[ih] bytes [Re: "network unix"]

[randy at psg.com (Randy Bush)]

> My memory is that IBM *really pushed* the superiority of 32-bit words
> and 8-bit bytes as part of bringing out and selling the IBM 360
> ca.1964.  I suspect that this had non-trivial impact on how computer
> purchasers throughout the computer world thought about the "correct"
> computer to buy

yes, if you were in the ibm world, the 360 nailed the addressable byte
to the wall, though in ebcdic, and with four-octet ops; also long moves
up to 266 bytes.

since we're into reporting obscure kink:

when you pushed an octet from a 360 though a 2701 serial adapter (four
ports and the size of a fridge), over a link, and into a pdp-8, link-8,
etc, (or vice versa) the bits arrived in reverse order.  i.e. 76543210
became 01234567.  i found it easier to do the flipping on the 360 side
with the TRanslate op.  i could even do ascii to/from ebcdic at the same
time if i knew for sure it was a character.

randy