General Information

Serial #

10545 SW

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

metal frame & casing panels, parts/ glass, metal & synthetic vacuum tubes/ synthetic parts

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

157.5 cm

Width

77.0 cm

Height

180.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Computing Technology

Category

Digital computing devices

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

IBM

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Quebec

Period

circa 1958+

Canada

An American made computer used at McGill University in Montreal IBM 650s were the first mass produced computer imported into Canada. 7 or 8 examples were purchased by Canadian universities. McGill purchased it IBM 650 circa. 1958. The history of the machine offered is not known. IBM was unable to provide any information based on the serial #. However, McGill acquired it from IBM (for exhibit and teaching purposes for their electrical engineering students) and there is a high probability that it was from a company in Montreal. Dave Thorpe was the Director of the Computing Centre at McGill when the 650 was acquired (he now lives in Brockville) and oversaw its installation in the late 50's. The university has a project going called History of Computing at McGill (HoCaM) being directed by Dr. Gerald Ratzer, which may in time provide more information. They are trying to document the main milestones and capture as much of the history from the people like Howard Heitner and Ratzer that have been at McGill for some 40 years.

Function

The component of a computer system that served as the central processing unit (interpreting & executing instructions) for all input-output combinations, & housed the arithmetical device & the operator's console, & originally the magnetic drum memory (see 2004.0155).

Technical

IBMs first commercial machine was the 701 first shipped in 1953 and with a grand total of 19 machines manufactured. The following year IBM introduced the 650. The IBM 650 magnetic drum calculator established itself as the first mass-produced computer, with the company selling 450 in one year. Spinning at 12,500 rpm, the 650s magnetic data-storage drum allowed much faster access to stored material than drum memory machines. By 1962, when the final IBM 650 was manufactured, nearly 200 were sold. The development of the 701 and 650 by IBM was driven by the Korean War and were expedited as a result of the lessons learned in the early development of the SAGE for the US Air Force. The 650s commercial success (despite the $500,000 price tag) surprised the IBM senior management and had a dramatic effect on the direction of their successor computers and the company in general. The fact that it was programmed in decimal rather than binary also made it more attractive to non-computer geeks.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

black lettering on brushed metal strip on front panel reads "IBM/ TYPE 650 MAGNETIC DRUM DATA PROCESSING MACHINE"/ blue lettering on label on back panel reads "IBM/ TRADE -MARK/ TYPE 650/ MAGNETIC DRUM/ DATA PROCESSING MACHINE/ U.S. PATENT NUMBERS/ 2,282,066 2,528,3?? 2,637,811/ OTHER PATENTS PENDING/ THIS MACHINE IS LICENSED/ UNDER U.S. PATENT NUMBERS/ 2,540,654 2,???,813 2,619,454/ 2,587,532 2,617,705/ MADE IN U.S.A." with two additional trademarks on label reading "BUSINESS/ INTERNATIONAL / MACHINES/ TRADE-MARK" & "International/ TRADE-MARK"

Missing

operator's console table and the panel under the table as well. The top panel is the wrong one.It measures 59-1/2" x 28-1/4" x 1/2". We need; 55-1/2" x 26.0" x 1.0".. The present panel has only 2 mounting clips on one end and the one needed has 2 screw holes on each end, 14 " apart. Also, the top panel should have 2 locating pins on each end 21-3/4" apart, help secure the end panels which have pin holes that are about 1/2" above the mainframe.

Finish

textured grey painted casing panels/ black painted panels/ multicoloured synthetic

Decoration

indented chrome trim on side panels along bottom edge& 1/4 down from top edge