Most of the software on the AGC (Apollo Guidance Computer) is stored in a special read-only memory known as core rope memory, fashioned by weaving wires through and around magnetic cores, though a small amount of read/write core memory is available.
Bonus Nerd Link: the Virtual AGC Project
Really cool that it could store more memory than a magnetic hard disk drive at the time
Especially when you consider computers at the time were roughly the size of shipping containers, and the hard drive was a whole other box.
http://factmyth.com/factoids/the-first-hard-drive-was-announced-in-1956/
Assembled with covers, the 305 RAMAC was 60 inches long, 68 inches high and 29 inches deep.[2]
Hey there. If you find this fascinating, theres a youtube channel that is trying to restore said computer and goes over how it works in detail: https://youtu.be/hckwxq8rnr0?feature=shared
That video was how I learned about it!
I highly encourage anyone even slightly interested in how a rope core computer works to watch that video. The whole series is fantastic too.Thank you for finding that, Todotoro. I meant to but completely forgot to do it.
