What exactly, is an IBM System 36?

The S/36 is a minicomputer from the early 1980s (?). It replaced the system/34, although I still had to work on one of the latter as a student in 1985-6. I don't think I have much documentation on the S/36, but I have some on the S/34, including an OCL (operation control language - rather like JCL) reference which might help you. The 5364 was a late S/36, the Desktop model. It comes in a box that looks remarkably like a PC/AT (the only external difference being the disk drive bays I think). Unfortunately its floppy drive is 5 1/4 inch, where all other S/36s at that date had 8 inch. Trivia information: The largest S/36, together with the S/34 and a word processing system of which I can no longer remember the number, all had the nicest floppy drive I have ever seen. It took twenty-three disks - three singly and two cassettes of ten each - on a moving carriage (tautology??). It moved the carriage until the appropriate disk was opposite the hole, then sucked it in and read/wrote it. Fast. :-) Philip.