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| Newsgroups | comp.os.linux.misc |
|---|---|
| From | c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> |
| Subject | Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer |
| Date | 2025-07-02 23:30 -0400 |
| Message-ID | <KCCdnfVpqdbBZPj1nZ2dnZfqn_WdnZ2d@giganews.com> (permalink) |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_650 These were quite popular during the mid 50s up until the early 60s. Compared to other brands they were CHEAP - biz and schools could afford them. First known install was for an insurance company. In truth, check the instruction set, they were closer to what we'd now call a 'programmable calculator' rather than a general-purpose computer. However, cleverly employed, they could still be very useful. Some of the instructions were very CISC ... like 'PCH' for writing to a punch card. Clearly there was a lot of hidden code that one instruction evoked. Tubes/valves ... 125Khz, not Mhz or Ghz, clock speed. Instruction speeds measured in milliseconds. 1000 to 4000 WORDS of disk memory. Maybe around 40 instructions per second ... A variety of add-on units. Odd base-10 decimal words. Program an emulator in shitty Python on yer laptop and it'd be likely thousands of times faster than the original unit :-) Oh, typical setup, *6000* pounds of metal.
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Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-07-02 23:30 -0400
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer Allodoxaphobia <trepidation@example.net> - 2025-07-03 12:03 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-07-03 18:43 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-07-05 02:14 -0400
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2025-07-05 13:30 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-07-05 18:05 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> - 2025-07-05 13:25 -0700
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-07-06 00:20 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-07-06 03:38 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2025-07-07 09:09 -0700
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-07-07 17:52 -0400
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-07-08 03:30 +0000
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-07-08 01:55 -0400
Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-07-08 22:36 -0400
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