These ferocious land-dwelling reptiles walked with an erect stance.  There were lots of different kinds of dinosaurs that lived at different times.  Some walked on two legs, some walked on four.  Some were speedy and some were slow and lumbering.  Some were armor-plated, some had thick, bumpy skin.  Some had horns and, amazingly, some even had primitive feathers.

It is commonly believed that dinosaurs suddenly became extinct about 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period which was a time of high volcanic and tectonic activity.  There are a lot of theories why the extinction occurred.  The most widely accepted theory is that an asteroid impact caused major climactic changes to which the dinosaurs couldn't adapt.  Experts say that today, all that's left of the dinosaurs are fossils.

Well, I caution you not to fall for this phony extinction theory.

BELIEVE ME ..... IT'S ALL BUNK!

From first-hand experience, I can tell you that dinosaurs have definitely returned to planet earth.  They began reappearing in the 1940's (or thereabouts).

But today's dinosaurs differ significantly from the prehistoric creatures that previously roamed the earth.

And here's where the story really gets interesting!

Incredibly, today's dinosaurs myteriously ... somehow, someway, mutated into mainframe  

                                            D  I  N  O  S  A  U  R    C  O  M  P  U  T  E  R  S  ! 

My work with dinosaur computers began many years ago back in 1961 when I started writing mainframe computer programs directing these fierce relics to do batch transaction processing chores.  

To keep them docile and under my control, I fed them enormous helpings of punched cards. They all had ravenous appetites.  Throughout my computer career I spent a lot of time inside enormous computer installations laboring "up close and personal" with these dinosaur computers. 

Amazingly, in spite of their reputation as savage beasts of prey, I was never seriously threatened or attacked by these fearsome carnivores. 

Well, I'll admit I did have a couple of close calls, but only because I ran out of punched cards.  As long as my dinosaur friends could chomp away on some punched cards everything went very well. 

But I do recall a tragic incident when a programmer friend of mine decided to feed his dinosaur magnetic tape instead of it's usual serving of punched cards. Well, that was a fatal mistake and after my friend's demise I always, without exception, kept a few punched cards in my coat pocket (just as a precaution).   

So, all in all, I found my dinosaur friends to be just a big herd of warm, gentle, giant, "pussy cats", each obediantly serving me as their white-frocked master.  And, incidentially,  I survived my dinosaur mainframe computer career physically intact without so much as a scratch!

But enough about dinosaur computer satire for now.  It's time to leave the levity behind and move on to more serious matters.

But before doing so, it's important that I point out that a big reason for creating this site is to recognize and applaud all those who manufactured, maintained, programmed, supported, and marketed these remarkable mainframe computers, thousands of which are still out there crunching the numbers.

Consequently, don't forget to visit the "Acknowledgements" page where I recognize some of my computer industry friends, instructors, colleagues, and associates and the organizations that helped make this web site possible.

Enjoy your visit and, while you're here, you're invited to sign our guest book and also ask your friends to stop by.