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PDP-20: n. The most famous computer that never was.
PDP-10 computers running the
TOPS-10 operating system were labeled
‘DECsystem-10’ as a way of differentiating them from the
PDP-11. Later on, those systems running
TOPS-20 were labeled ‘DECSYSTEM-20’ (the
block capitals being the result of a lawsuit brought against DEC by Singer,
which once made a computer called ‘system-10’), but contrary to
popular lore there was never a ‘PDP-20’; the only difference
between a 10 and a 20 was the operating system and the color of the paint.
Most (but not all) machines sold to run TOPS-10 were painted ‘Basil
Blue’, whereas most TOPS-20 machines were painted ‘Chinese
Red’ (often mistakenly called orange).
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