MetaFilter posts tagged with ibm

Expandable to 16k!

MtDewd — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:53:40 -0800

50 years ago today, IBM announced the 1401 Data Processing System. Originally designed as a spooling system for the larger machines, the 1401 became very popular as a mainframe in its own right, eventually being called 'The Model T of Computers'. By the end of 1961, the number of 1401s installed in the United States alone had reached 2,000 - representing about one fourth of all computers installed by all manufacturers at that time. 15- 20,000 were eventually built. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View is having a 50th anniversary celebration on November 10th. Here's what $125,600 (or $2500/month rent) would get you: 1401- 6-bit processor with 1400 bytes of core storage. Clock speed 87KHz 1402- combination card reader (800 cards per minute) & punch (250 cards per minute) 1403- 600 lpm printer If you're willing to spend more you could get up to 16k of memory by getting a 1406 Then you might want some 729s (featured here) for card to tape or tape to print operations, at $30k-60k apiece. If you need some disk space, you could try the 1405, for up to 20MB. The processor was approximately 30"x58"x58", and used a 30A, 208V power connector (3 phase). The entire system needed 23,000 BTU of cooling per hour. The Computer History Museum has been restoring two systems for the last 5 years, the second of which it acquired from a father and son who were using it to operate a billing service business until 1995 out of their home in Darien, Connecticut. Those without access to their own 1401 can download an emulator. (You might need reference material, or at least the reference card). Here's a Hello World to get you started. Previously: Music , History

Pepsi Big Blue

grouse — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:42:51 -0800

Scientists image single molecule with atomic force microscopy. See the original abstract in Science. CNET reproduces a representation of the experiment.

Inside the World's Greatest Keyboard

Joe Beese — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:57:33 -0800

From the satisfying click of its keys to its no-nonsense layout and solid steel underpinnings, IBM's 24-year-old Model M is the standard by which all other keyboards must be judged. (previously)

1965 - Kemeny and Kurtz go to 1964

Artw — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:21:53 -0800

A Brief, Incomplete, and Mostly Wrong History of Programming Languages

More than just Google on Steroids

filthy light thief — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:45:40 -0800

IBM Research is planning on working on taking artificial intelligence beyond master-level Chess (previously), and on to question answering with a computing system that has been in development for the past two years. Named "Watson," after the I.B.M. founder, Thomas J. Watson Sr., the system will challenge human contestants at Jeopardy (previously). Watson's success depends as much on its ability to understand and respond to the subtleties of human language as it does on the extent of its knowledge database. Don't worry, Alex Trebek knows what's in store. (via)

Outsource Yourself

billysumday — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:38:27 -0800

IBM solves the outsourcing problem by firing American employees then offering to re-hire them in India. "The pitch to employees who might consider shifting to IBM's operations in developing economies seems to be the low cost of living, warmer climate and variety in cuisine and exotic places."

IBM's next 5 in 5

dobie — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:26:51 -0800

IBM's the next 5 in 5 "forecasts the five innovations that will change the way that we live, work and play in the next five years." An interesting list that covers a lot of landscape. I for one doubt that my socialized Canadian medicine will pay for a 3-D digital medical record. I would imagine only the rich, professional athletes, and cosmetic surgery aficionados will take part. However, I do agree that my life will increasingly, and depressingly, revolve more around my cellphone. Also, a link to last year's .

So How Evil Were They?

beaucoupkevin — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:29:42 -0800

"Third Reich to Fortune 500: Five Popular Brands the Nazis Gave Us." There are pictures and videos of kittens to soften the blow.

TYPE HARD OR GO HOME

enn — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:47:51 -0800

Some people care about their keyboards. The Northgate OmniKey (now resurrected) was once legendary. There are those who mourn the passing of the space cadet keyboard and its successors, and those who campaign for its revival. The late, lamented (though not by everyone) Apple Extended Keyboard was finally recreated.

But, for the purist, there is only one true keyboard, the best ever made: the IBM Model M. The Model M was built with steel plates. It weighs five pounds. You can smash things [Google Video] with it. Its buckling spring keyswitches (they are loud [MP3]) remain unsurpassed; this is typing like you mean it. It inspires and obsesses. Sometimes it is unrecognizeable (previously). IBM doesn't make the Model M anymore, but these people do, almost. And these people will sell you the real thing.

GMR

chuckdarwin — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:27:34 -0800

It's called the Giant Magnetoresistive effect and it could one day allow electronic devices to hold 10 to 100 times the data in the same amount of space. "That means the iPod that today can hold up to 200 hours of video could store every single TV program broadcast during a week on 120 channels." [nyt]

Old World Meets New World

ericb — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:23:06 -0800

As it builds a presence and invests in virtual worlds, IBM is hoping to avoid potentially embarrassing incidents by establishing official guidelines for its more than 5,000 employees who inhabit "Second Life," Entropia Universe," "Forterra," "There" and other virtual worlds. "IBM, whose 20th century employees were parodied as corporate cogs in matching navy suits, doesn't have an avatar dress code. But guidelines suggest being 'especially sensitive to the appropriateness of your avatar or persona's appearance when you are meeting with IBM clients or conducting IBM business.'" Other directives: "Don't discuss intellectual property with unauthorized people." "Don't discriminate or harass" and by all means, "Be a good 3D Netizen."

