IBM 700/7000 Series - Architectures

Architectures

The IBM 700/7000 series had six completely different ways of storing data and instructions:

  • First (36/18-bit words): 701 (Defense Calculator)
  • Scientific (36-bit words): 704, 709, 7090, 7094, 7040, 7044
  • Commercial (variable length character strings): 702, 705, 7080
  • 1400 series (variable length character strings): 7010
  • Decimal (10 digit words): 7070, 7072, 7074
  • Supercomputer (64-bit words): 7030 "Stretch"

The 700 class used vacuum tubes, the 7000 class was transistorized. All machines (like most other computers of the time) used magnetic core memory; except for early 701 and 702 models, which used CRT memory.

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