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 IBM 1401 Data Processing System, the first member of the 1400 series | |
| Type | minicomputer/ small mainframe |
|---|---|
| Release date | 1959 |
| Predecessor | IBM 407 |
| Successor | IBM 8000 (not released) IBM midrange computers |
| Related | IBM 700/7000 series IBM 1130 |
The IBM 1400 series are second-generation (transistor) mid-range business decimal computers that IBM marketed in the early 1960s. The computers were offered to replace tabulating machines like the IBM 407. The 1400-series machines stored information in magnetic cores as variable-length character strings separated on the left by a special bit, called a "wordmark," and on the right by a "record mark." Arithmetic was performed digit-by-digit. Input and output support included punched card, magnetic tape, and high-speed line printers. Disk storage was also available.
Many members of the series could be used as independent systems, as extensions to IBM punched-card equipment, or as auxiliary equipment to other computer systems. Some, however, were intended for specific applications or were economical only as independent systems.