IBM System/7 Computer System, 1971, rare marketing film, partly restored, color, monolithic circuits

[@RaymondSwanson-u9y]

I love the early Segway.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Would love to have one of those early models. Thanks!

[@JamesAllmond]

I remember my Dad working with these. The predecessors and those that came after into the 80's . He started in WW2 with the analog system in the Pentagon. All those guys are gone now. Knew assembler better than English.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @JamesAllmond, thanks for sharing the memories. Assembler, wow! I wonder what their chats were like at the local coffee shop. These guys (or gals) were very smart folks back then. Worked with a lady a few years back, she was 65 yrs old and could read a CORE dump faster than anyone! --

[@Guitar6ty]

I can remember a special computer room staffed by guys in white coats with clip boards the whole shebang had its own air conditioning system and big boxes with the power of a zx spectrum.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Guitar6ty, yes, remember that too! The AC makes sense. Why the white coats? Protecting against computer "viruses" ? ~ Great feedback, thanks! ~

[@brunonikodemski2420]

I was actually a summer Intern for IBM in that era. The system70s mainframes were the vogue then, but we worked on a video "Workstation" for the Ford auto company, which was intended to design car body structures. These workstations were the first to incorporate "light pens" which were used to implant "design points" into a digital framework, and create an actual object. These pens were passive, in that they did not insert any data, but rather read-it-out, from the screen (a very large CRT). the problems were that the CRTs were curved, had bowing and lack of raster registry, and so the actual data-dots did not register properly, into a 2D or 3D mechanical dataspace. Also, at that time, IBM was still using the old SLT flip-chip metal-ball ICs (not the newer 8-12-16 framed molded ICs), and these had significant problems in maintaining "sensitivity or drift" paramaters, and had high failure rates. The technicians worked on these Workstations 24/7 to keep them running. Nonetheless, our Workstations, the ones I worked on, did eventually work just fine, and were adopted by the industry as "working standards". I am actually proud of having been involved in this early development, and later went on to become an IC and ASIC designer.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @brunonikodemski2420, thank you for sharing some of your hands-on history with the early technology of the 70's! That is fascinating information about the workstations and light pen technology you were involved with. A great bit of history! Didn't know about these in particular, thanks for giving us a look back! ~ Victor, CHAP

[@bblod4896]

A look back. Very cool. Thanks CHAP.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

You bet! Thanks! -

[@dhpbear2]

1:27 - A precursor to the Segway! :)

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

@dhpbear2, yes, exactly. Hope some remembers the name of the security guards electric scooter. It would be fun to research that also.

[@dalecomer5951]

Very impressive for 1970-71 including early use of semiconductor memory. Looks like a complete system for well-heeled customers. The 2790 mentioned in the end notes were communication processors to network components with its own ecosystem which could be used with other IBM product lines. 02:08 The inimitable Selectric Ball print head.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, the "Selectric Ball print head" -- good spotting!

[@yxyk-fr]

This marketing guy almost never blinks ... spooky ! 😀

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Seems very focused on his getting his information across.

[@RetroEli1982]

Man I love this Channel, always a treat seeing old tech in the Heydays. I would love to see videos that have to do with AutoCAD(the history and what all is done with it), if you have any videos or find any videos that would be great. All in all a great video

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @RetroEli82, thank you very much for the kind words. Glad you liked the video! Your suggestion of AutoCAD as a topic is a great one! Will keep that in mind for things we are looking do in the future. ~ VK

[@RetroEli1982]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Super 👍🏽

[@wmrg1057]

Loved the modern user interface device

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @wmrg1057, nice observation!

[@psikeyhackr6914]

I was told that there was a System 7 in the basement of the IBM building in Chicago back in the 80s.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Very interesting...thank you.

[@mrbrent62]

That is cool. I’ve Worked places that used Siemens controlled equipment or PLCs. I bet a Raspberry Pi could do the same thing now. 😂. Also the presenter had a deer in the headlights look… he rarely blinked.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @mrbrent62, yes, the presenter was a bit "stiff" for some reason. He should have sat down and relaxed at some point. Maybe it was his first "formal presentation film."

[@senilyDeluxe]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Maybe they overwound his clockspring before filming :-D Scene in supermarket, early 70s. Customer to cashier: "Do you have batteries?" Cashier: "No, the head of department winds us up every morning."

[@noth606]

A Rasbpi could not do the same thing. It could handle parts of it though, but it wouldn't come close to the i/o these things had/have. Expanding the rasbpi a whole lot would possibly get you close. not sure, but it lacks the interrupt oriented i/o and process control afaik, there is no OS for rasbpi to do that sort of job in a serious way. It might work, might not - which isn't an acceptable way to estimate it. That is why what this does is not done on a raspbi today, or on a PC or mac. It's done on a PLC - or something running VxWorks or some other RTOS.

