Re-Imagining the Computer
The New Englander Motor Hotel
IBM’s SPREAD team (disguised as “Systems Programming Research and Development”) secretly worked at this remote location to plan the new computers that became the System/360.
Re-Imagining the Computer
Customers were confused, salespeople frustrated. IBM’s first six transistorized computer lines used incompatible software. Building, promoting, servicing, even just explaining them was exasperating.
In response, IBM established the SPREAD task force in 1961, sequestering the team in a motel to avoid distractions. After two months, SPREAD proposed a radical solution: replace all IBM’s existing products with a new, unified computer line for business and technical computing.
SPREAD’s visionary idea was that from smallest to largest models, these machines would run the same programs and use the same tapes, disks, and printers.
Fred Brooks, Jr.: Birth of the 360 Project
Chapter Menu
1. Birth of the 360 Project
2. Worst Programming Language Ever
3. He’d Never Do it Again
4. The Hazards of Success
IBM computers family tree
IBM’s divisions independently developed specialized computers for particular market sectors such as accounting, engineering design and scientific data analysis. This produced many lines of incompatible machines.
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Bob Evans: Clearing the Way for System/360
Chapter Menu
1. Clearing the way for System/360
2. My Second Best Decision
3. We Built an Airstream
