The IBM 1400 series were second generation (transistorized) mid-range business computers that IBM sold in the early 1960s. They could be operated as an independent system, in conjunction with IBM punched card equipment, or as auxiliary equipment to other computer systems.
1400-series machines stored information in magnetic cores as variable length character strings terminated by a special flag. Arithmetic was performed character-by-character. Input and output was on punch card, magnetic tape and high speed line printers. Disk storage was also available.
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History
The 1401 was the first member of the IBM 1400 series. The IBM 1410 was a similar design, but with a larger address space. The IBM 1460 was logically but not physically identical to a fully optioned 1401 with 16,000 characters of memory. The 1240 was a banking system, equivalent to the 1440 system with MICR support.
Members of the 1400 series included:
- IBM 1240 - 1963 "banking system". http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/history/year_1963.html.
- IBM 1401 - 1959
- IBM 1410 - 1960
- IBM 1420 - 1962 "high-speed bank transit system". http://www.frbatlanta.org/invoke.cfm?objectid=83FD4152-9AF0-11D5-898400508BB89A83&method=display_body.
- IBM 1440 - 1962
- IBM 1450 - 1968 "Bank Data Processing System for small banks". http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/dpd50/dpd50_chronology3.html.
- IBM 1460 - 1963
- IBM 7010 - 1962
Compatible systems
IBM provided several models compatible (or nearly so) with 1401.
- 1460 was twice as fast, and many special features of 1401 were standard.
- 1440 was a popular lower-cost alternative, although not fully compatible with the 1401.
- 1240, 1420, 1450 were systems specially designed for banking.
- 1410 was a much faster system in the same spirit as 1401, but with significant differences, such as larger memory (up to 100,000 characters), more index registers (fifteen), five digit addresses, and additional instructions. A remarkable feature in the pre-microprogramming era was a "compatibility mode" switch that allowed it to run 1401 programs without change.
- 7010 was a faster and exactly compatible version of 1410.
- 360 model 30 could be ordered with a 1401 compatibility microprogram feature.
- Honeywell 200 provided approximate 1401 compatibility through a combination of architectural similarity and software support.
Programming Languages
Programming languages for the 1400 series included Symbolic Programming System (SPS, an assembly language), Autocoder (assembly language), COBOL, FORTRAN, Report Program Generator (RPG) and FARGO.
Retirement
The 1400 series was replaced by System/360 and low end machines like IBM System 3 and subsequently the System/32, System/34, System/36, System/38 and AS/400.
The 1400s were officially withdrawn in the early 1970s, however some 1400-series peripherals were still sold with third generation systems.
Two IBM 1401 computers are being restored to full operational status by the Computer History Museum.
References
- IBM Archives: Pre-360 IBM Mainframe Family tree & chronology.
- IBM (April 1969) (PDF). Catalog of Programs for IBM 1240-1401-1420-1440-1450 and 1460. C20-1601-9. http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/14xx/C20-1601-9_1401_pgmCatApr69.pdf.
- IBM (October 1967) (PDF). IBM 1401 and 1460 Bibliography. A24-1495-4. http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/14xx/A24-1495-4_1401_biblio.pdf. A source for 1401, 1460 components.
- IBM (n.d.) (PDF). IBM 1410/7010 Bibliography. A22-6826-4. http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/1410/A22-6826-4_1410_biblio.pdf. A source for 1410/7010 components.
External links
- Many IBM 1400 series manuals are online (pdf files) at http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/1410/.
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