Merry Christmas 2013!

ASCII ART printed in 1985(?) by CEA Catania system operators, on a UNISYS / Sperry UNIVAC System 80/20 computer, with a “Christmas Tree” made by champagne caps

These findings were hanging on the side of the computer; dates on the caps mention special events in which the system operators spent their holidays following long procedures for shutting down the system or solving specific problems… so, sometimes the operators were forced to pass holidays working at the computer….

UNISYS System 80/20 at CEA in Catania, circa 2009

During the recovery of this computer, the old system operators gave us this pile of caps, asking us to keep it safe, and saying in tears “Without this, the system can’t start” …

Merry Christmas everyone!