Memory cards

Just wondering about the huge amount of money represented in this photo !!
- >brand new< at the time of buying -

Hi,

My first R+D task at IBM in 81 was semiconductor chip testing for the then-new PC. We had to qualify suppliers so we could meet demand. So we used Fairchild Sentry systems.

These began with Hollerith cards which then loaded enough code to get to the 9 track tape drive. That would be equivalent to the PC doing POST.

Then it booted the OS from the tape. Once that was up, it could use the Winchester (IBM model 3030) hard disk drive. That's where the programs to test the devices was stored.

The two desk like units are the component testing heads.

What always got me was the use of punch cards in 1981....

My second job was modifying the PC so it could be a 3278 terminal on a mainframe. That needed more storage than floppy disks could hold. So I decided to graft in a 10 MB hard drive from Seagate. Yeah, baby! 10 huge MB! :P
Stan

CompactFlash 16MB

CompactFlash 16mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 20mb

CompactFlash 20mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 30mb

CompactFlash 30mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 32MB

CompactFlash 32mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 40MB

CompactFlash 40mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 48MB

CompactFlash 48mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 64MB

CompactFlash 64mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 80MB

CompactFlash 80mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 96MB

CompactFlash 96mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 128MB

CompactFlash 128mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 160MB

CompactFlash 160mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 192MB

CompactFlash 192mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 256MB

CompactFlash 256mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 300MB

CompactFlash 300mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

CompactFlash 384MB

CompactFlash 384mb by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

When did they stop making these semi-weird sizes (384 with once a factor 3, 300 in a range starting with 100?) ?

Surely with the arrival of SD memory cards and lower prices.

Earlier I think. My first cf card was a 512, so in the regular doubling sequence. That was 2003 IIRC

On the back of the Industrial Grade 364MB, I have the inscription 08/14/03 ©02
and Ultra 384MB ©01