"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:37:04 -0500, wrote:
These IBM secrets weren't all that secret. I remember working next to
an AS5, a 3158 clone (Itel?)
Itel/National Advanced Systems (NAS)
It didn't take long for us to show the Tbar guy where his problem was
and that makes the customer happy. Isn't that the real objective?
In a perfect world... :-)
You were one of the good guys. Itel/NAS had a few "good guys" also
but you had to know who they were and ask for them by name.
The AS5 microcode updates were handled in the same lab as the one where were
were developing the 3800 clone. Microcode guy was known forever as Floppy
John. His name was John and he did the floppies for the updates. Also his
user name. Of course everyone reverse engineered the competions code. And
just seem to be near the same when re-engineered. ;) When I was an FE, I
handled the optical scanner for cash register tapes and he hooked up to lots
of the competions CPU's. Met some good guys and a few duds dealing with
them.