General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

9

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

METAL CASINGS & PARTS/ SYNTHETIC PARTS

Dimensions

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

Length

124.0 cm

Width

87.0 cm

Height

155.0 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

Ferranti

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Nova Scotia

Period

1964-1977

Canada

FP6000 WAS FIRST CANADIAN DESIGNED & MADE TIME-SHARING MULTI-PROGRAMMABLE COMPUTER, BUILT BY F-P AS PART OF ITS ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH ITSELF AS VIABLE CANADIAN COMPUTER MFR. FROM 1962-1965 5 WERE SOLD, 3 IN CANADA. IN 1965, FERRANTI OF BRITAIN SOLD RIGHTS TO FP6000 TO INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS & TABULATORS LTD. (LATER ICL).

Function

A PROGRAMMABLE MACHINE THAT ACCEPTS & PROCESSES DATA. THIS MEDIUM SIZED COMPUTER WAS USED TO CARRY OUT MATHEMATICAL COMPUTATIONS & PROCESS EXPERIMENTAL DATA RELATING TO DEFENCE SCIENCE APPLICATIONS, SUCH AS UNDERWATER ACOUSTICS.

Technical

FP6000 WAS FIRST AFFORDABLE, MID-SIZED COMPUTER WITH HIGHLY EFFICIENT MULTI-PROGRAMMING CAPABILITY, PREVIOUSLY AVAILABLE ONLY IN LARGE, COSTLY MACHINES. IT BECAME BASIS FOR ICL'S HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL 1900 SERIES, OF WHICH 3500 WERE SOLD. LATTER WAS INTENDED AS COMPETITION FOR IBM 360 & MADE ICL DOMINANT PLAYER IN BRITAIN'S COMPUTER INDUSTRY.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

EACH UNIT HAS WHITE SYNTHETIC PLATE WITH GREEN LETTERING READING 'FP 6000'/ GREEN & BEIGE PAINTED PLATE WITH WHITE & BEIGE 'Ferranti ELECTRONICS' & BLACK 'A DIVISION OF FERRANTI PACKARD ELECTRIC LIMITED'

Missing

NONE APPARENT

Finish

BEIGE ENAMEL PAINTED CASINGS/ MULTICOLOURED SYNTHETIC & METALLIC WORKING PARTS/.1 GREEN PAINTED POWER SUPPLY CHASSIS INSIDE CASING WITH, BLACK METER CASINGS WITH CLEAR COVERS & WHITE METER FACES, BLACK SYNTHETIC & METALLIC CONTROLS

Decoration

EACH UNIT HAS BLACK PAINTED METAL STRIP WITH BRUSHED METAL EDGING ACROSS TOP, FRONT & BACK