DIGITAL DIGITAL Computing Timeline
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<1959>

Design work begins on DIGITAL Memory Test Systems.

From a Digital technical report dated March 1960:
"DEC1500 series memory testers -- complete systems for testing coincident current core memories under simulated computer conditions. DEC memory testers will test planes up to 64 by 64 with several patterns of information quickly and completely in a single operation."

The 3000 series Laboratory Modules and 4000 series Systems Modules go on the market.

The 3000 series Laboratory Modules ran at 500 kHz. The 4000 series Systems Modules ran at 1 MHz and were principal components in the PDP-4 and PDP-5. Shown here are the modules in place in a PDP-4.

August:
Design work begins on Digital's first computer, the Programmed Data Processor-1 (PDP-1).

A young hardware engineer named Ben Gurley was hired to design DIGITAL's first computer. Three and a half months later, the prototype Programmed Data Processor-1 (PDP-1) was complete. In December, the prototype was demonstrated at the Eastern Joint Computer Conference in Boston.

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