The IBM 7090 (and its successors, the IBM 7094 and 7094 Mark II) were the culmination of IBM's line of 36b scientific computers, which began with the IBM 701. They were the standard for scientific computing, and the peak of IBM's product line, until the introduction of the System/360 in 1964.
MIT used a modified IBM 7094 as the basis for one of the earliest and most influential time-sharing systems, CTSS (the Compatible Time-Sharing System). CTSS was used at MIT, and at Project MAC, until 1971, when it was superceded by the GE 645 used for Multics.
Option |
Description |
Capacity |
CPU and memory |
IBM 7090 or 7094 |
32KW |
CTSS special features |
expanded memory |
64KW |
| real-time clock | ||
| Chronlog (time of day) clock | ||
| memory protection and relocation | ||
| Channels | 7607 channel | 1-8 |
| 7909 channel | 0-3 | |
| Cards | 711 card reader | |
|
721 card punch |
|
| Line printer | 716 line printer | |
| Magnetic tapes | 729 Mark II, IV, or VI | 10-80 drives |
Communications |
7750 terminal concentrator |
33 lines |
| Disk drives | 1301 disk drive | up to 10MW |
| 1302/2302 disk drive | up to 20MW | |
Drums |
7320 |
up to 200KW |
|
7320A (7289) |
196KW |
Updated 08-Aug-2020 by Bob Supnik (simh AT groups DOT io - anti-spam encoded)