BIZMAC

{{Short description|RCA vacuum tube computer (1956–1962)}} right|thumb|BIZMAC The '''RCA BIZMAC''' was a vacuum-tube computer manufactured by RCA from 1956 to 1962. Although RCA was noted for their pioneering work in transistors, the company decided to build a vacuum-tube computer instead of a transistorized computer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cedmagic.com/history/rca-bizmac-computer.html|title=The RCA Bizmac was RCA's First Commercial Computer in 1956|website=www.cedmagic.com}}</ref> It was the largest vacuum-tube computer of its time in 1956, occupying {{convert|20000|sqft|abbr=on}} of floor space with up to 30,000 tubes, 70,000 diodes, and 35,000 magnetic cores.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPT7QDJlko|title=1956 RCA BIZMAC Computer - History Archives Project - 1950's Mainframe Military Army|date=May 4, 2016|via=YouTube}}</ref> It weighed about {{convert|26500|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/BRL61-b.html#BIZMAC-I|title=BIZMAC I; BIZMAC II|last=Weik|first=Martin H.|date=Mar 1961|website=ed-thelen.org|series=A Third Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems|archive-url=|archive-date=|url-status=|access-date=|pages=88–97; 98–100}}</ref>

==History==

In 1949, the Mutual Assistance Program (MAP)—later known as the Military Assistance Program—was started by the United States to provide military assistance and supplies to foreign countries needing to rebuild their military defenses after World War II.

In 1951, RCA was awarded a $4.5 million military contract to build a data processing machine to support the logistics necessary for the MAP. The result was the BIZMAC computer system.

The first BIZMAC machine was installed at the Ordnance Tank-Automotive Command (OTAC) in Detroit, Michigan in 1956.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Computers and Data Processors, North America: 4. RCA, BIZMAC II, Camden, New Jersey|journal=Digital Computer Newsletter|date=Jul 1957|volume=9|issue=3|pages=4–5 (4)|url=http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694625|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite conference |last1=Halstead |first1=W. K. |last2=Leas |first2=J. W. |last3=Marshall |first3=J. N. |last4=Minett |first4=E. E. |date=February 1956 |title=Purpose and application of the RCA BIZMAC system |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1455410.1455455 |conference=ACM-AIEE-IRE western computer conference |series=AIEE-IRE '56 (Western) |location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=119–123 |doi=10.1145/1455410.1455455 |isbn=978-1-4503-7858-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite conference |last=Owings |first=J. L. |date=1956 |title=The RCA BIZMAC system central |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1455410.1455457 |conference=ACM-AIEE-IRE western computer conference |series=AIEE-IRE '56 (Western) |location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=126–132 |doi=10.1145/1455410.1455457 |isbn=978-1-4503-7858-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite conference |last1=Beard |first1=A. D. |last2=Nettleton |first2=D. L. |last3=Bensky |first3=L. S. |last4=Poorte |first4=G. E. |date=1956 |title=Characteristics of the RCA BIZMAC computer |conference=ACM-AIEE-IRE western computer conference |series=AIEE-IRE '56 (Western) |location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=133–137 |doi=10.1145/1455410.1455458 |isbn=978-1-4503-7858-1|doi-access=free }}</ref> Eventually, BIZMAC computer systems were also installed at Higbee Department Stores, Travelers Insurance Company, and New York Life Insurance Company.<ref name="auto"/>

The huge BIZMAC system was very quickly made obsolete by faster and more reliable computer systems, including IBM's 705 computer as well as RCA's own transistorized 501 computer. The BIZMAC was taken offline from the OTAC in 1962.<ref name="auto"/> Only about six BIZMAC computers were actually made.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbV1t0JFyug|title=Vintage RCA Computers - A Brief Look at RCA 501 - History Archives, Transistors, Memory, Tapes|date=November 23, 2015|via=YouTube}}</ref>

==Features==

A unique feature of the BIZMAC was the use of hundreds of permanently mounted tape drives.<ref>{{Cite conference |last1=Beard |first1=A. D. |last2=Halstead |first2=W. K. |last3=Page |first3=J. F. |date=1956 |title=Functional organization of data in the RCA BIZMAC system |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1455410.1455456 |conference=ACM-AIEE-IRE western computer conference |series=AIEE-IRE '56 (Western) |location=New York, NY, USA |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=124–125 |doi=10.1145/1455410.1455456 |isbn=978-1-4503-7858-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This meant that tape data could be accessed immediately without constant mounting and dismounting individual tapes.

==Engineers== One of the original engineers of the BIZMAC was Arnold Spielberg, the father of film director and producer Steven Spielberg. Spielberg designed and patented an electronic library system used for searching data stored on magnetic tapes.<ref>https://www.computer.org/web/awards/pioneer-arnold-spielberg Arnold M. Spielberg: 2006 Computer Pioneer Award Recipient</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPT7QDJlko BIZMAC Computer History Archives Project - Cold War Military Technology] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbV1t0JFyug Vintage RCA Computers - A Brief Look at the RCA 501 - History Archives] * [http://www.cedmagic.com/history/rca-bizmac-computer.html 1956: RCA BIZMAC Computer] * [https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings/afips/1956/5048/00/50480133.pdf Characteristics of the' RCA BIZMAC Computer]

Category:1950s computers Category:Early computers Category:Computer-related introductions in 1956 Category:RCA computers