As a Norwegian, I'm feeling slightly embarrassed that this is the first time I've ever heard of Norsk Data A/S. I guess our history education isn't particularly geared towards covering industrial failures like this one. Really interesting to learn, nonetheless. The trans-Atlantic origins of our computer scene certainly makes a lot of sense! Shame it went downhill, but it seems like a good use of leftover wartime funds. Super interesting, man! Keep it up:)
Fun fact: In 1962, the norwegian computing center, in order to make it easier to simulate discrete event systems such as boats, launched Simula, considered the first object-oriented programming language.
This is the oddest thing. After seeing your video on the Kongsberg/Toshiba scandal, I had a thought and wrote it down on a note still on my desk - "Consider pitching Norsk Data to Asianometry"! I see you have used a few of my pictures :) have a few of their machines, made before I was born. I helped restore the first production-level NORD-10, serial number 5, returned back from CERN for their historical collection, since lost. You mostly get this story right but I think you undercommunicated the positive role of the Norwegian government as a loyal consumer of office automation systems in the 70s and 80s, and the dependency it caused on "easy sales"; leaving sales unprepared for a quite abrupt end to protectionism. One time, a teacher told us to hand in homework on floppies so I handed in an 8" floppy. Rolf Skår very recently died, he was interned a few days ago.
One tiny detail. The commentary stated that CERN bought a NORD-1. Not so. The first production NORD-10 was the first machine at CERN, and it was delivered in Rolf Skår's personal station wagon which he drove from Oslo to Geneva (via a ferry to Denmark, I think). Sad news: Rolf died on 24 May 2023. Personal detail: I worked on NORD-10s, NORD-100s and NORD-500 in CERN's PS Division from 1976-1984. Fun fact: Tim Berners-Lee's original Enquire program was developed and ran on that NORD-500 (or its NORD-100 front end).
I remember that ND computer from 1989. It was luxury. Six monitors, graphic input and a special table on each work place. A big plotter. And nobody used it, because we already had PCs.
As a Norwegian it's fascinating to hear this history from an international point of view, and I was wondering if you've considered looking into Nordic Semiconductor, which has been around since the 80s. Great video as always!
As a naturalized Norwegian citizen, retired civil servant and computing professional, there was a lot of moral pressure to use Norwegian equipment. In schools, there was the Tiki computer. Elsewhere, Tandberg TDV 2200 terminals were omnipresent. This situation continues. Starting in 2008, I taught microprocessor techniques using Arduino equipment that incorporated Atmega AVR microcontrollers, designed in Trondheim. It is generally accepted that AVR = Alf and Vegard's RISC processor, referring to Alf-Egil Bogen and Vegard Wollan. These days, schools are expected to use Micro-bits to teach something resembling programming, not because they are particularly useful pedagogically, but because Norwegian companies made contributions to the final product. So did everyone else. It is a bad reason to use anything.
This was a very good video to watch as I was painting. After finishing the video, something occurred to me. My late grandfather, worked at the Meteorologist Institute in Bergen, when the Norsk Data computer was installed there. They would print out hundreds of sheets of paper showing maps with the weather data. After they where done with the maps, he would bring them home. And since I would spend half my childhood at my grandparents house, that paper meant I always had something to draw on. Always. And that ignited my love for drawing, and painting and art in general.
Very interesting. I've actually met Vebjørn Tandberg. My father worked at Tandberg, and later for Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk. He had friends and earlier colleagues at Norsk Data.
This brings back a lot of memories... In 1984 a ND-100 system was bought by University of Tartu, Estonia, then part of the Soviet Union. As a student at the time, I got to do system management of that unit. I knew the Sintran III OS to a great detail, and we even produced in-house patches to further improve the user experience.
For a person coming all the way from Taiwan, to educate me what happened in my neighbouring country Norway is astonishing. I have been learning from you for 1.5 years now. Appreciate this very much.
My grandfather worked as an engineer on NUSSE, one of the very first Norwegian-built digital computers, finished in 1954. It was more or less a copy of Apex C, and like it used 5-hole punched tape. I've seen it at the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology. Truly a dinosaur.
Very interesting. The story in Sweden was similar. Our institutions seem built to take only 19th century levels of business risk when it comes to spending money on R&D.
Bro really said "Enough talking about Norway's rights, let's talk about Norway's wrongs.
