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Old 5th Dec 2017, 1:12 pm   #1
dave walsh
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Default Geoff Tootill Computer Pioneer

My final "catch up" post here is to flag up an obit for Mr T in today's Guardian.
He's died aged 95 and it is accompanied by a rather good colour photo of the computation device that became known as 'Baby' [complete with valves rack mounted upside down!] He was apparently brought up and educated in Birmingham but born in Chadderton [Oldham] to which he must have returned while working in the Ferranti organisation at one point. It mentions that he built radios as a youngster like many of his contemporaries and progressed through war time Radar Work to developing a computer.

Dave W

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Old 5th Dec 2017, 3:30 pm   #2
ukcol
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Default Re: Geoff Tootill Computer Pioneer

Quote:
Originally Posted by dave walsh View Post
.........complete with valves rack mounted upside down.....
Great lengths were taken with early thermionic valve based computers to get the maximum reliability out of the valves used. The valves used in Colossus at Bletchley Park were run 24/7 to avoid the failures associated with heating up and cooling down for example. I wonder if the designers thought the valves may be slightly more reliable operated upside down for some reason? It may, of course, simply have been that access to components for servicing and testing was more convenient with the chassis upside down.
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Old 5th Dec 2017, 5:08 pm   #3
peter_scott
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Default Re: Geoff Tootill Computer Pioneer

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2...otill-obituary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TRfy70DqD8

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Old 5th Dec 2017, 5:22 pm   #4
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Default Re: Geoff Tootill Computer Pioneer

Light bulbs (the proper filament type) where designed to run "cap up" to reduce darkening by volatilised tungsten. I would have thought that valves run that way up would be more prone to electrode leaks.
 
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