Comment by Shivetya

Back in the late eighties I was in the Air Force and we had a Burroughs machine; replete with all the lights you see in old science fiction; that could be booted through paper tape. I was an octal setup. We also could theoretically boot this machine by switches but never saw that done.

This was one of the first machines built for the service that did not require tubes so that gives you the idea of the age of this and it was in daily use in the 1986-1989. Even the main base computer, Sperry 1100/60? took cards in for data input. Late 88,89 we finally got most cards down to disk images uploaded through a Sperry branded PC. My first useful Turbo Pascal program replaced the provided software and could read/write from the mainframe at many times the rate of the canned software.

We also jokingly had a kick start Sperry, one pack would stick sometimes on boot; you had to swap packs for secure processing; and the fix was to face away from it and hit the side firmly with your foot flat on.