IBM 303X

IBM 303X
Manufacturer International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
Product family IBM 3031
IBM 3032
IBM 3033
Release date 1977
Discontinued February 5, 1985 (all three 303X)
Successor IBM 308X
Modern System operator consoles no longer include large numbers of lights, switches, or buttons

The IBM 303X[NB 1] was a line of mainframe computers, the first model of which, the IBM 3033 Processor, was introduced March 25, 1977.[1]

Two additional processors, the 3031[2] and the 3032[3] were announced October 6, 1977.

Each of the three included, as a standard feature, a Dual-display console, the newly announced IBM 3036. Furthermore, the systems consumed less than half the floor space of a System/370 with an equal amount of computer memory and an identical number of channels because "the channels are physically integrated within the processor mainframe."[1][2][3]

All three 303X systems were withdrawn February 5, 1985.

303X as successor to System 370

Beginning in 1977, IBM began to introduce new systems, using the following descriptions:

Competing compatibles

At this time, other companies were competing with IBM and producing IBM-compatible systems.[6] A Winter 1975 Computer Weekly article[7] began "In the wake of the Amdahl challenge, which has already hit seven major 360 and 370 installations in the US and Canada, IBM has announced ..."

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, patented technology allowed Amdahl IBM-compatible mainframes of this era to be completely air-cooled, unlike IBM systems that required chilled water and its supporting infrastructure.[8]The 8 largest of the 18 models of the ES/9000 systems introduced in 1990 were water-cooled; the other ten were air-cooled.[9]

By comparison, the October 17, 1977 Computerworld reported that Itel's "air-cooled AS/6" was announced "within six hours of the IBM announcement" and due to ship "the same time deliveries of the IBM 3032 are slated to begin."[10]

Processor storage speed

IBM considered it noteworthy that "processor storage ... is four-way interleaved" resulting in "a significantly faster data rate than...[NB 2]

Models

The 3031 had 15 models, the 3032 had 4 Models, and the 3033 had 29 Models.[4][11]

IBM 3031

After itemizing which other Operating systems support the 3031, IBM specifically added "In addition, the 3031 is supported by DOS/VS."[NB 3]

IBM 3033

The March 25, 1977 announcement of the 3033 also introduced "MVS/System Extensions[1][12] (MVS/SE) and VM/System Extensions (VM/SE)."

Despite IBM Marketing's use of the plural form -- Extensions -- both within IBM and outside, in books and periodicals, the singular, System Extension (SP) was also used.[13]

The 3033-N[14] was introduced Nov. 1, 1979, and the 3033-S was introduced a year late, Nov. 12, 1980. Each shipped the following quarter; both were withdrawn in 1985, along with the other 303X offerings.[15]

Photos

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ IBM used a capital X when referring to 303X, as did print media; see Computerworld ref below.
  2. ↑ "... non-interleaved" and it then lists the 3rd and 4th fastest 370s
  3. ↑ no reference to DOS/VS is made regarding the 3032 or 3033.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "IBM announces new processor for large system users". IBM History Archives. IBM.
  2. 1 2 3 "3031 Processor Complex". IBM Archives. IBM.
  3. 1 2 "3032 Processor Complex". IBM Archives. IBM.
  4. 1 2 "Mainframe - Family tree and chronology 2". IBM Archives. IBM.
  5. ↑ or a similar reference, "S/370 3033-U" used by IBM at ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/mktsupport/techdocs/allreal.pdf
  6. ↑ "Two 370-Compatible Systems Unveiled by California Group". Computerworld. October 23, 1978. p. 41.
  7. ↑ "IBM boosts power of 370/168 again". Computer Weekly (486). p. 1.
  8. ↑ Gerard O’Regan (2013). Giants of Computing: A Compendium of Select, Pivotal Pioneers. ISBN 1447153405. IBM's machines were water-cooled, while Amdahl's were air-cooled
  9. ↑ "ES/9000 Characteristics". IBM Archives. IBM.
  10. ↑ "New IBM Processors Flush Out Itel AS/6, But Amdahl Stands Pat". Computerworld. October 17, 1977. p. 1.
  11. ↑ "3033 Chronology". IBM Archive. IBM.
  12. ↑ Google has at least 20 listings for "MVS/System Extensions" (plural), 12 when deduplicated for identical wordings in multiple press releases and absolutely none for the singular form: No results found for "MVS/System Extension" site:ibm.com.
  13. ↑ "MCS Unveils MVS Extension". Computerworld. 14 (51). December 15, 1980. p. 5.
  14. ↑ IBM used the dash, the print media of the day didn't- Computerworld covers March 31 & July 31 1980, Oct. 20 & Dec. 15 1980, inside pages
  15. ↑ "IBM Mainframes – 45+ Years of Evolution" (PDF). p. 25.
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