[@mrbrent62]

@@noth606 even running 40 single board computers would still be a fraction of the cost. But you are correct organizing the flow of data to work would be interesting. The system 7 was a 16 bit computer And could support 64 interrupts the raspberry pie with its 64 bit. ARM processor can support over 100 interrupts. I also think the devices and interfaces that would be hooked up to it would be a lot slower and the raspberry pie would probably not have any trouble keeping up with the data flow.

[@Santor-]

Yeah, I totally run a complete shoe factory, payment processing, salary, timekeeping of thousands of workers, shipping department and more on a single raspberry pi zero 2w.

[@MIGHTYcbu]

'a cycle of 400 nanoseconds', that's the same as 2.5MHz. the first Z80 also ran on that clock frequency. The System/7 reminds me more of a PLC than a mainframe, a Programmable Logic Controller also has all these analog and digital I/O. I sometimes work with the Siemens S7 1500 system, connecting IT and OT (Operational Technologies)

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @MIGHTYcbu, Fascinating! PLC, Programmable Logic Controller, is alao a very cool technology. Thanks!

[@CM_Burns]

It used Fortran IV which was published in 1962 but Fortran 66 being the 1966 language standard wasn't used in this '71 computer.

[@d.hughredelmeier1960]

Realistically, Fortran IV was more extensive than Fortran 66.

[@Stuart-AJC]

I learnt Fortran IV in 1974 (my first language as it were), I don't remember 66 at all

[@d.hughredelmeier1960]

@@Stuart-AJC IBM created FORTRAN for the IBM 704 in the mid 1950s. It was very successful: most scientific programming was done in it. So other companies created implementations. All were a little different. FORTRAN 66 was a standard that ASA released in 1966. There were actually two FORTRAN 66 standards: "Basic FORTRAN 66" and "FORTRAN 66". Basic FORTRAN 66 missed a lot of nice things. You can read about this in Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran . I kind of lived it but I didn't like it.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @d.hughredelmeier1960, thank you for the great technical info! ~ VK

[@brucereynolds7009]

View of the 5090 shipboard computer: recall those being built at Boca.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Would have loved to have seen that factory in operation(!) Thanks!

[@appliedengineering4001]

50 years later, and we can now replace that entire system with a $0.20 microcontroller chip from China.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Good point, very true.

[@davidmontague9125]

It could also be programmed in Assembler, using a mainframe such as Assembler H at an IBM data centre. Object code was transferred using a domestic cassette recorder. The Plastic Injection Moulding System was one such.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @davidmontague9125, great info! Thanks very much! ~ VK

[@d.hughredelmeier1960]

That's odd: Assembler H was for /360 code, very different from /7 code. I guess that you could hack it with macros but that would be pretty awkward.

[@SusanAmberBruce]

Very cool at the time 😎

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, IBM thought so too.

[@djmips]

1:30 Paul Blart mall cop.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Perhaps...

[@murray_n]

Film mentions "Academy Awards" of 1973 @13:21, so this is probably not from 1971.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @murray_n, yes, the film itself dates from 1973 or 74, which we mentioned in the description section. The System/7 was first delivered in 1971, that's the focus of the film. Good catch though!

[@somethingelse4878]

Fab and groovy

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @somethingelse4878, glad you liked it.

[@djmips]

0:59 ahhh I see people found out they were laid off from a tech corp the same way in 1971 as they do today!

[@PlasmaCoolantLeak]

Liv not included.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Still looking for more Liv....

[@Patchuchan]

A few years later it could all be replaced with an 8051 based single board computer.

[@kellingc]

How prevalent was the System 7? I wasn't aware of it until seeing this film. I posted my question too soon - the Quick Facts at the end gave me an idea on what I was looking for.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @kellingc, The System/7 was very prevalent in the business/manufacturing environments and many applications were suited to its sensor tracking capabilities. Its boxy-looking shape was not very sexy, but it was very functional. The shipboard version was apparently very successful until it was recalled. It came to market at the beginning of the energy crisis (oil, etc.) and it was marketed as an energy saving device for large businesses as well. Thanks for the great feedback! ~ Victor, CHAP

[@PeterJoslynHarris]

Is that security guard riding a Segway in 1971??? What is that thing?

[@spinav8r]

It looks like some kind of 3-wheeled electric scooter.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

The Segway was patented in 1994 and announced around 2001. This little scooter was much earlier. Hopefully, someone watching can identify it by name. Thanks! ~ VK

[@maralisil]

Not a 2 wheeler controlled by shifting position, but an ancestor.

[@PeterJoslynHarris]

@@maralisil it does appear in that video like it steers by balancing and body position in in some way. Hopefully somebody can identify kind of device it is,

[@edgardagosto1917]

A.I. feature 8track drive included.....no download fees to pay then

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, seems so.

[@CalculatorWish]

👍

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thanks, glad you liked the video.

[@CalculatorWish]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject 😀

[@zhaiyaozu1298]

sounds like a PLC nowadays

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

"PLC" ?

