Reproducing old machines with newer technology (Re: PDP-12 at the RICM)

[Chuck Guzis]

On 07/14/2015 06:55 PM, Jay Jaeger wrote:

> Architecturally, it was pretty much the last of its kind: the last of
> the BCD decimal arithmetic machines, which also makes it interesting.
> It has also become much more obscure than the 1401, which it followed,
> because not nearly as many were made and sold.

Not by a long shot, it was followed by the 7000-series machines, namely 
the 7070 and 7080 (I have a soft spot for the 1620 myself) and 
ultimately variable length BCD was included in the S/360 and later series.

Having programmed 1401s, I'll grant that the architecture was pretty 
different from what we're used to today, but typical for a small machine 
of the time.

--Chuck