Some historians have called it “IBM’s
first personal computer” -- perhaps because,
in part, it was known as the Personal Automatic
Calculator while in development. Introduced on September
3, 1957, the IBM 610 Auto-Point Computer was “developed
to meet the need for a fast, automatic and economical
tool to assist in solving problems arising in modern
science, engineering and business.” Among
the applications to which the 610 could be applied
were matrix arithmetic and the solution of sets
of simultaneous equations; integration of ordinary
differential equations; electrical network computations;
stress and vibration analyses; reduction of test
data; polynominal evaluations; statistic analyses;
power series evaluations; and actuarial computations.
The 610 had 2,604 digits of addressable magnetic
drum memory. There were 84 internal registers
of 31 digits, each of which could be used as an
accumulator. In addition, 6,000 digits of intermediate,
automatically re-circulating memory was available
through the data tape unit.
The 610 was made up of three separate units,
the largest of which was a cabinet (seen at left)
which housed a magnetic drum, the arithmetic control
circuitry, a plugboard and separate paper-tape
readers and punches for program and data. Cable
connected this cabinet to two adjacent desktop
units (seen at right). On the right side of the
desktop was the operator’s keyboard for
control and data entry. It incorporated a small
cathode ray tube on which the contents of any
register could be displayed. On the left side
of the desktop was an electric typewriter to handle
all printed output.
On the simplest level, the 610 could be used
much as a desk calculator, with manual entry of
each instruction and all data. On an intermediate
level, the 610 could be programmed to repeat the
instructions keyed in by the operator for a simple
set of data. And at the highest level, the 610
could operate indefinitely under control of a
program, retrieving new data from a second paper-tape
reader and outputting the results to the associated
data punch and/or typewriter.
The IBM 610 could be rented for $1,150 a month
or purchased for $55,000. Some 180 machines were
produced. (VV4001)
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