Computer History Archives Project

1954 - IBM 704 vacuum tube based computer (floating point, scientific, mainframe) (2015x3)

Date de diffusion: Jun 07, 2015

Computer History: IBM. In 1954, IBM introduced the 704, a large scale, electronic data processing machine which was the first mass-produced computer with floating-point arithmetic hardware. The IBM 704 was controlled by an internally stored program, and was a significant improvement over the earlier IBM 701 in terms of architecture and implementation. Like the 701, the 704 used vacuum tube logic circuitry and 36-bit binary words. Changes from the 701 include the use of core memory instead of Williams-Kilburn tubes, floating-point arithmetic instructions, 15-bit addressing and the addition of three index registers. To support these new features, the instructions were expanded to use the full 36-bit word. The new instruction set, which is not compatible with the 701, became the base for the "scientific architecture" subclass of the IBM 700/7000 series computers. The 704 could execute up to 12,000 floating-point additions per second.