Starring the Computer - DEC PDP-9 in The Dish (2000)

RICM

This PDP-9 is not just a movie prop, it is the actual PDP-9 that came from the Parkes observatory. The late Max Burnet sold Parkes the PDP-9 and later acquired it for his personal collection when they were finished with it. Max stayed with the PDP-9 during filming to insure that it ran OK.
2020-10-12 17:31

Lars Brinkhoff

Here's a slightly different story about that PDP-9, as told by Huw Davies on alt.folklore.computers: "The PDP-9 was provided by Max Burnett who worked for DEC in Australia for many years (for some of these he was the regional head) and now runs a company providing Classic Computers for films/TV/etc. It is my understanding from talking to Max that there was indeed a PDP-9 at Parkes during this time, although I'm fairly sure that the actual PDP-9 used in the film was originally from La Trobe Univeristy as I recognised the coloured dots on the DECtape drive which indicated the local code for various DECtapes (RED = System tape, etc). One story about the La Trobe University PDP-9. In the early days the PDP-9 lived in a basement and one weekend it was flooded - up to about the level of the desk. The -9 was taken outside, stripped into component parts and dried. After reassembly, one flip-chip appeared to be not required and the -9 ran for about 10 years with the flip-chip sitting in a cupboard...." https://groups.google.com/g/alt.folklore.computers/c/MKicvWHuIvY/m/MSJ3Gr84S10J
2023-10-07 23:13