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    Information Research Services Updated: 30 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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