IBM's 360 and Early 370 Systems (History of Computing)

What a terrific book. I was surprised to find this book so readable given the technical nature of some of the material covered. The book is a great mix of technical detail and information about the IBM'ers involved in the creation of these systems. A must for those interested in the history of computing.

This book presents a detailed look at the origins and development of one of the most widely-known processor families. It details (among many other things) progression of magnetic core memory, including a series of technological developments that kept it moving forward with the market's ever-increasing demand for speed and capacity. I got this book for a few specific facts regarding these early mainframes, which I'm happy to say it provided. But, having spent a fair few decades in computing the historical details drew me in as well. I've read only a few chapters so far, but I'm enjoying its engaging and thoroughly-researched style. I'm interested, too, by the comparisons between technical decisions of half-a-century back vs the ones being made today. It's surprising (but probably shouldn't be) how many of those issues still matter today. I'm generally not one to love history for its own sake, and I can't say this perspective will really change my life. The few facts I wanted will help a personal project and I find some of the progressions interesting. Still, I can't think of any decisions I make these days that I'll make differently after reading this. And, if you're not already well-versed in computing, you might not find enough familiar context to offer an entry point. -- wiredweird

The authors do a great job at explaining how modern computing was born (through IBM mostly) and how System 360 was really the first complete computer line. It's fairly easy to read for the most part (i.e. it's not boring!). I found the coverage of the software side of things to be a bit light, when you consider how much of a problem it was (the hardware was on time/budget, the software wasn't!). Still a great book, very interesting, extremely well documented and well written.

It is my fading memory of main frame code that keeps this from s 5 star. The computer was eventually my best effort. Now so many decades later the PC revolution was unable to connect to Classified forms. Video made the limits on copying diminish the value of innovation.

A must read and reference book for historians of commercial computing, full of facts and detailed information not available anywhere else.

As the 1960's began, IBM found themselves with eight incompatible computer product lines, which they were each trying to support with software development. They came up with the idea of replacing all of those systems with a new line of five upward compatible computers, which would span the market. This was to stretch from the very cheapest, low power machines, all the way to the top. It was a gargantuan undertaking and it was also a "bet the company" risk. Fortune magazine called the decision "the most crucial and portentous--as well as perhaps the riskiest--business judgment of recent times." The effort to simultaneously design and manufacture five new computer systems and support them with software turned into the biggest struggle the company had ever faced. Before it was over, CEO Tom Watson would lament, "We somehow have an organization that destroys more men than it produces..." But that only indicates the candor, honesty and introspection that this book represents, for in the end, they all came through with flying colors, delivering amazing close to predictions. This was in spite of having pioneered numerous advances like microcoded CPUs, cache memory, time sharing technologies and automated hybrid integrated circuit manufacturing, along the way. This book works well as a follow-on to another by some of the same authors, the spellbinding book, "IBM's Early Computers". While "IBM's 360..." doesn't cover quite as exciting a period as the earlier work, it certainly delivers its share of amazing stories. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Overall it met my expectations. I wanted a technical as well as a corporate view of the development of the S/360 and S/370, and this delivers. Anyone who is a mainframe programmer past or present may find this story as interesting as I did. But System 360 was a huge project by a huge corporation, and involved a lot of personnel. Kudos to the authors for keeping it all straight, but sometimes I wish there was a "Dramatis Personae" section I could have quickly referred to as a reminder of who was who. The index is good. You will need at least two bookmarks; one for your current page, and another for the end notes. Perhaps a third one for the index. Despite the daunting list of people to remember, I learned an awful lot about the transition from vacuum tubes and drum memory to transistors; the birth and growth of solid-state digital computing; and how the 360's CPU architecture had a huge impact that affects system design to this very day. The computer market of the 1950s was wildly different from today, and far more widely varied. This was an experimental era, and all kinds of different technical approaches were tried by different companies. IBM's senior technical management was trying to navigate its business, its customers, and its very continuance as a market leader through a very volatile period. Not everything went well. IBM's product line was somewhat scattershot and incoherent. Mistakes were made; some product lines failed; some big successes turned out to be technical dead ends. (World's fastest punch card accounting system, anyone?) One IBM division would inadvertently obsolete the product of another division, obliterating years of work and sending talented people out the door. In 1960 IBM management realized they needed a unified approach to the computer marketplace to remain a leader in business computing and manufacturing (or even stay in business long-term), and the S/360 was conceived as the answer. They just had to convince their customers and their own employees that they were right. The latter group turned out to be harder to persuade than the former. A lot of other dreams had to die for S/360 to be born. Some of those dreamers (Gene Amdahl, Seymour Cray) ended up quitting IBM and founding their own computer companies. But IBM realized it couldn't be all things to all people if it wanted to prosper and grow. It's all in this fascinating book.

I received the book this morning. The book was in excellent condition and the packing was also very vell made. The delay in the delivery was due to the fact that the Italian Customs inspected the parcel (don't know why, and for that I had to pay an additional € 6,82 fee). Anyway, except for the cover, as advised, the book is as good as new and I satisfied.

Very good