Episodes

  • S1E16 - IBM 360

    S1E16 - IBM 360
    May 6 2026
    Episode Notes

    n this episode of Computer History with Chris Garcia, we look at the IBM System/360, announced on April 7, 1964, and why it became one of the most important computer families in history. The System/360 was not just a new machine. It was IBM’s attempt to unify business, scientific, government, and institutional computing under one compatible architecture.

    The episode covers Thomas J. Watson Jr.’s massive corporate gamble, Bob Evans’s role in pushing the project through IBM, Gene Amdahl and Gerrit Blaauw’s architectural work, Fred Brooks and the software nightmare of OS/360, Erich Bloch and Solid Logic Technology, and the way System/360 helped define the modern idea of a computer platform.

    We also discuss the importance of compatibility, the transition from IBM’s older incompatible product lines, the 1964 launch, early models, the Model 67 and time-sharing, the move toward System/370, and the long-term legacy of System/360 in IBM mainframes and software engineering.

    Sources and links:

    IBM Archives: System/360

    https://www.ibm.com/history/system-360

    Computer History Museum: IBM System/360 announcement

    https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/april/7/

    Computer History Museum: IBM System/360 mainframe history

    https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/mainframe-computers/7/164

    IEEE Spectrum: Building the System/360 Mainframe Nearly Destroyed IBM

    https://spectrum.ieee.org/building-the-system360-mainframe-nearly-destroyed-ibm

    IBM: The 360 Revolution PDF

    https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/zvm/history/360rev.pdf

    Britannica: IBM

    https://www.britannica.com/money/IBM

    Wikipedia: IBM System/360

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_System/360

    Wikipedia: Gene Amdahl

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Amdahl

    Wikipedia: Fred Brooks

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Brooks

    Wikipedia: The Mythical Man-Month

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month
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    34 mins
  • S1E15 - The Birth of AI

    S1E15 - The Birth of AI
    Oct 24 2025
    Episode Notes
    • https://jmc.stanford.edu/articles/dartmouth/dartmouth.pdf
    • https://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/mcc59.pdf
    • https://computerhistory.org/playlists/artificial-intelligence-at-chm/
    • https://computerhistory.org/timeline/ai-robotics/
    • https://computerhistory.org/blog/a-museums-experience-with-ai/
    • https://computerhistory.org/stories/chatbots-decoded/
    • https://computerhistory.org/revolution/artificial-intelligence-robotics/13
    • https://home.dartmouth.edu/about/artificial-intelligence-ai-coined-dartmouth
    • https://web.pdx.edu/~arhodes/AI_history.pdf
    • https://ojs.aaai.org/aimagazine/index.php/aimagazine/article/view/1904
    • https://www.ll.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publication/doc/2021-03/Artificial%20Intelligence%20Short%20History%2C%20Present%20Developments%2C%20and%20Future%20Outlook%20-%20Final%20Report%20-%202021-03-16_0.pdf
    • https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220605256_The_Dartmouth_College_Artificial_Intelligence_Conference_The_Next_Fifty_Years
    • https://www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/IN5620/h24/Groups/Group%206%20%28Team%20HotBots%29/deliveries/individual-assigment-iteration-1-vendele.pdf
    • https://raysolomonoff.com/dartmouth/dartray.pdf
    • https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~arielpro/15381f16/c_slides/781f16-1.pdf
    • https://analyticssteps.com/blogs/history-artificial-intelligence-ai
    • https://www.almanacnews.com/technology/2024/11/26/computer-history-museum-unveils-new-ai-exhibit-featuring-chatbots/
    • https://techchannel.com/artificial-intelligence/artificial-intelligence-history/
    • https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2012/10/102658149-05-01-acc.pdf
    • https://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/2020/05/102781122-05-01-acc.pdf
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    34 mins
  • S1E14 - CDC up to the 6600

    S1E14 - CDC up to the 6600
    Oct 17 2025
    17 mins
  • S1E13 - DEC: 1958 to 1965

