IBM Archive

Introduction
IBM 701

Watson Laboratory at Columbia U.

IBM 701 - This begins with a photo of Ronald Regean and Herbert R. J. Grosch in front of a 701.
IBM 701 Tape Drive

Events

After WW II IBM goes on an evolutionary path to incorporate electronics and computer tecnology (stored program)

1945 Mar - Hires Prof Wallace J. Eckert of Columbia to build Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC)

1946 Sep - 601 become 603 (electronic) multiplying punch (300 tubes)

1947 - Card Programmed Calculator (for Northrup and others)
-combined 603 multiplying punch with storage and other punched card equip

1949

- 604 multiplying punch deliveries begin

- Magnetic Drum Calculator (MDC) &

- Tape Processing Machine (TPM) under development

1950

early - Approach by Eckert and Mauchly

Jun - Korean conflict begins

IBM begins to build Defense Calculator

1951

UNIVAC begins to function as a computer

Mar - UNIVAC runs it acceptance tests for Census Bureau.

Gets IBM's attention!
Defense Calculator -> 701
Tape Processing Machine -> 702
Magnetic Drum Calculator -> 650

1952

Nov - UNIVAC predicts Eisenhower/Stevenson presidential election on CBS with Walter Cronkite and a mock-up computer

Large scientific computers cost about $1M

Dec - first 701 is produced

1953

Sep - 702 announced

?? - 650 announced

1954 - announces core memory versions of 701 and 702

1955

Aug - UNIVAC out sells 700's by 30 to 24
- a year later the numbers are UNIVAC 46 - IBM 66
- and the tide has turned!

early - 702 deliveries begin
- better (Williams Tube technolgoy) memory
- better tape technology than UNIVAC

?? - IBM 650 sells 2000 units
- becomes the "Model T" of computers
- trains a generation of programmers

Late 1950's

IBM and the Seven Dwarfs
-Sperry Rand
-Burroughs
-NCR
-RCA
-Honeywell
-GE
-CDC

Martin Campbell-Kelly and William Aspray. Computer: A History of the Information Machine (Basic Books, 1996).