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Rescue plan for IBM1130
The museum has identified an IBM 1130 minicomputer languishing in storage that we would like to restore to working order and have on display at the museum.
There are no machines from IBM of this vintage on working display anywhere in the UK.
The system appears to be complete and includes racks of punched cards - important for this machine. As well as the console, there is a line printer, and a card punch/reader. Such is the regard of these machines, there are projects to recover system software and manuals. We believe we can restore the machine to working order in the best traditions of other similar projects we have run.
From the IBM1130 web site: "The IBM 1130 Computing System was introduced in 1965. It was IBM's least-expensive computer to date, and was aimed at price-sensitive, computing-intensive technical markets like education and engineering. It became quite popular, and the 1130 and its non-IBM clones gave many people their first feel of personal computing."
Action Plan
- Formal transfer of ownership/responsibility to The National Museum of Computing.
- Transport of machine from north of England to the museum by specialist computer removal company.
- Discussions between the Museum and IBM on resources to assist in preparing the system for display.
- Restoration program and establishing a Computer Conservation Society working group for the project.
- Development of supporting displays and literature including hands on emulation of the system.
In storage, complete but in a sorry state, the IBM 1130 console. This includes operators switches, keyboard, printer, and a single disk drive.
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To give an idea of the console, without all the clutter around it, this is one of the original pictures from IBM's sales publicity. |
Very high up and out of reach, the rear of the line-printer (Model 1132)
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The card reader and punch (Model 1442)
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Rear of the console - bit of a paper wreck by the look of it! |
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Bottom of a rack of punched cards - many trays, mostly labelled, but contents inaccesible to check. |
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