IBM System/32

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IBM System/32
System/32
Release dateJanuary 7, 1975; 49 years ago (1975-01-07)
Introductory priceapprox $1,000 per month
DiscontinuedOctober 17, 1984
Operating systemSystem Control Program (SCP)
CPUControl Storage Processor (CSP)
PredecessorIBM System/3
SuccessorIBM System/34
WebsiteOfficial website IBM Archives

The IBM System/32[1][2] (IBM 5320) introduced in January 1975[3] was a midrange computer with built-in display screen, disk drives, printer, and database report software. It was used primarily by small to midsize businesses for accounting applications. RPG II was the primary programming language for the machine.[4]

Overview

IBM System/32 in Computer History Museum

The

16-bit single-user System/32, also known as the IBM 5320, was introduced in 1975,[5] and it was the successor to the IBM System/3 model 6 in the IBM midrange computer line. IBM described it as "the first system to incorporate hardware and comprehensive application software."[5] The New York Times described the 32 as "a compact computer for first‐time users with little or no computer programming experience."[6] Within 40 months, "the System/32 had surpassed the IBM System/3 as the most installed IBM computer."[5]

The computer looked like a large office desk with a very small six-line by forty-character display. Having the appearance of a computerized desk, the System/32 was nicknamed the "Bionic Desk" after

line printer
, that directly faced the operator when seated, and could print reports, memos, billing statements, address labels, etc.

It had been introduced January 7, 1975 and was withdrawn from marketing on October 17, 1984. Migration to the IBM System/34 was generally simple because source code was compatible and programs just needed recompilation.

Processor

The System/32 featured a

RISC instruction set.[7][10]

The System/3 emulation performed poorly, which led IBM to implement performance critical parts of the SCP operating system directly in microcode.

System/38.[11]

Memory/storage

It had 16, 24, or 32 kilobytes of

main memory, and 4 or 8 kilobytes of control storage. The larger control store was an optional extra, and was needed to support the scientific instruction set.[9][8]

A single

hard drive was available in one of three sizes:[12]

  • 5 MB
  • 9 MB
  • 13 MB

The system included an eight-inch

floppy drive
that could also read floppies from the IBM 3740 family.

Only one side of the 77-track floppy diskette was used. Each track held 26 128-byte sectors. An extended format was offered by IBM, and it permitted 512 bytes per sector. Even so, that came to an 8-inch floppy holding less than one third of a megabyte.[13]

System/32 operator

When keying input data, the operator would be viewing the character display, which was also common to the then current IBM 3740 family of data entry to floppy disk media.

A computer specialist was not required for the operation of System/32.

System software

Some terms associated with the System/32's software include:

  • SCP (System Control Program) the operating system of the System/32.[14]
  • SEU (Source Entry Utility, the programming editor),
  • DFU (Data File Utility, a query and report generator),[15]
  • OCL (Operations Control Language, the command-line language), and
  • #LIBRARY (the directory or
    disk partition
    in which executable code was stored).

See also

References

  1. ^ "I.B.M. Introduces Smallest Computer In a Bid for Data-Processing". The New York Times. January 8, 1975.
  2. ^ "I.B.M. Corp. Introduces A 50-Pound Computer". The New York Times. September 10, 1975.
  3. ^ IBM Archives: IBM System/32
  4. ^ "SR30-0017-1 System32 RPG II Programming". January 1976.
  5. ^ a b c "IBM System/32". IBM Corporation. 23 January 2003.
  6. ^ William D. Smith (November 17, 1976). "I.B.M. Starting Series 1 System To Enter Minicomputer Market". The New York Times.
  7. ^ a b Glenn Henry (2014-03-30). "The IBM System/32: The Second IBM Personal Computer". Glenn's Computer Museum. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  8. ^ a b "IBM Maintenance Library System/32 Theory Diagrams" (PDF). Bitsavers. IBM. May 1977. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  9. ^ a b "IBM System/34 and IBM System/32 Scientific Macroinstructions Functions Reference Manual" (PDF). Bitsavers. IBM. July 1978. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  10. ^
    ISBN 978-1882419661
    .
  11. ^ a b Henry, Glenn (2001-08-07). "An Interview with An Interview with GLENN HENRY" (PDF). conservancy.umn.edu (Interview). Interviewed by Philip L. Frana. Charles Babbage Institute. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  12. ^ with 5 more choices added a year later "Computerworld". Computerworld. January 19, 1976.
  13. ^ "Floppy drive".
  14. ^ "IBM System/32 Introduction" (PDF). IBM. January 1977. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  15. ^ "IBM System/32 Data File Utility (DFU)".

External links

Photographs

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