Should you consider IBM mainframe computer systems, you probably are pondering of the enduring S/360 or the marginally newer S/370. However what concerning the 7070 from 1958? It had transistors! It didn’t, nevertheless, use binary. As a substitute, it was a decimal-architecture machine. You’ll be able to see a lost video of the machine beneath.
It was initially slated to improve the older IBM 650 and 705 computer systems. Nevertheless, it wasn’t suitable with both, so IBM needed to roll out the IBM7080, which was suitable, at the least, with the 705. Each machines might run 650 code by way of emulation.
Hardly a private pc, this beast weighed over 23,000 kilos and value a cool $813,000. Most firms leased it, although for a mere $17,400 a month. For that worth, you bought 5,000 phrases of core reminiscence that would every maintain ten decimal digits and an indication bit. The CPU ran at a stately 27 kHz. Hey, this was 1958, in any case. One innovation was that card readers and printers related to the pc by a “synchronizer” that buffered between the comparatively quick CPU and the comparatively gradual gadgets.
The pc used 14,000 circuit playing cards containing round 30,000 germanium transistors and 22,000 germanium diodes. We think about the ability invoice was worse than the month-to-month lease.
It appears the movie’s audio isn’t current, however the trendy narrator offers some context. Should you like this outdated iron, don’t miss the video of the later IBM S/370 or discover ways to use an 029 card punch.
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