IBM's Early Flat Screen CRT Terminal

[Quadibloc]

The IBM 3277 Display Station had a CRT with a front that was round in
two directions, very much like the screen in a conventional TV set of
the period.

It was preceded by the less-capable IBM 2260 terminal. This terminal
had a screen whose face, although not flat, was a reducible surface.
That is, although the screen was black-and-white, its shape was like
that made familiar through SONY Trinitron color TV sets.

But before even that, a terminal with a *flat* screen was shown at the
time the IBM System/360 was introduced on April 7, 1964.

The screen was small and round, though, in a large boxy enclosure.
Thus, it didn't look particuarly modern - although, at that time,
contacting a computer remotely through a video display terminal was
very new technology in itself.

The device is mentioned in the original System/360 System Summary -
the IBM 1015 Inquiry Station.

Were any of these actually used, or did IBM realize in time that round
computer screens went out with Williams tubes, and left it to Control
Data to embarass itself that way with the console of the 6600 computer
(which, of course, made up for in performance what it sacrificed in
good looks)?

John Savard

[Peter Flass]

Post by Quadibloc
Were any of these actually used, or did IBM realize in time that round
computer screens went out with Williams tubes, and left it to Control
Data to embarass itself that way with the console of the 6600 computer
(which, of course, made up for in performance what it sacrificed in
good looks)?

John - that console was iconic enough that a picture of it made it into
_Core Memory_, a great book, BTW.

[Quadibloc]

Post by Peter Flass

Post by Quadibloc
Were any of these actually used, or did IBM realize in time that round
computer screens went out with Williams tubes, and left it to Control
Data to embarass itself that way with the console of the 6600 computer
(which, of course, made up for in performance what it sacrificed in
good looks)?

John - that console was iconic enough that a picture of it made it into
_Core Memory_, a great book, BTW.

Well, I *was* teasing a bit.

I found out more about the IBM 1015. It turns out that instead of the
screen being a regular CRT, refreshed from core (or even a drum!)
inside the terminal, although the terminal was a text terminal,
apparently it worked something like a Tektronix 4010: that is, a "dark
current" kept parts of the tube glowing that information had been
written on.

And, given the great power of the 6600, and the fact that the console
*was* well-styled, I'm not surprised it is iconic. However, in
general, using a round picture tube to display a square of text within
is indeed old-fashioned-looking... and, unlike the 6600, I think IBM's
1015 was anything but iconic, which is why I suspect IBM may not have
sold many of them.

John Savard

[Quadibloc]

Post by Peter Flass

Post by Quadibloc
Were any of these actually used, or did IBM realize in time that round
computer screens went out with Williams tubes, and left it to Control
Data to embarass itself that way with the console of the 6600 computer
(which, of course, made up for in performance what it sacrificed in
good looks)?

John - that console was iconic enough that a picture of it made it into
_Core Memory_, a great book, BTW.

Although this concerns a Cyber 70 rather than a CDC 6600, the style of
the console is at least somewhat similar, and seems apt in this
connection...

http://lileks.com/institute/compupromo/7.html

John Savard

[Quadibloc]

Post by Quadibloc

Post by Peter Flass

Post by Quadibloc
Were any of these actually used, or did IBM realize in time that round
computer screens went out with Williams tubes, and left it to Control
Data to embarass itself that way with the console of the 6600 computer
(which, of course, made up for in performance what it sacrificed in
good looks)?

John - that console was iconic enough that a picture of it made it into
_Core Memory_, a great book, BTW.

Although this concerns a Cyber 70 rather than a CDC 6600, the style of
the console is at least somewhat similar, and seems apt in this
connection...
http://lileks.com/institute/compupromo/7.html

Having explored that site in more detail, I now find

http://lileks.com/institute/motel/exterior.html

that its creator has watched "Return to Tomorrow"!

John Savard

[Quadibloc]

Post by Peter Flass
John - that console was iconic enough that a picture of it made it into
_Core Memory_, a great book, BTW.

Well, the Philco 212 made it into _Core Memory_, so I don't know if
that's a recommendation. I did purchase a copy - largely because some
front panel lights of the Model 91 had readable legends that were
obscured by glare in a third-party photo on the Chilton Computing site
of the 360/195 - but the fact that it limited itself to the Computer
History Museum's collection was, to me, a bit of a negative about the
book.

John Savard

[Who Cares]

Post by Quadibloc
The IBM 3277 Display Station had a CRT with a front that was round in
two directions, very much like the screen in a conventional TV set of
the period.
It was preceded by the less-capable IBM 2260 terminal. This terminal
had a screen whose face, although not flat, was a reducible surface.
That is, although the screen was black-and-white, its shape was like
that made familiar through SONY Trinitron color TV sets.
But before even that, a terminal with a *flat* screen was shown at the
time the IBM System/360 was introduced on April 7, 1964.
The screen was small and round, though, in a large boxy enclosure.
Thus, it didn't look particuarly modern - although, at that time,
contacting a computer remotely through a video display terminal was
very new technology in itself.
The device is mentioned in the original System/360 System Summary -
the IBM 1015 Inquiry Station.
Were any of these actually used, or did IBM realize in time that round
computer screens went out with Williams tubes, and left it to Control
Data to embarass itself that way with the console of the 6600 computer
(which, of course, made up for in performance what it sacrificed in
good looks)?

What was the display used on the IBM 1050 system? Been too long to
recall what they looked like in the Chicago NorthWestern offices, where
the only place I can recall them was Ravenswood.

[Quadibloc]

Post by Who Cares
What was the display used on the IBM 1050 system?

Golfball on paper?

John Savard