3.03.2009

IBM System 32


Comment: Speaking of old computers, the IBM System 32 was one that I sold back in a 1975 time frame. The computer looked like a large office desk with a very small 6 line by 40 character display. The machine had a built-in printer that directly faced the operator when seated. It had 16 kB or 32 kB of memory, a single hard drive that was available in 5 MB, 9 MB, or 13 MB sizes, and an eight-inch floppy drive. As I recollect these sold for about $ 45,000.

More information below:

IBM Archives: BM System/32

Corestore Collection - IBM System/32 5320

These were designed for basic accounting software: We called it "BICARSA" (BIlling, Inventory Control, Accounts Receivable, and Sales Analysis)

My first computer sale was to replace and IBM 1130 with an IBM System 3.

Below is a pic of the console of the IBM 1130

4 comments:

  1. Were there smaller system 32s? I seam to recall my Dad saying he had one when he owned his own business. Then he brought it home after 'quitting' his business. If I am talking about the same one, he loved it.

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  2. This was the smallest System 32. There were 2 printer options (bigger and smaller).

    IBM also had a smaller computer introduced in 1975 called the 5100.

    Here's a wiki article

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  3. Here's another follow on. After I left IBM so not that familiar:

    5210

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  4. Jim thanks for posting the System/32 pics. Boy the memories came flooding back when I saw it, my imaginary arm reached out to flip the diskette drive door open, and I could hear it click shut. I was an IBM CE starting in 1978. The products I trained on in basic were the System 32 and 029 keypunch.

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