    S1E13 - DEC: 1958 to 1965
    Apr 21 2025
    12 mins
  • S1E12 - A Bunch of Dwarves

    S1E12 - A Bunch of Dwarves
    Apr 14 2025
    12 mins
  • S1E11 - The Path Out of Lincoln Lab - TX-0/2, LINC, and the PDP-1

    S1E11 - The Path Out of Lincoln Lab - TX-0/2, LINC, and the PDP-1
    Apr 7 2025
    Episode Notes TX-0 (Transistorized Experimental Computer Zero): Wikipedia: TX-0 A comprehensive overview of the TX-0, highlighting its development, architecture, and significance in computing history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TX-0 Tom's Hardware+3gunkies.org+3Encyclopedia Britannica+3 MIT's RLE Technical Report 627: TX-0 Computer History An in-depth historical account of the TX-0's design and construction at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in 1956. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/4132/RLE-TR-627-42827671.pdf TX-2 Project+16DSpace+16Encyclopedia Britannica+16 Computer History Museum: MIT TX-0 Computer Details about the TX-0's role as a test bed for large-scale transistorized computing and its influence on subsequent computer designs. https://www.computerhistory.org/pdp-1/2e1b209cb40237b91228cdf26a60e3f8/ Wikipedia – Die freie Enzyklopädie+2CHM+2CHM+2 The Computer Pioneers: The TX-0 An archival article discussing the TX-0's construction, operational history, and its significance in the evolution of computing. https://ethw.org/Archives:The_Computer_Pioneers:_The_TX-0 TX-2: Britannica: TX-2 An overview of the TX-2 computer, emphasizing its programmable capabilities and contributions to early computing developments. https://www.britannica.com/technology/TX-2 CHM+11Encyclopedia Britannica+11gunkies.org+11 The Lincoln TX-2 Computer Development A detailed paper on the development of the TX-2 at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, discussing its design and technological advancements. https://cs.furman.edu/~tallen/csc475/materials/clarkTX-2.pdf TX-2 Project+14Encyclopedia Britannica+14History of Information+14 MIT Lincoln Laboratory: The TX-2 Computer and Sketchpad Explores the TX-2's role in the creation of Sketchpad, a pioneering computer-aided design program, and its impact on interactive computing. https://www.ll.mit.edu/media/6536 CHM TX-2 Project A resource dedicated to re-creating and documenting the TX-2 computer, including technical manuals and historical insights. https://tx-2.github.io/ TX-2 Project LINC (Laboratory Instrument Computer): Office of NIH History: Laboratory Instrument Computer (LINC) A narrative on the development of the LINC, detailing its conception at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory and its influence on biomedical research computing. https://history.nih.gov/display/history/Laboratory+Instrument+Computer hnf.de+18The Henry Ford+18NIH History Office+18 DigiBarn Computer Museum: LINC History, Restoration and 45 Year Retrospective An extensive retrospective on the LINC, covering its history, restoration efforts, and its place as a precursor to personal computing. https://www.digibarn.com/stories/linc/ digibarn.com Computer History Museum: LINC Computer Highlights the LINC's design tailored for scientific laboratories, featuring built-in analog-to-digital converters and an oscilloscope for data display. https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/minicomputers/11/334/1920 ETHW+9CHM+9The Henry Ford+9 National Museum of American History: Minicomputer, Classic LINC Computer (DEC) Provides insights into the LINC's introduction as a small computer with a 12-bit word length, intended for individual researchers. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_334861 gunkies.org+2
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    12 mins
  • S1E10 - UK Computers Go Commercial

    S1E10 - UK Computers Go Commercial
    Mar 31 2025
    Episode Notes

    Support our Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/3MinModernist
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    15 mins
  • S1E8 - SAGE

    S1E8 - SAGE
    Mar 27 2025
    Episode Notes

    https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/real-time-computing/6/120 In Your Defense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06drBN8nlWg
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    7 mins