Preserving our IT Heritage: Computers Designed+Assembled in NZ

11:30am 16 September 2010

This presentation will outline some of the early history of NZ-built computers, focusing primarily on computers from MDL (Microprocessor Developments Ltd.) and the Poly-1 and Poly-2 computers from Progeni. The presenters will discuss what they know about the MDL and Poly computers, including information collected from discussions with the hardware designers, the management at the time, anecdotal evidence from users, and artifacts they have collected from various sources.  They will discuss the unique design of the Poly Operating System, information they have gathered from their efforts disassembling the ROMs, the Operating System, some of the system tool set, and design documents.

The presentation will also outline the preservation work being carried out for displays on the history of computing at the University of Auckland and by the University of Otago Poly Preservation Project (including a discussion of the problems of preserving digital media for prosperity and the systems put in place to copy and archive the contents of ROMs, of 8 inch floppy disks, and of 5.25 inch floppy disks.)

About Bob Doran and Andrew Trotman

Bob Doran is an Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at Auckland University. He has worked with computers since 1963 and has had research interests in Computer Architecture and Computer History. He looks after displays on computer history in the Computer Science Department.

Andrew Trotman is Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Otago. His  research interests include Information Retrieval, search engines, and Software Engineering. He is responsible for the “Poly Preservation Project” which is intended to preserve and document the Poly computers.