IBM 702
| Industry | Computer hardware |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 16, 1911 in Endicott, New York, United States |
Key people | Thomas J. Watson (founder) |
| Products | IBM 702 (early digital computer) |
| Website | www |
The IBM 702 was an early digital computer utilizing vacuum tube technology, developed by IBM during the early to mid-1950s. It was created as a commercial alternative to Remington Rand's UNIVAC, which was the first mainframe to incorporate magnetic tape storage. Unlike the more advanced IBM 701 and ERA 1103, which were primarily designed for scientific and military use, the 702 focused on business applications where processing speed was less critical.
A significant innovation of the 702 was the introduction of magnetic-core memory for random access, marking a first in IBM’s range of products.
The system was announced on September 25, 1953, but withdrawn from the market by October 1, 1954. The initial production model became operational in July 1955. Eventually, the IBM 702 was succeeded by the IBM 705.
History
Production of the IBM 702 was limited to fourteen units. Early versions encountered reliability problems due to their use of Williams tube memory, leading to a shift towards magnetic-core memory technology. The last machine produced incorporated core memory from the beginning, while earlier units were subsequently upgraded with this technology.
In the commercial sector of the IBM 700/7000 series, the IBM 705 replaced the 702 and fully embraced magnetic-core memory.
Overview
The IBM 702 was engineered specifically for business data processing tasks, with its memory system tailored for character storage. It employed electrostatic memory through 14 to 70 Williams tubes, each capable of storing 1,000 bits, equating to between 2,000 and 10,000 seven-bit characters in increments of 2,000. Additionally, there were 14 Williams tubes with a capacity of 512 bits each that supported two accumulators of 512 characters apiece.
A typical configuration included the following components:
- IBM 702 Central Processing Unit
- IBM 712 Card Reader
- IBM 756 Card Reader Control Unit
- IBM 717 Printer
- IBM 757 Printer Control Unit
- IBM 722 Card Punch
- IBM 758 Card Punch Control Unit
- IBM 727 Magnetic Tape Unit
- IBM 752 Tape Control Unit
- IBM 732 Magnetic Drum Storage Unit
Depending on its setup, the total weight of the system was approximately .