IBM Memorabilia

The IBM System/360 project, while ultimately successful, presented a significant risk of bankruptcy for IBM due to its massive scale and investment. The project involved developing a new family of computers and a unified software environment, requiring vast resources and potentially rendering existing IBM products obsolete.

Activate the hyperlink to view The IBM System 360 article – “The 5-Billion-Dollar gamble that changed the Trajectory of IBM”

Also check out the 3 related stories at the end of the article!

https://www.ibm.com/history/system-360

Just as Henry Ford introduced the automobile to the masses, the first relatively affordable and widely popular mainframe, the IBM 1401 Data Processing System opened the information age to thousands of small and medium-size businesses. It changed the construct and outlook of the computer industry, from design to production to use.

Introduced in 1959, the IBM 1401 quickly made inroads into the business community. By the mid-1960s, it comprised more than half of the world’s computers. The 1401 family spawned an entire generation of programmers who first learned computing on these machines. 

Follow on more about the Development of the 1401 and of a recent project bringing 2 of these computers back to life at the California History Museum  

Click on the link to the attached PDF to download the Museum article.

(Use CTRL-click to open)

Not Shown:  Ray Reaburn & Barrie Oppermann    Unknown name on photo is Tony Cole

Remember these desktop reminders encouraging good telephone habits? I managed to preserve these four. When did we have these? Sometime in the 1970s I guess.

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View/download the musical score: Ever Onward

Listen to the song:

(Thanks to Bruce James for supplying this audio track.)

Flowcharting Template

Spare templates available.  Please send me a note if you would like one: tomodea@usa.net

HIPO Template

Spare templates available.  Please send me a note if you would like one: tomodea@usa.net

Who remembers this? Was it not a unique event in that it was attended by virtually all DPD (Data Processing Division) and GSD (General Systems Division, a.k.a. “Metro”) marketing/sales/SE staff from branches around Australia?

I think it was held at ANU (Australian National University), and we were bunked in university college(s) while the students were away on long vacation? … And somebody’s car caught fire?