IBM 5120 at the local thrift store

From: William Donzelli <william_at_ans.net>
Date: Wed Oct 14 20:57:14 1998

> However, for computers, each box generally had its own Type number. When
> you talk about an IBM Type 7090 Data Processing System, that's actually just
> the type of the main processor. The memory, the I/O channels, even the
> control console each have their own type number, from the same name space.
> Even a 360/30 has a Type number for its CPU, although I don't recall offhand
> what it was.

2030. In the "good ole days", processors were 20xx, disks were 23xx, tapes
were 24xx, conrollers were 28xx, and more that I can not think of offhand.
They used this for thier mainframe line until the ES/9000s, or
thereabouts.
 
The IBM marketing people obviously have all of the say in coming up with
the "system" and "series" numbers. Those number may or may not have
anything to do with the model numbers. A prime example is the RS/6000s -
the first ones were 7011s, 7012s, and 7015s - not a 6000 in sight. Yet
other systems embed their number in the model designation - all System/36s
have 36 for thier 2nd and 3rd numerals.

William Donzelli
william_at_ans.net
Received on Wed Oct 14 1998 - 20:57:14 BST