Timeline Trivia Quiz

|  | Information Research Services | Updated: 21 April 1998

1. Digital Equipment Corporation was founded in 1957 in:

> a. Ken Olsen's garage
> b. an old woolen mill in Maynard, Massachusetts
> c. Bill Gates's dorm room
> d. a storefront in Palo Alto

2. The first product sold by DIGITAL was:

> a. DECtape
> b. a super-speedy calculator
> c. the VAX-11/780
> d. laboratory modules

3. The PDP-1, the first computer from DIGITAL, was designed by:

> a. Ken Olsen
> b. Vannevar Bush
> c. Jay Forrester
> d. Ben Gurley

4. The 'PDP' in PDP-1 refers to:

> a. Parallel Data Protocol
> b. Programmed Data Processor
> c. Punched Data Program
> d. Nothing-the letters were chosen by an advertising firm focus group

5. The first patent issued to DIGITAL was for:

> a. digital logic circuits
> b. magnetic core memory
> c. punched card tabulating calculator
> d. removable magnetic tape reels

6. The world's first mass-produced minicomputer was the:

> a. PDP-8
> b. VAX-11/780
> c. IBM 360
> d. UNIVAC 1

7. One of the first around-the-world network links was made using:

> a. two PDP-5's and Telstar
> b. a PDP-6 and telex
> c. a PDP-7A and Princess phone
> d. a PDP-6 and a PDP-10

8. 1969 The first version of UNIX was developed at Bell Labs on:

> a. an IBM 360
> b. a PDP-10
> c. a PDP-7
> d. a Univac 9400

9. The PDP-8/E introduced what patented I/O device to manage communications traffic between system elements?

> a. UNIBUS asynchronous bus
> b. OMNIBUS synchronous bus
> c. MINIBUS synchronous bus
> d. MBTABUS

10. During an ill-fated summer job as a computer operator, Doonesbury character Mark Slackmeyer is assigned to a:

> a. XEROX CF-16A
> b. Data General SuperNova
> c. PDP-112
> d. PDP-11

11. 1972 Which landmark George Lucas film features the light panel of the KI10?

> a. THX1138
> b. Star Wars
> c. American Graffiti
> d. Howard the Duck

12. 1975 The high-end PDP-11/70 was the first PDP-11 computer to use:

> a. a UNIBUS
> b. a paper tape reader
> c. cache memory
> d. little flashing lights

13. The name 'VAX' refers to:

> a. A Dr. Seuss character
> b. Very Advanced Ex-modulator
> c. Dr. Seymour Vax, computer pioneer
> d. Virtual Address Extension

14. 1977 The VT100 was the first video terminal developed by DIGITAL that:

> a. displayed MS-DOS commands
> b. came in a do-it-yourself kit
> c. was ANSI-compliant
> d. talked back

15. 1978 The DECsystem-2020 was introduced as:

> a. "the system that does everything but cook your breakfast"
> b. "the system with 20/20 vision"
> c. "the world's lowest cost mainframe computer system"
> d. "the system twice as good as the 1010"

16. 1980 The medium-capacity RM80 disk drive was the first product from DIGITAL to be based on what technology?

> a. Winchester
> b. Springfield
> c. Colt
> d. Smith and Wesson

17. Because of its integrated array of office support functions, the DECmate was called the:

> a. "cutest member of the office team"
> b. "little computer that could"
> c. "work processor"
> d. "secretary's slave"

18. 1982 The compact VAX-11/730 processor was the first VAX small enough to fit into a:

> a. breadbox
> b. back seat of a Volkswagen beetle
> c. vest pocket
> d. 10.5-inch high rack mountable box

19. VAX computers were able to be linked and operate as a single powerful system using:

> a. VAXclusters
> b. DECchain-2550
> c. Windows NT
> d. DECwire

20. What famous person introduced DECtalk in 1983?

> a. Phil Donahue
> b. Stevie Wonder
> c. Buddy Hackett
> d. Marcel Marceau

21. The VAX 8800, VAX 8300 and VAX 8200 were the first VAX systems to support:

> a. DECtape
> b. DECwriter II
> c. dual processors
> d. a family of four

22. What special resource did DIGITAL provide to the Americas Cup defense team?

> a. a VAX 7000
> b. a VAX-11/780
> c. a speech recognition system
> d. boatshoes with the DIGITAL logo

23. In 1993, DIGITAL became the first Fortune 500 company with:

> a. a branch office in Tonga
> b. an Internet website
> c. golf benefits
> d. a computer on every desk

24. 1995 For what annual sporting event did DIGITAL provide a unique information system for tracking participants?

> a. the U.S. Open Golf Championship
> b. the Tour de France
> c. the Boston Marathon
> d. the running of the bulls in Pamplona

25. DIGITAL introduced a completely new method for conducting small monetary transactions involving World Wide Web content over the Internet called:

> a. Millie
> b. MilliCent
> c. DEC$$$
> d. Pieces of Eight