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Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: Allodoxaphobia <trepidation@example.net> Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Blast From Past - IBM 670 Mag Drum Computer Date: 3 Jul 2025 12:03:55 GMT Lines: 33 Message-ID: <slrn106csda.1c51.trepidation@vps.jonz.net> References: <KCCdnfVpqdbBZPj1nZ2dnZfqn_WdnZ2d@giganews.com> X-Trace: individual.net LOy12IBzRagL9E/L+FrWmwBXG9+YRBTxN2dDmLObiYI0tWiXVR Cancel-Lock: sha1:cLd/WaWjY6D6hz+ev1TIQJor9G0= sha256:wW+3XPx3fW8fhMYyt6up8wCr1ZOgQ5S6oLYXG7u8sSY= User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (FreeBSD) On Wed, 2 Jul 2025 23:30:45 -0400, c186282 wrote: > 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. Plus 2000 pounds of airconditioning.