What exactly, is an IBM System 36?

From: Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk <(Philip.Belben_at_powertech.co.uk)>
Date: Mon Jul 14 09:15:49 1997

> I have the oportunity to aquire an IBM System 36 model 5364 with manuals
> and operating disks, all in working condition. My question is, I have never
> heard of this system (the 360/370, yes). What can I expect?

The S/36 is a minicomputer from the early 1980s (?). It replaced the
system/34, although I still had to work on one of the latter as a
student in 1985-6. I don't think I have much documentation on the S/36,
but I have some on the S/34, including an OCL (operation control
language - rather like JCL) reference which might help you.

The 5364 was a late S/36, the Desktop model. It comes in a box that
looks remarkably like a PC/AT (the only external difference being the
disk drive bays I think). Unfortunately its floppy drive is 5 1/4 inch,
where all other S/36s at that date had 8 inch.

Trivia information:

The largest S/36, together with the S/34 and a word processing system of
which I can no longer remember the number, all had the nicest floppy
drive I have ever seen. It took twenty-three disks - three singly and
two cassettes of ten each - on a moving carriage (tautology??). It
moved the carriage until the appropriate disk was opposite the hole,
then sucked it in and read/wrote it. Fast. :-)

Philip.
Received on Mon Jul 14 1997 - 09:15:49 BST