ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

PDP-11

The PDP-11 is a really old computer that was made a long time ago. It was invented in the 1970s and was very popular back then. The PDP-11 was very small compared to other big computers that were used in those days.

The PDP-11 had a lot of switches on its front panel, which were used to control the computer. These switches allowed people to control how the computer worked and what it did. It was like a control panel for the computer.

The PDP-11 ran on a processor, which is like a really smart brain for the computer. The processor was used to run programs and do calculations. Programs are like really big sets of instructions that tell the computer what to do.

The PDP-11 also had some memory, which was like a big shelf where it could store data and programs to use later. The memory was very important, because without it the PDP-11 couldn't do anything.

One cool thing about the PDP-11 was that it could run many different types of software, which means that people could write different programs for it. This made it very versatile and useful for many different tasks.

Today, the PDP-11 is considered a classic computer and is no longer used for anything practical. But it was very important for its time and helped to pave the way for modern computers that we use today.
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