is approximately zero.
While it may be possible to write a Linux kernel for an 8-bit processor, this, too, is not likely, at least not a complete Linux kernel. Linux was pretty much designed and written from the ground up on a 32-bit processor with built-in low-level support for multitasking.
So, IOW, while you are theoretically correct, from a practical standpoint implementing Vista or Linux or any other modern OS, with the exception of FreeDOS, is virtually impossible. Hence, the GP's joke retains its original humor.
Done before... in 16-bits (Score:5, Interesting)
Slashdot posted an article on Magic-1 when it was completed years ago as well.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:A lenient definition of "make" (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:That's how we used to make all hobby computers (Score:4, Interesting)
The ROM in the computer on the moon lander used ferrite rope memory that was hand strung from bins of cores pre-programmed as '1's and '0's. The assemblers literally had a bin full of 1's and 0's.
Those where the days when assembly programming really meant just that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer [wikipedia.org]