Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Department of Computer Science Technical Reports Department of Computer Science 1991 PHILCO: Some Recollections of the PHILCO TRANSAC S-2000 Saul Rosen Report Number: 91-051 Rosen, Saul, "PHILCO: Some Recollections of the PHILCO TRANSAC S-2000" (1991). Department of Computer Science Technical Reports. Paper 891. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cstech/891 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact
[email protected] for additional information. PIllLCO: SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PIllLCO TRANSAC S-2000 Saul Rosen CSD-TR-91-051 June 1991 PHILCO: SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PHILCO 1RANSAC S-2000 Saul Rosen CSD-lR 91-051 June 3. 1991 Abstract In 1954 engineers at Philco Corporation invented the Surface Barrier TransisLof. the first Lmnsistor that was suil able for usc in high speed computers. Philco set up a com puter activity, eventually a Computer Division, and in 1957 introduced the PhiIco Transac 5-2000, lhe first large scale transistorized scientific compuLer system offered as a product by a computer manufacturer. In the Spring of 1958 I was hired by Philco to organize a programming systems depart ment La provide sofLwarc support for the new computer sys tem. This paper presents part of the history of the Philco computer effon from lhe point of view of one participant There were problems lhal were solved and difficulties rnat were overcome, and there were a number of successful insLaI lalions. However, the Philco Computer Division did nol have adequate resources 10 rcmain compel..ilive in an area dom inated by IBM, and Philco withdrew from the general pur pose computer field in 1965.