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IBM Stretches its Capabilities

Model 7030 (“Stretch”) operator console

Stretch was among the first and most complex supercomputers, introducing dozens of groundbreaking hardware and software innovations. Los Alamos National Laboratory received the first Stretch in 1961 to design nuclear weapons. A complete Stretch occupied about 2,000 square feet.

IBM Stretches its Capabilities

Aim high. Outrun the competition. That was the inspiration behind IBM’s “Stretch” (Model 7030).

Because the 7030 didn’t meet IBM’s ambitious performance objective of “100 times the IBM 704,” then the company’s fastest computer, it was branded a failure. Yet “Stretch” was the world’s fastest computer when completed in 1961, introducing a dazzling array of innovations.

Introducing IBM Stretch

Chapter Menu

1. Introducing Stretch
2. Stretch Facts
3. From Stretch to Cray

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Operator at console of Los Alamos Stretch supercomputer

Stretch's console let operators see its internal functioning. Stretch was a landmark in advanced concepts and design, but was not a commercial success. Only nine were built, including one for the National Security Agency that had extra features for cryptanalysis.

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Early block diagram of Stretch system

Most of the Stretch team members were recent college graduates who brought new ways of thinking to the project. Many of their ideas persist in the microprocessors of today.

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