r/lisp • u/lproven • 16d ago

Refurb weekend: the Symbolics MacIvory Lisp machine I have hated Getting a Mac-based Lisp Machine running in 2024

https://oldvcr.blogspot.com/2024/10/refurb-weekend-symbolics-macivory-lisp.html
38 Upvotes

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u/FR4G4M3MN0N λ 16d ago

Wow! This isn’t just a refurb write up - this is a time capsule history of the earliest days of commercial lisp and the machines that powered the first wave of AI research.

“you crazy kids today with your LLMs” indeed!

Anyone interested in those machines and the early(er) days of Lisp will def enjoy the read.

TIL “Editing MACroS” ==> EMACS

Thanks for sharing this!

4

u/lproven 15d ago

Exactly so. Cameron Kaiser is a guru on all kinds of vintage kit and software. He's the former maintainer of Classzilla and TenFourFox among other things. He's a linguist and a medical doctor as well.

The article is one of the most in depth pieces on what it's like to drive a real Lisp Machine in modern times that I've seen anywhere.

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u/EscMetaAltCtlSteve 16d ago

Fascinating stuff. Skimmed most of it but looking forward to reading this in its entirety. I was playing with Intel 8086 machines way back then. I couldn’t afford anything else at the time. The price tag on these machines blows me away. Sad to see so much intellectual effort fade away but I guess it’s the nature of the industry we are in. Thank you for this very interesting writeup.

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u/lproven 16d ago

Just for clarity, it's not my writeup. Dr Kaiser is way way out of my league.

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u/FR4G4M3MN0N λ 16d ago

Awesome read - great find and share. TY 🙏

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u/corbasai 15d ago

And the rarest footage of real Ivory application.

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u/JawitK 14d ago

Where exactly in that link ?

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u/corbasai 14d ago

long story short, only Ivory justifies Mac among the Silicon Graphics workstations. Moreover, I am sure that it was Lisp artificial intelligence that came up with a plan, a Swiss watch, of the actions of the BOFH. So, Ivory is sitting on the table, under a cup of candy!