diff --git a/.zk/notebook.db b/.zk/notebook.db index fe902a9..4fe28e6 100644 Binary files a/.zk/notebook.db and b/.zk/notebook.db differ diff --git a/zk/The_History_of_Computing_Swade.md b/zk/The_History_of_Computing_Swade.md index 228a1b7..e2ebd30 100644 --- a/zk/The_History_of_Computing_Swade.md +++ b/zk/The_History_of_Computing_Swade.md @@ -513,4 +513,43 @@ computer industry with the UNIVAC. - To attack the threat IBM brought out three crucial machines: the 701, 702 and 650. -### IBM 701 ("Defense Calculator") +- IBM's approach to marketing their computers was to emphasise the comfort of + continuity over the shock of the new represented by the UNIVAC. IBM had + already captured the business market. Their computers would be more of the + same, just faster and more powerful than their punched card machines due to + the electronics. To this end they initially did not call their devices + 'computers'. + +- IBM were ultimately totally successful in their pivot to the computing market. + By 1960 it owned over 70% of the data processing and computer market. + +### IBM 701 ("Defense Calculator") (1952) + +![Control unit of the IBM 701](../img/ibm-701-control-unit.jpeg) + +IBM's first electronic computer. It directly competed with the UNIVAC for +government contracts. It followed the prevailing approach of vaccuum tubes for +logic and had a variety of storage methods: Williams tubes, magnetic tape, and +magentic drums. + +701s were used at Los Alamos and avionics companies. Some were also used to +manage payroll in business contexts. + +### IBM 702 ("Tape Processing Machine") + +![Advertisement for the IBM 702](../img/ibm-add.jpeg) + +Focused primarily on business applications. Used magnetic tape for... + +### IBM 650 + +Low-cost general purpose machine using magnetic drum memory. It was +mass-produced unlike the others which were built for specific customers. It +proved the breakout star in IBMs initial line up and sometimes called "IBM's +Model T". + +IBM offerred 650s to univesities at a 60% discount on the condition that the +universities would establish courses in computing. This was shrewd as it meant +that a whole generation of engineers and computer scientists learned on 650s and +would prefer them in their research. It also created a pool of skilled users +that would go on to work at IBM.