Determined to keep IBM at the forefront of technological innovation, Thomas Watson Jr. sought to create an electronic calculator. The IBM 603 and 604 drew on breakthroughs in vacuum tube technology to perform calculations far more rapidly than the electromechanical devices in use at the time. More convenient for business than the 51-foot length of the IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC), the 603 and 604 performed calculations instantaneously, moving industry into the electronic age.
Bringing electronics to business
The 603 was the first device to bring electronic computing to industry. IBM sold its first production lot of 50 immediately, proving that business was ready to transition to electronic machines. Only 50 more 603 machines were built, due to the decision to focus on the more powerful 604.
Solutions designed for industry
The IBM Automated Sequence Controlled Calculator, also known as the Harvard Mark I, weighed five tons. A custom-made device with more than 760,000 components and 500 miles of wire, it required a dedicated staff to function correctly. Because the IBM 603 and 604 were made for industry, they were manufactured in assembly lines. They were smaller, more powerful, and their modular construction meant they were easier to service.
Pioneering innovations
IBM had begun developing electronic technology as early as 1936. In 1941, Ralph Palmer developed a digital decimal counter at IBM’s Endicott electronics lab, with Bryon Phelps creating a prototype electronic multiplier just a year later. Their work grew into commercial success with the IBM 603 in 1946, the 604 in 1948, and culminated with the IBM 701 in 1952, IBM’s first commercial scientific computer.