Welcome to Computer History Museum's web site on the IBM 1620 Data Processing System.

Two thousand of these computers were built in the 1960's. Due to its unique characteristics, convenient small size and relatively affordable price many of these machines were bought or rented by colleges and universities. As a result, hundreds of thousands of students had their first hands-on computer experience with the IBM 1620.

Like first love, this experience made a lasting impression on many people. Ask any seasoned computer professional and there's likely an IBM 1620 in their past.

Unfortunately, few of these machines survive today. Those that do are in museums or private collections and recent computer science graduates are generally unaware of the machine and its place in history.

That's the purpose of this web site (and in fact the reason that Computer History Museum exists) -- to preserve the physical machine and the computer technology it incorporates; to capture the history which surrounded it; and to share that with the world.

To see the 1620 Project Journal, click here.  A prototype web page on the project is available here.  Note: both these web pages are under development.

To find out how you can help the Project, click here.