Talk:Floating Point Systems

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Confession[edit]

I have no direct experience with FPS. But I know a fellow who worked for the company. Hopefully, somebody with more direct FPS experience will fix up whatever inaccuracies that exist on this page. Dyl 18:32, Sep 2, 2004 (UTC)

I worked there[edit]

I can verify the early part because I worked there from 1977 through 1982. There was another machine called the 190L based on the 120B, but attached to IBM mainframes like the 360 and 370. There was also another machine that more or less replaced the 120B, (if I'm not mistaking that with another company I worked for!) that was a less costly version, can't remember the name. The company did well under Winningstad but he handed over control to a fellow from Burroughs, and things kinda sputtered after that. I left for a company called Aptec Computer Systems which was a spinoff of FPS. Paul Bonneau Feb 24, 1008 —Preceding comment was added at 03:39, 25 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I programmed one, an fps164, in assembler. I still have the programming card: apal64 programmer's reference card. 2A02:A45A:6AC9:1:4587:99D8:2667:2FCE (talk) 18:28, 5 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Needs[edit]

Needs more on 264 and on T-series software. 129.33.193.153 (talk) 22:20, 22 October 2010 (UTC) (former 120B owner)[reply]

Spam link (not spam) was declared (since checked OK)[edit]

This external link needs to be cleared. Until then, I'll place it here: Computer Business Review, http:// #note break# www.cbronline.com/news/fps_computing_bets_the_shop_on_multi_risc_unix_super?print=1 "FPS Computing Bets The Shop On Multi-RISC UNIX Super". Wikimedia authorities need to be checked on occasion until cleared. 198.123.56.217 (talk) 19:02, 13 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Mysterious See Also[edit]

This page contains a mysterious See Also reference to Glen Culler's page, but no explanation of why. There's no explanation on Glen's page either.

I know why. The reference is there because the AP120 (without the "B") was designed by Glen, not by anyone later connected with Floating Point. Glen brought in some consultants; they purchased the rights to the design and founded Floating Point. When I worked for Glen's company (Chi Systems, later Culler Scientific) in 1984, I heard the story directly from Glen. To confirm it, the original AP120 (a 19" rack with plywood sides) was still sitting in the back room gathering dust. Glen probably deserves credit for inventing the array processor, but I can't imagine how this could ever documented in a way that would avoid a valid charge of original research. If one of Glen's sons could be convinced to publish a paper about their father's work, would that suffice?