IBM

1
IBM

• business machines
• punch cards
• electromechanical calculators
• slow introduction of electronic machines

2
IBM 701

• Electronic Data Processing Machine

3
IBM 701

• 2000 multiplications per second
• Plastic tape, not metal

4
Memory

• Williams Tube
• CRT for memory, not pictures!
• 1024 bits

5
IBM 701

• Marketing
• 1954 election prediction
• English/Russian translation
• 19 systems installed!

6
Sell or rent?

• IBM rented, not sold, their computers
• UNIVAC sold, not rented.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?

7
ERA

• Engineering Research Associates
• Spinoff from Navy
• Build drum memory

8
ERA

• Navy Task 13
• Commercial Model 1101

9
ERA

• Ran out of money
• Bought out by Remington Rand
• same people who bought UNIVAC!
• Marketed 1103 for science
• UNIVAC for business
• conflict of interest?

10
Drum memory

• Durable but slow
• (picture on page 39)

11
CRC

• Computer Research Company
• 102A computer
• Bought out by NCR

12
Notice a Pattern?

• New company experiments with new technology
• Runs out of money
• Bought by established company as easy path to new
  business

This is not a new phenomenon!
13
LGP-30

• Librascope/General Precision
• famous drum computer
• cheap (30,000)
• small (desk-size)

14
Flexowriter

• Only I/O device for many computers

15
Bendix G-15

• Another drum-based computer
• Fast but difficult to program

16
IBM 650

• IBM's drum machine
• 1000 installed!
• Discount price for universities

17
IBM 650
18
Computer sales

• BINAC 1
• UNIVAC 46
• IBM 701 19
• LGP-30 400
• Bendix G-15 400
• IBM 650 1000

19
How do you write a(non-infinite)loop withouta
break condition?
20
2 Reminders and 1 Announcement

• Enigma homework due tonight at 730pm
• ENIAC assignment due next Friday!
• No school on Monday

21
Test Question

• On a scrap of paper, write a question that
  encapsulates one of the points from today's
  class, and turn it in.
• (Put your name on it!)