IBM 370 Hard Drive

[Dave Wade]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Jason
> Howe
> Sent: 15 October 2016 03:32
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: IBM 370 Hard Drive
> 
> On 10/14/2016 04:03 PM, Dave Wade wrote:
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Paul
> >> Berger
> >> Sent: 14 October 2016 23:49
> >> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> >> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> >> Subject: Re: IBM 370 Hard Drive
> >>
> >> On 2016-10-14 7:42 PM, Jason Howe wrote:
> >>> Came across this in the local craigslist today:
> >>>
> >>> http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/sop/5820161303.html
> >>>
> >>> I don't know if this is of interest to the Big Iron IBM guys, but if
> >>> there's any interest from folks not in the Seattle Area, I'm happy
> >>> to help faciliate.
> >>>
> >>> --Jason
> >> That is a 62PC I don't know of any 370 systems that used them, I
> >> think the closed they came to a mainframe was they where used in the
> >> 8130 and
> >> 8140 systems.  There was also at least one in every S/38, in the
> >> later
> > days of
> >> S/38 it was usually only one with the system microcode on it and it
> >> was
> > run
> >> isolated from the rest of the disk storage because of their tendency
> >> to
> > die
> >> suddenly.  I believe that 62PCs where also used in S/34 and Series/1.
> >>
> >> Paul.
> > I was going to say it didn't look like any S/370 drive I had seen. Its
> > also only the Head and Disk assembly (HAD) and if the spindle has been
> > turned and who wouldn't turn the spindle, its probably toast. It would
> > make a nice museum exhibit, provided it was donated, but I think $185
> > is optimistic...]
> >
> > Dave
> > G4UGM
> >
> Interesting.  I know nothing about older IBM stuff other than people say
that
> it's a little hard to come by, hence why I relayed the find to the list --
just in
> case it was worth it.
> 
> --Jason

Jason,

 Should have said thanks. It is interesting to see such items, and its also
nice to remember that in the 370 days IBM made many systems, not just 370.
 Some of this was fall out from the "abandoned" "Future Systems" project but
it was also coupled with the Anti-Trust legislation. I was told by an IBM'er
that IBM was 
 Worried it would be split in two, and as such had engineered the product
line such that in this event, both halves would have kit to sell that they
could make themselves.

 So while System/3 and System/36 could use some S/370 peripherals they had a
complete range of different devices, such as twin-ax terminals. Weird...
In the event it didn't happen and IBM was left with multiple incompatible
designs...

Dave