From: muta...@gmail.com   
      
   On Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 9:17:22 AM UTC+8, anti...@math.uni.wroc.pl   
   wrote:   
   > muta...@gmail.com  wrote:   
   > > On Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 6:02:46 AM UTC+8, Joe Monk wrote:   
   > > > > When they were giving money to IBM to develop MVS or   
   > > > > some precursor (I don't know the details - I just heard   
   > > > > that from someone), the US government could have   
   > > > > insisted that development be done in C instead of 370 assembler.   
   > > > You mean 360 assembler. The 360 OS'es (MFT/MVT) were the precursors to   
   OS/VS.   
   > > >   
   > > > Now onto the real problem. C hadn't been invented yet.   
   > >   
   > > Was there a barrier to inventing that, or something near-identical,   
   > > in 1955?   
      
   > There is trivial prioblem: C wants 8-bit characters, in 1955   
   > computers used 6-bit characters. Note: memory was very expensive   
   > in 1955, so adding 33% more memory for 2 extra bits was   
   > extramally unattractive. Later, around 1965 computers got   
   > 8-bit characters (notably in 360 series), but most peripherials   
   > were limited to upper case.   
      
   None of those things are a barrier to inventing the language,   
   formalizing the grammar, writing an unkludged compiler and library.   
      
   Even if it is done on paper.   
      
   And then get someone else to translate the paper to punched cards.   
      
   All by 1960.   
      
   Even if it is unusable until 2 MB of memory became affordable   
   around 1982 for anyone who treats a computer like most people   
   treat a car.   
      
   https://jcmit.net/memoryprice.htm   
      
   The 80286 came out in 1982 too.   
      
   Although it looks like it would be 1984 before I could buy it   
   if I took out a computer loan instead of a car loan (I didn't   
   take out any loan, and didn't buy a car until I was about 30 -   
   I even tried avoiding bus fare by walking across the Sydney   
   Harbor Bridge but that was ridiculous so I went back to the   
   bus). Oh, I didn't have a car for the last 10 years either,   
   except for an approx 6 month period. But I have paid for   
   SubC enhancements.   
      
   https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/6995/80286-pr   
   cing-and-availability   
      
   BFN. Paul.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)