The IBM 650 Magnetic Drum Data-Processing Machine is an early digital computer produced by IBM in the mid-1950s. [2][3] It was the first mass-produced computer in the world. [4][5] Almost 2,000 systems were produced, the last in 1962, [6][7] and it was the first computer to make a meaningful profit. [7] .
Announced in 1953, the IBM 650 Magnetic Drum Data Processing Machine was the world’s first mass-produced computer — and the first computer to generate a significant profit.
IBM called the 650 an automatic calculator, not a computer: One of the most exciting achievements of our generation is the development of the electronic automatic digital calculator.
The IBM 650 Magnetic Drum Data-Processing Machine is an early digital computer produced by IBM in the mid-1950s. [2][3] It was the first mass-produced computer in the world. [4][5] Almost 2,000 systems were produced, the last in 1962, [6][7] and it was the first computer to make a meaningful profit. [7] .
The IBM 650, delivered at the end of 1954 for colleges and businesses, was a decimal implementation of the IAS design. With this low-cost magnetic drum computer, which sold for about \$200,000 apiece (compared with about \$1,000,000 for the …
IBM's first successful commercial computer. Introduced in 1954, the 650 read data from punch cards and magnetic tapes. By the end of the 1950s, there were more than 1,500 units installed,...
IBM -- and the industry -- wanted a machine capable of performing arithmetic, storing data, processing instructions and providing suitable read-write speeds at reasonable cost. The magnetic drum concept was seen as the answer to the speed and storage problems.