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We used Multics when I was at Bristol Uni in the UK c.1980. I can only remember two things about it:

1) The system was initially deemed slow, so they installed an extra 256 KB of RAM (for a system serving dozens/hundreds of students - Bristol was regional computing center), and that made a difference! This was a big deal - apparently quite expensive!

2) Notwithstanding 1), it was fast, and typical student FORTRAN assignments of a 100 or so lines of code would compile and link essentially instantly - hit enter and get prompt back. I wish compilers were this fast today on 2025's massively faster hardware!



Same where I went at Leeds Uni in the mid 80s.

Ours was just for CS undergrads mostly when I was there, and wasn't too overloaded. I guess we had about fifty terminals maybe on campus at least.

I remember we could dial it up from a couple of terminals in our Halls of Residence over JANET.

You are right, I never found it that slow either - loved that machine and the terminal to terminal messaging was crazy fun.




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