The 2321 Data Cell (was Re: [inforoots] Re: The IBM 1401 at the
Computer Restore.)
Peter G Capek
capek at us.ibm.com
Mon May 23 19:14:13 PDT 2005
The wonderful comment about the data cell learnining about software from
the NCR CRAM brings to mind the explanation
I once heard about how the data cell came to be.
The story was that it was done as an MIT senior thesis project by a
student whose professor had asked him to
build a storage device which used all known technologies. So it uses
magnetics, pneumatics, mechanics, hydraulics,
optics, aerodynamics...
It's amazing how far we've come. The data cell stored 400MB with an
average access time on the order of several hundred
milliseconds. Now, we can buy more storage than that for less than $50
in a thumb drive.. but with considerably better reliability,
performance, and power characteristics.
Peter G. Capek
IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-0218
(+1 914) 945-1250 IBM Tieline: 8-862-1250 Fax: X 4426
Please respond to Open Discussion about the history of the Information Age
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Subject: [inforoots] Re: The IBM 1401 at the Computer Restore.
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Jason's story reminds me of one from 1966. I had just started working
for a medium-size company in Dayton. My boss had recently worked for a
bank. The bank had an NCR 315, with CRAM (Card Random Access Memory),
which had punch-card-size cards with mag-tape stuff on them. They were
accessed and moved through the machine by compressed air, so it made
quite a racket. One day, an IBM salesman came by and convinced the bank
to try out IBM System\360 model 30, with data cell, for a few months.
When he returned, he noticed the data cell drive was in the sound-proof
room along with the CRAM. He asked "The data cell drive is silent; why
is it in there with the CRAM?" The answer: "We hope it will learn some
software."
On Thu, 2005-05-19 at 16:11 -0700, Jason Olson wrote:
> Very neat story. I never and I mean never get tired of hearing the
history
> of anyone who has worked on older IBM equipment. One of the fellows who
> work for my business partner has been in the business for over 30 +
years
> he has a ton of good stories to tell.
>
> One of his favorites is this one.
>
> He had received a call from one of partners at IBM telling him to come
> quick to one of his accounts. They had one of the early versions of the
> 2321 Data Cell drive and it had gone nuts! Some of the electronics that
> control the drum motor had failed and were spinning the drum around as
fast
> as they could. Before they knew what was going on the machine had put on
> the breaks and sent the drum flying though the front of the machine.
>
> He said it was awful.
>
> A little about me for the group. I first entered college in 1997 and at
> first was studying to be a Micro-Computer support specialist. Later I
> changed my career to NetWare and still have a CNE Cert from 4.11. While
I
> was in college I had one programming class using C on the AS/400. For
some
> reason I really liked the machine and the rest is history. I have been
> working on the iSeries since doing both Admin and Programming work.
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jason Olson
>
> IBM ISeries Engineer
> Amkor Technology
> 480.821.5000.5625
> jolso at amkor.com
>
> "User Requests Are What Computers Are For."
> "TRON" 1982
>
>
> Bill Worthington <BillWorthington at comcast.net> on 05/19/2005 03:35:48 PM
>
>
> To: Jason Olson/CHAZ/AAWW at Amkor
> cc: Ed Thelen <ed at ed-thelen.org>, "Selmeier, Bill"
> <bills at right-net.com>, 1401 Software Team
> <1401_software at computerhistory.org>
>
>
> Subject: Re: The IBM 1401 at the Computer Restore.
>
>
> Jason and Ed, you do bring back my memory of when I first saw RPG. I
had
> just started my 1401 education back in 1961 and had gone to IBM's Boston
> Education Center. I was working for a bank at the time and was new to
Data
> Processing as it was then called. The class consisted of three weeks of
> basic 1401 programming and was taught by two female instructors. On the
> next to last day of the class, one of them came dancing into the
classroom
> and said that we had seen almost everything regarding programming for
the
> 1401 and that IBM had just announced a new programming language for the
> 1401 called Report Program Generator and abbreviated as RPG.
