Archive for April, 2008

Computer for dinosaurs

Question: The first model of PDP-8 was released in 1964. On what technology was the CPU based?

  • CMOS integrated circuits
  • Resistor Transistor Logic circuits
  • Vacuum tubes
  • Transistor Transistor Logic circuits



Answer: Resistor Transistor Logic circuits

The PDP-8 was implemented first in Resistor Transistor Logic circuits, then in Transistor Transistor Logic circuits then, finally, in a series of microprocessors from Intersil. The PDP-8 CPU spanned three generations of technology from
1964 to 1992.

April 20th, 2008

Calling Tech Support

Question: Customer support technicians for this computer often advised users to pick up the machine and drop it from several inches onto a hard surface.

  • IBM PCjr.
  • Altair 8080
  • Apple ///
  • Epson HX-20



Answer: Apple ///

Excessive heat trapped in the chassis of the Apple /// caused components to buckle, unseating chips. Dropping the computer onto a tabletop knocked the chips back into place on the printed circuit board, often fixing the customer's problem.

April 19th, 2008

Money is no object

Question: The object-oriented extension to C is known as what?

  • OOC
  • Object-C
  • C++
  • C+=1



Answer: C++

April 18th, 2008

Ahead of the curve

Question: What was the first patented UNIX invention?

  • the setgid bit
  • the hierarchical file system
  • software generated program interrupts
  • the setuid bit



Answer: the setuid bit

April 17th, 2008

Hang on

Question: If you’re using a Macintosh and start "losing your bundles"…

  • You'll see blank generic icons on your programs and documents
  • You'll have to zap your PRAM
  • You'll see the "sad Mac" when you try to boot up
  • The computer will crash after a few minutes of use



Answer: You'll see blank generic icons on your programs and documents

A bundle, or BNDL, is the relationship between a program and its icon under Mac OS.

April 16th, 2008

Coming soon to a PC near you

Question: In the mid 1980's a stir was created in the UNIX community when a publicly distributed implementation of UNIX for PCs was released. What was it called?

  • XENIX
  • MINIX
  • AIX
  • MAXIX



Answer: MINIX

April 15th, 2008

Hawkeye the Hacker

Question: Alan Alda was a pitchman for what computer company?

  • Apple
  • Atari
  • Commodore
  • NEC



Answer: Atari

April 14th, 2008

Surf the Web

Question: An early version of Netscape's web browser was called…

  • Netscape Explorer
  • Netscape Hypertext Visualizer
  • Netscape Mosaic
  • Netscape Weblinks



Answer: Netscape Mosaic

April 13th, 2008

Cyberspace

Question: Who coined the term "cyberspace"?


Answer: William Gibson

Sci-fi author William Gibson, in his 1984 novel Neuromancer.

April 12th, 2008

Top Ten List

Question: Tom Kalil, "the David Letterman of the Clinton/Gore administration," gave the closing keynote speech at the INET'94/JENC5 conference in Prague on June 17, 1994. He included in that speech comments about National Information Infrastructure efforts in the United States—and the list "Top ten reasons why White House staff like the Internet." Which was not one of the reasons on that list?

  • Surfing the Web is more fun than going to meetings.
  • It's hard to write your X.400 address on a cocktail napkin.
  • We get all that great electronic fan mail on the Clipper Chip.
  • They were all on the list.



Answer: They were all on the list.

April 11th, 2008

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