As a Norwegian, I'm feeling slightly embarrassed that this is the first time I've ever heard of Norsk Data A/S. I guess our history education isn't particularly geared towards covering industrial failures like this one. Really interesting to learn, nonetheless. The trans-Atlantic origins of our computer scene certainly makes a lot of sense! Shame it went downhill, but it seems like a good use of leftover wartime funds. Super interesting, man! Keep it up:)
Fun fact: In 1962, the norwegian computing center, in order to make it easier to simulate discrete event systems such as boats, launched Simula, considered the first object-oriented programming language.
Being first, there are no interesting comments to read : /
This is the oddest thing. After seeing your video on the Kongsberg/Toshiba scandal, I had a thought and wrote it down on a note still on my desk - "Consider pitching Norsk Data to Asianometry"! I see you have used a few of my pictures :) have a few of their machines, made before I was born. I helped restore the first production-level NORD-10, serial number 5, returned back from CERN for their historical collection, since lost. You mostly get this story right but I think you undercommunicated the positive role of the Norwegian government as a loyal consumer of office automation systems in the 70s and 80s, and the dependency it caused on "easy sales"; leaving sales unprepared for a quite abrupt end to protectionism. One time, a teacher told us to hand in homework on floppies so I handed in an 8" floppy. Rolf Skår very recently died, he was interned a few days ago.
One tiny detail. The commentary stated that CERN bought a NORD-1. Not so. The first production NORD-10 was the first machine at CERN, and it was delivered in Rolf Skår's personal station wagon which he drove from Oslo to Geneva (via a ferry to Denmark, I think). Sad news: Rolf died on 24 May 2023. Personal detail: I worked on NORD-10s, NORD-100s and NORD-500 in CERN's PS Division from 1976-1984. Fun fact: Tim Berners-Lee's original Enquire program was developed and ran on that NORD-500 (or its NORD-100 front end).
I remember that ND computer from 1989. It was luxury. Six monitors, graphic input and a special table on each work place. A big plotter. And nobody used it, because we already had PCs.
Wow, the founder Tandberg's story is sad. He was trying to do the right thing and end up committing suicide...
As a Norwegian it's fascinating to hear this history from an international point of view, and I was wondering if you've considered looking into Nordic Semiconductor, which has been around since the 80s. Great video as always!
I'm a computer litterate guy... And I had
As a naturalized Norwegian citizen, retired civil servant and computing professional, there was a lot of moral pressure to use Norwegian equipment. In schools, there was the Tiki computer. Elsewhere, Tandberg TDV 2200 terminals were omnipresent. This situation continues. Starting in 2008, I taught microprocessor techniques using Arduino equipment that incorporated Atmega AVR microcontrollers, designed in Trondheim. It is generally accepted that AVR = Alf and Vegard's RISC processor, referring to Alf-Egil Bogen and Vegard Wollan. These days, schools are expected to use Micro-bits to teach something resembling programming, not because they are particularly useful pedagogically, but because Norwegian companies made contributions to the final product. So did everyone else. It is a bad reason to use anything.
This was a very good video to watch as I was painting. After finishing the video, something occurred to me. My late grandfather, worked at the Meteorologist Institute in Bergen, when the Norsk Data computer was installed there. They would print out hundreds of sheets of paper showing maps with the weather data. After they where done with the maps, he would bring them home. And since I would spend half my childhood at my grandparents house, that paper meant I always had something to draw on. Always. And that ignited my love for drawing, and painting and art in general.
One of my lecturers at uni worked for ND in the early days, and we had a few of their "monsters" in the cellar for "safe keeping".
You spend so much time on research, writing, and presentation. Your channel is one of my favorites.
Very interesting. I've actually met Vebjørn Tandberg. My father worked at Tandberg, and later for Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk. He had friends and earlier colleagues at Norsk Data.
This brings back a lot of memories... In 1984 a ND-100 system was bought by University of Tartu, Estonia, then part of the Soviet Union. As a student at the time, I got to do system management of that unit. I knew the Sintran III OS to a great detail, and we even produced in-house patches to further improve the user experience.
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For a person coming all the way from Taiwan, to educate me what happened in my neighbouring country Norway is astonishing. I have been learning from you for 1.5 years now. Appreciate this very much.
My grandfather worked as an engineer on NUSSE, one of the very first Norwegian-built digital computers, finished in 1954. It was more or less a copy of Apex C, and like it used 5-hole punched tape. I've seen it at the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology. Truly a dinosaur.
Very interesting. The story in Sweden was similar. Our institutions seem built to take only 19th century levels of business risk when it comes to spending money on R&D.