>
> The rest of that day was spent confusing us all with Input, Calc,
Output,
> etc. Specs. We had just learned about adding, moving, editing,
branching
> if sense switch on, etc.; and here was this new method of programming
that
> did all of that behind the scenes based on indicators being set. Wow!
Did
> our heads swim!! Well, we headed back to our programming jobs and my
> company shelved RPG in favor of Autocoder.
>
> However, in 1964, I found myself working for IBM -- just in time for the
> System/360 to be announced a month after I joined. At that time, there
was
> not only RPG for the 1401, there was also FARGO. (I believe the acronym
> stood for "Fourteen-oh-one Automatic Report Generating O---. Do you
> remember what the O was for?) A couple of years later, all the sales
reps
> and systems engineers spent evenings learning about a new computer
called
> the System/360, Model 20 and its primary programming language called
RPG.
> I was amazed at how much I had retained from that haze in 1961. I must
> admit that my track through IBM did not give me much access to RPG
> customers; but I could at least discuss it with some intelligence.
>
> Thanks for stimulating that section of my "on-line storage."
>
>
> Regards, BillBillWorthington at comcast.net
>
>
> Jason Olson wrote:
>
> OK then I will ( in my spare time of course ) get to work on trying to
find
> the deck for RPG.
>
> Also WE means just Cliff and myself. I have been following the website
> really close, and got him interested in the restore.
>
> I myself am very young in the computer business ( 26) , but I really
love
> older machines and IBM in particular.
>
> I do have one question before I go. Is there a good day to visit in
June? I
> did see your note on after 10:00 AM so we will plan accordingly
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jason Olson
>
> IBM ISeries Engineer
> Amkor Technology
> 480.821.5000.5625jolso at amkor.com"User Requests Are What Computers Are
For."
> "TRON" 1982
>
> Thanks!
>
> Jason
>
>
> "Ed Thelen" <ed at ed-thelen.org> on 05/17/2005 04:00:24 PM
>
>
> To: Jason Olson/CHAZ/AAWW at Amkor
> cc: "Selmeier, Bill" <bills at right-net.com>, "1401 Software Team"
> <1401_software at computerhistory.org>Subject: Re: The IBM 1401
at
> the Computer Restore.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jason Olson" <jolso at amkor.com>
>
>
> Hello!
>
> Glad to see such a well made website documenting the process to restore
> the 1401. It is great to see people who are still so interested in the
history of computing! A good friend of mine and myself are RPG programmers
on the IBM iSeries, and we also love to study the history of language of
RPG.
>
>
> Hmmm - history of RPG ???
> I have never heard !!
> We would like to know if the 1401 has come far enough to be able to run
> new RPG programs.
>
> No - we - well Ron Williams is - still hauling bad cards
> out of the 1401. I'm being to wonder about "solid state reliability".
> It couldn't have been that bad when it shut down for the last time.
>
> We would enjoy creating simple RPG programs and seeing the
> results.
>
> I don't remember seeing an RPG deck !!! ???
>
> Really !!! We have a SORT 7 "object" deck.
>
> But I don't think we have a
> FORTRAN especially a card only FORTRAN nor RPG
>
> Hmmmmm -- some open areas -
>
> Also does the CHM have other machines such as a System/360 or
> System/370 where RPG work could be performed?
>
> Some folks dream of restoring the IBM 360 mod 30 -
> but to the best of my knowledge,
> there has net been any serious restoration proposal.
> I would guess that more than the two big restoration projects
> currently on would be a stretch.
>
> Ed you and your fine group keep up the good work!
>
> Thank you - actually, I'm an ex-competitor,
> but the ex-IBM guys let me hang out here :-))
>
> We are planning a trip out to see the machine
> in the month of June and I am very excited to see my
> first 1401.
>
> I trust "we" is a moderate sized group? Not a bus load ;-))
> Wednesdays after 10 AM is a great time to visit -
> lots of folks "working" ;-))
>
> Cheers
> Ed Thelen
>
>
>
>
> Thank you,
> Jason Olson
>
> IBM ISeries Engineer
> Amkor Technology
> 480.821.5000.5625jolso at amkor.com"User Requests Are What Computers Are
For."
> "TRON" 1982
>
>
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