I fought the linux, and the linux won...

metasonix — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 02:05:18 -0800

Is anyone really surprised to hear that our happy little friends at SCO just got a a delisting notice from Nasdaq? If you own SCO stock, this might be a good time to look at a timeshare instead. (winky winky) (via)

"Divergence of Interests" is one way to put it.

Pastabagel — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 08:53:45 -0800

"The church of global free trade, which rules American politics with infallible pretensions, may have finally met its Martin Luther." A thorough summary in The Nation of the brilliant but ignored Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests by Ralph Gomory, former IBM Senior Vice President for Science and winner of the National Medal of Science. His heresy? Arguing, with supporting technical and economic data, that multinational corporations and their home countries have divergent interests in shipping skilled labor and advanced technologies overseas, and that this "divergence" is a net negative for the American economy and the American public. Globalization, he argues, has its losers, the United States paramount among them.

IBM Technical Journals Archive

Burhanistan — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:51:55 -0800

IBM Research and Technical Journals. Complete recent issues of IBM Research and Development Journal and Systems Journal as well as searchable archives.

IBM 1401, A User's Manual

tellurian — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:21:30 -0800

"In 1964, a computer - the IBM 1401 Data Processing System - arrived in Iceland, one of the very first computers to be imported into the country… The chief maintenance engineer for this machine was Jóhann Gunnarsson, my father. A keen musician, he learned of an obscure method of making music on this computer - a purpose for which this business machine was not at all designed… When the IBM 1401 was taken out of service in 1971, it wasn't simply thrown away like an old refrigerator, but was given a little farewell ceremony, almost a funeral, when its melodies were played for one last time. This "performance" was documented on tape along with recordings of the sound of the machine in operation." The whole story with samples, pictures and video at Jóhann Jóhannsson's site. [via]

Wikipedia impartiality

bobbyelliott — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:42:30 -0800

Microsoft has been caught paying for Wikipedia edits. But wasn't this inevitable? Now that Wikipedia has become the de facto online reference, wasn't it inevitable that it would attract governments, corporates and other groups to create their own version of events. Is this an inherent and fatal flaw in open source knowledge?

The future is open

localhuman — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 10:47:28 -0800

The world is not flat Like open source/content? Like youtube? You have a choice. According to IBM, the future is open, and according to Linux, this future is inevitable.

All Your Kernals Are Belong to Us

Skygazer — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 12:00:54 -0800

Ballmer: Linux Users Owe Microsoft. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer stated at the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) conference in Seattle yesterday, that Linux infringes upon his company's intellectual property. Does this signal preparations for all out war against the open source community? Microsoft's recent acquisition of Novell was seen as an ominous sign. Or perhaps it's a sign that user friendly versions of linux such as Ubuntu threaten sales of Microsoft's problematic new VISTA OS, scheduled for release Nov. 30th for businesses and Jan. 30, 2007 for consumers?

You heard it here first (maybe)

ubiquity — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 10:37:37 -0800

IBM is laying off people in Burlington, Endicott, Rochester and Austin today. The presumptive reason is Indian outsourcing — some employees have posted that they were asked to train their replacements. Why hasn't this made the news?

1.5 Nanometers is small indeed.

Addiction — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 10:47:18 -0800

IBM ~~raises~~ lowers the bar. Apparently 1.5 nanometers is all that is needed for a 0 or a 1. This advance in data storage technology is a ways off from making an impact in chip construction, but allows for storage that is 1/8 the size of CMOS's wildest dreams. Neat. via ZDNet

a logical extension of our desire to connect and relate things

nickyskye — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 20:20:01 -0800

The Information Machine, [YouTube]. This short animated film was written, produced and directed by Charles and Ray Eames for the IBM Pavillion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair [embedded sound]. Animation by Dolores Cannata. The topic is the computer in the context of human development.

I'm blue, da boo dee, da boo die...

reflection — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:51:05 -0800

Blue Gene bears Blue Brain beats Deep Blue. Dr. Henry Markram answers questions in the FAQ. Neurons are beautiful. Blue Gene/L is now the fastest supercomputer in the world. IBM Research rocks. Deep Blue beat Kasparov almost a decade ago. F e e l i n g B l u e ?

Ponder This

plep — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 04:42:38 -0800

Ponder This. 'You are cordially invited to match wits with some of the best minds in IBM Research.' Monthly puzzles, with solutions, going back to 1998.

The first one's free...

FormlessOne — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 08:48:15 -0800

IBM to give away 500 patents. Curiouser and curiouser. Why now? And, what patents? IBM makes a great deal of money licensing their patent portfolio - is this meant to stimulate additional licensing? How does this fit in with the open source movement? In other news, IBM just received the go-ahead to sell off their PC unit to a firm that just won a rather large contract to provide PCs in China.

IBM sells PC business

xammerboy — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 19:49:23 -0800

The end of an era confirmed. IBM sells its PC business to China's Lenovo. Is a future Apple partnership in the works?