[@d.hughredelmeier1960]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Program Logic Controllers. I think of PLC as a kind off programming language that emulates relay system. System/7 could surely do that but it wasn't limited that way.

[@philipnasadowski1060]

I wouldn't be surprised if this came out of GM's request that resulted in the Modicon 084 and AB PLC lines.

[@GianniBarberi]

This was a vision, not reality at that time

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Perhaps so!

[@BogattheMoon]

1974

[@maralisil]

Primitive computer geek in the wild, calling to its tribe!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Absolutely!

[@maedero05]

Mac System 7 Who first ? IBM !

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes!

[@heathcliff8624]

Was it fast enough for underground nuclear weapon testing telemetry?

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

That is an interesting question, do not know the answer, but the military was a customer.

[@jeremybarker7577]

Probably not. The place where I worked nearly 50 years ago had a System 7 and we had a program called "High Frequency Scan" that we used to gather data from lab experiments - I think it had a sampling rate of around 10 kHz. IBM documentation states the analog input mutiplexer operates at up to 7, 14 or 20 kHz depending on the mode and voltage range used.

[@cogoid]

In the tests, the signals were captured using special oscilloscopes, and then the screens of the oscilloscopes were automatically photographed. This allowed to record signals at a variety of time scales, including the fastest, corresponding to the "reaction history" where the entire record was under one microsecond long. There were entire trailers filled with such gear. If there were any computers somewhere, they did not play a very prominent role.

[@computeraidedworld1148]

Heh, I have a little brochure for that time card system

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @computeraidedworld1148, that sounds very interesting. Maybe you could post a scan of it somewhere. It would be a fun artifact to see.

[@sideburn]

Am I in the twilight zone or does the narrator sound like Rod Serling

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Similar voice... but no.

[@sideburn]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject ya I could tell it wasn’t exact but close!

[@d.hughredelmeier1960]

In my world, the System 7 was not interesting. Minicomputers like the PDP-11 were faster, cheaper, and more flexible. For corporations captured by IBM, it might have been viable. The space was very dynamic, with lots of competition. Sometimes a Data General machine made more sense that a DEC machine. HP and Honeywell made noteable16-bit machines too. The system 7 was surely a step up from the IBM 1130 / 1800. Or, reaching farther back, the IBM 1620 / 1710. The 1800 and the 1710 were extensively used in process control. Note: small machines for business processes were a different line. IBM's System/3, for example

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @d.hughredelmeier1960, thanks for the perspective! You make some good points. I also think it was odd the narrator said it was not a "minicomputer" but a complete system. The System 34, 36, 38 were all minicomputers and complete systems. The Sys/7 seemed to fit in the minicomputer class more than the micro or mainframe class. Just a thought. ~ Thanks for your feedback and insights! ~ VK

[@d.hughredelmeier1960]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject There really were no microcomputers in 1971 and certainly not enough to form a class. What is meant by "microcomputer" evolved too. But first came the microprocessor, like the Intel 4004. When a microprocessor was used as the heart of a computer, we got microcomputers. The first microprocessor-based personal computer with any visibility would have been the Altair 8800. Earlier things like the Micro-8 were almost invisible. The MCM/70 was slightly earlier and way more ambitious but only found a niche market. By the time microcomputers came out, minicomputers were way more powerful. Microcomputers were about as powerful as 5 or more year old minicomputers. The Altair 8080 came at roughly to same time as the PDP-11/45 minicomputer. The PDP-11/45 was the platform where UNIX thrived. UNIX didn't work well on microcomputers until the Motorola 68000 and successors (think Sun Microsystems).

[@ChatGPT1111]

Ahh the good 'ole days before men gave all their power over to the ladies.

[@marcd6897]

🤦‍♂️

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Don't expect anyone to give it back.

[@dhpbear2]

13:21 - Interesting, an account of the Academy Awards in Mar 27, *1973* ! Is your date of 1971 correct?

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @dhpbear2, very, good catch! The System/7 was shipped and first available in 1971. That's the date we used on the "Thumbnail." The film itself was made in 1973 or maybe 1974. Tried to explain this in the YT "description" section. You have a keen eye. Thanks! ~ VK

[@a-a-ronpackers6024]

17:08 - Correction: Kenosha, WI

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @a-a-ronpackers6024, Yes, OMG, thanks for the correction! (You are the first one to mention this). very embarrassing....

[@davidjames666]

@1:29 a segway?

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @davidjames666, that is a great question! The personal scooter the guard uses is quite retro. According to Wikp, the Segway Personal Transporter (PT) was unveiled around 2001 by inventor Dean Kamen, who filed his patent in 1994. This film was made around 1973, so its not the Segway, but definitely a personal transport device. More research will likely turn up the name brand. Perhaps another one of our sharp viewers will recognize it. Thanks for the question! ~ Victor, CHAP