Roger Holmes wrote:
Core was available by 1952, most of the big
machines after this
date (on this side
of the pond at least) were core based. The IBM 650 was actually one
of the smaller
machines, at least inasmuch as IBM was already making much larger
machines
(the 700 series).
Wasn't core memory very expensive in the beginning? It had to be hand
assembled, at least in the early days. I think there was a more
gradual take up than you suggest. Of course the more expensive
machines which used it first saw a huge speed increase over drum main
memory.
It's something of a matter of opinion, but from what I've gathered I'd
characterise it as pretty quick.
Promptly after Whirlwind (on which core was developed) was converted from
storage tube to core, some other existing machines were also converted
(IBM 701, NORC). The rest of the 700 series used it, haven't checked into
when UNIVAC took up with it. Core was such a tremendous advantage over
the alternatives any new machines that were going to excel in
performance 'had to' use it.
(Correction: my statement of 1952 above should be 1953.)