ibm 51 years ago

Datas Processing | IBM 360, Mag Tape, Punch Cards (1972)

Computers & Data Processing: A fascinating educational film from 1972.

It introduces the field of Data Processing, with scenes of electric adding machines, IBM System/360 model 65 mainframe system, IBM 2401 magnetic tape machines, Control Data Corporation (CDC) image scanner; Burroughs Punch Tape Reader and MICR/OCR, CDC 160 computer and much more.


Here is an index to many of the vintage machines we identified:

00:10​ Burroughs adding machine

00:45​ Paper filing methods

01:00​ IBM Selectric Typewriter

01:10​ ADDO-X paper tape calculator (by AB Addo)

01:13​ Automatic Page Collating Machine

01:21​ Xerox 2400 Photocopier

01:32​ IBM 029 Keypunch Machine (card punch)

02:28​ IBM Card Sorter 

03:00​ IBM Model 188 Collator of 1961

03:42​ IBM 602-A Calculating Punch Machine

04:54​ IBM Accounting Machine Model 407 ?

05:47​ IBM System/360 model 65 mainframe

06:01​ IBM 2401 Magnetic tape machine; disk unit, printer

06:18​ IBM High Speed Card Reader

06:14​ IBM Plug Board Program (examples)

06:58​ Computer Memory (inside computer)

07:26​ IBM Plug Board Panel (Hardwired Program)

07:37​ Rack of multiple Plug Board Programs Pre-wired for use

08:06​ IBM 2401 Mag Tape Machine

08:11​ Computer Light Panel (blinking)

08:20​ Operator adjusting IBM tape machines

08:23​ Computer Room view (tapes, disks)

08:35​ IBM keyboard input to system

08:40​ IBM typewriter Type ball in operation

09:00​ IBM High Speed Card Reader

10:19​ High Speed Printer

10:25​ CDC Optical Scanner

10:59​ Paper Tape Punch/Reader (Burroughs)

11:08​ Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) (Burroughs Corporation)

11:18​ Viatron System 21 Terminals

11:40​ Views of the Data Center and Personnel

12:13​ Electrical Power Station Control Center

12:16​ {wave or signal monitoring station?}

12:29​ CDC 160A Console and tape drives

12:36​ { telecommunications tracking/reporting center?)


Some of the punch card scenes were filmed at the Statistical Tabulating Corporation (“STC”) a large computer data processing service bureau during the 1960’s-1970’s.


STC later sold its business to Automatic Data Processing (“ADP”) in 1980.