Harry Porter and the 415-relay computer

We haven't been this excited about a "new" computer since John Pultorak built a replica Apollo Guidance Computer in his basement. Our new hero is Harry Porter, a wizard from Oregon, who is building a computer the old-fashioned way: by hand, using 415 relays, 111 switches and 350 LEDs (gotta love those LEDs). When finished, he'll have a computer that will take up a whole room, and will have about as much processing power as a pocket calculator. But he'll have made history (and he'll be able to flick off the lights and groove to all those LEDs).

[Karl Viklund @ Jan 23rd 2006 6:29PM]

Ohhh that was realy cool! Go Old School ;D

[pableu @ Jan 23rd 2006 6:33PM]

The other guy at least built it in his basement. He seems to be building it in his bedroom (see pictures after the link).
Funny idea, though.

[ShureFooT @ Jan 23rd 2006 6:40PM]

It's time for somebody to "set free" all these switches, relays, and LEDs from their "dull boxes" performing all these "dull tasks".

[Justin @ Jan 23rd 2006 6:40PM]

and if you have to ask "why" you've come across the wrong blog, my good friend. I wonder if he'd let people come and look at it, and how many people will email asking him if they can.

I'm also surprised to see this here before on hackaday.

-Justin

[. @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:01PM]

did anyone else laugh when they saw his name? i had to read it 3 times before i understood that it had nothing to do with harry potter building a computer.

[dfsdfsd @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:02PM]

why exactly is this going to make history?

[XGM @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:17PM]

Power of a pocket calculator, hmm well since it dosnt run BF2 ill keep my pocket calculator.

[John Hinds @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:21PM]

Because he'll end up with the most useless computer ever.

[rodents @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:26PM]

kind of sad that it'll be no better than a ti-83+

[Jeff L. @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:34PM]

i thought that said harry potter for like 2 minutes.

[Chr1z @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:49PM]

^ Haha me too, until i read your comment..

[Moosen @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:50PM]

well if you've got nothing better to do with your time....props to whoever managed to supply that many led's ^_^

[thomas_h @ Jan 23rd 2006 7:54PM]

"5. did anyone else laugh when they saw his name? i had to read it 3 times before i understood that it had nothing to do with harry potter building a computer.

Posted at 7:01PM on Jan 23rd 2006 by . "

yeah me to bro, i was sure it said harry potter and the 415 relay computer.. but i couldnt understand what that guy in the pic had to do with harry potter.

lol

[BitSlash @ Jan 23rd 2006 8:19PM]

I thought it had to do something with Some guy porting some app... Doom on a 415 relay computer would require some magic, hence the name.

[Peter S. @ Jan 23rd 2006 8:25PM]

"It's time for somebody to "set free" all these switches, relays, and LEDs from their "dull boxes" performing all these "dull tasks"."
Shurefoot, you made my day, thank you

[Martin @ Jan 23rd 2006 8:35PM]

I would try to do this if I had that much time and money, but I don't.

[evo @ Jan 23rd 2006 8:41PM]

It's guys like Harry Porter that are going to lead us into a new era of enlightenment after the global nuclear holocaust...at least until pitchfork-wielding villagers rise up and slaughter him for being a witch. Oh well.

[Karl Viklund @ Jan 23rd 2006 8:56PM]

Harry Potter? LOL :)

[G-Money @ Jan 23rd 2006 9:04PM]

Sweetness! Gotta love computers.....

[Nathan Beckstrand @ Jan 23rd 2006 10:45PM]

The memory is what made old computers fill rooms. This person is cheating by using a 32k byte static ram chip. That much ram using relays would weigh more than a Hummer...

[KNsT @ Jan 23rd 2006 10:51PM]

Damn! he beat me to it. Just yesterday I was designing a ripple-carry adder with relays for use in my future relay-computer. Oh well.

-KJ

[pbase @ Jan 23rd 2006 11:46PM]

Poor guy. I have some blank boards and a bottle of etchant solution. Have him outsource his chip production to me, and we'll have that baby down to the size of a foyer�

[bob @ Jan 24th 2006 3:40AM]

It is amazing because he can actually build it. How many people out there could build one? I know I sure as hell couldn't. And from the guy that said something about BF2. Yea, it can't play BF2, but it will sure as hell get any geek female to want you.

[yadur @ Jan 24th 2006 4:43AM]

I've seen a working replica of a Z3 (one of the first computers) and it's really fascinating to look at. The computer is basically three big boxes of relays, two for the memory and one for the CPU. It's running at 8.33Hz and you can see how the data is transfered from the memory to the CPU.

[Elias @ Jan 24th 2006 8:29AM]

So how long before someone ports Doom and Linux to this platform?

[Michael @ Jan 24th 2006 9:58AM]

I thought for sure this guy was single since it does appear that he is building it in (I assume) his bedroom. One of the pictures on his site does show a bed. But also on his web site are pictures of his wedding and children (twins).
Maybe it is in a guest bedroom?

[Gorgeoth @ Jan 24th 2006 10:10AM]

Well, here's a quote the pops to mind from sometime in the early 80's.... 64 kB is all the memory anyone will ever need.

REmember Eniac, and the Manhatten project.

Sure it ain't a Cray..

[Aaron @ Jan 24th 2006 11:15AM]

This is what happens when mad scientists have too much time on their hands....

[TracyInCary @ Jan 24th 2006 12:55PM]

#6 & #7: When the article says he is going to make history, I think they mean he is going to "MAKE" history, akin to a gunsmith manufacturing a Colt pistol by hand, or a seamstress making a civil war uniform.

[skmetal7 @ Jan 24th 2006 2:24PM]

the power of 415Hz!!!!

[tcc3 @ Jan 25th 2006 2:59AM]

See the real test would be to do something truly retro. All these electronics parts have been done to death. How about a hydraulic computer? Gives new definition to memory leak.

[wazoo @ Jan 25th 2006 12:43PM]

>>Well, here's a quote the pops to mind from sometime >>in the early 80's.... 64 kB is all the memory anyone >>will ever need.

That "someone" was Bill Gates my friend. :)

I think it's great to see. If the internet crashed tomorrow, we can contact Mr. Porter to make his machine the new digg.com or slashdot. :)

And enough jokes about how his name is similar to Harry Potter. We get it! Move on..

[roryck @ Jan 25th 2006 1:20PM]

My ti-83 has more gaming power.

[Baz @ Jan 25th 2006 2:45PM]

Wow, He must have bought every relay, roll of wire and 12 volt panale mount LED for 3 states. All these parts look as if they came form Radio Shack (the LEDs definatly did).