IBM 632
| Company type | Accounting device |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computing, Office equipment |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Products | Accounting device integrating electric typewriter and punched card mechanism |
The IBM 632 was an early accounting device powered by valves and relays, launched in 1958 and offered in seven distinct configurations. It integrated an IBM Electric typewriter with a punched card mechanism similar to the IBM 024, containing electronics split between relay and electronic gates. Certain models featured a card reader component akin to the IBM 026. The system utilized a compact core memory capable of holding eight numeric words, each 12 digits long.
Programming primarily depended on a plastic tape synchronized with the typewriter carriage, generally tailored for a single specific task. Additional instructions were entered via the program drums on the card unit. Programs operated only during typing or spacing across columns; actions such as tabbing or carriage returns were not processed as program triggers.
While the carriage moved through fields, three programming columns were accessible in the final three positions: Calc1, Calc2, and Pgm. Each Calc column permitted one arithmetic operation, whereas the Pgm column allowed control commands including jumps to other columns, automatic printing of calculated results with decimal placement control, and punched card functions. The Pgm column also dictated how the typewriter advanced its carriage after printing each field.
For instance, after inputting "price" and "quantity," the machine could automatically bypass an unused field, compute the total amount, print that value, and then perform a carriage return to prepare for the next line.
Each plastic tape supported two separate programs—primary and alternate—enabling complex overlapping routines by resetting tab stops.
Addition was performed electronically and instantaneously; multiplication involved electro-mechanical processes that required 3 to 4 seconds and generated a characteristic relay noise.
The majority of IBM 632 installations were utilized for order entry and invoicing tasks, producing printed invoices along with punched cards for subsequent processing. Models equipped with card readers could execute some processing internally, especially when paired with sorting machines.
The IBM 632’s first deployment occurred in early 1958 at Barclay Knitwear in Kingston, New York. They experienced rounding errors due to decimal approximations when selling items by the dozen (using 1/12 approximated as 0.083), which led to financial discrepancies. IBM addressed this by modifying the device’s wiring to calculate with five decimal places (0.08333) instead of three.
Cost, price and rental rates
| System Configuration | Purchase Price | Monthly Rental | Maintenance Fee |
| Model I - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, companion keyboard | $6,000 | $175 | $300 |
| Model II - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, non-printing punch, companion keyboard | $8,700 | $235 | $420 |
| Model III - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, printing punch, companion keyboard | $9,800 | $260 | $440 |
| Model IV - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, tape punch, companion keyboard | $11,900 | $295 | $535 |
| Model V - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, companion keyboard, card reader | $13,700 | $310 | $472 |
| Model VI - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, non-printing punch, companion keyboard, card reader | $16,400 | $370 | $592 |
| Model VII - Typewriter unit, calculator unit, printing punch, companion keyboard, card reader | $17,500 | $395 | $612 |
Rental fees included maintenance services; units bought outright required separate maintenance contracts.