DIGITAL DIGITAL Computing Timeline
1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957
<1970>

The PDP-8/E, successor to the PDP-8/I, is introduced (shown here with contemporary footwear).

The PDP-8/E featured the OMNIBUS -- a patented synchronous bus that handles bi-directional communication between system elements. A single OMNIBUS contained enough slots to handle up to 32K words of core memory, or up to 10 peripheral controllers. Shortly after the introduction of the PDP-8/E, DIGITAL installed its 10,000th computer system.

DIGITAL introduces the TU10 magnetic tape unit.

The TU10 DECmagtape unit was available in eight different models. Each model incorporated a transport mechanism, head assembly, read/write electronics, motor control circuits, power supply, and cabinet. Bit packing densities of 200, 556, and 800 bits per inch (bpi) were program selectable. A single capstan drove the tape in the forward or reverse direction at a speed of 45 inches per second (ips).

April:
The PDP-11/20, the first of DIGITAL's 16-bit family of machines, is delivered.

The PDP-11/20 was the first minicomputer to interface all system elements -- processor, memory and peripherals -- to a single, bi-directional, asynchronous bus. The UNIBUS enabled fast devices to send, receive or exchange data without intermediate buffering in memory. The PDP-11 became the world's most successful family of minicomputers.

DIGITAL introduces three new peripherals: the LA30 DECwriter, the TU10 magnetic tape unit and the VT05 alphanumeric keyboard terminal.

The VT05 was the first video terminal manufactured by DIGITAL.

MUMPS software for the PDP-15 is introduced.

MUMPS was developed as a general purpose data management language at Massachusetts General Hospital; it allowed up to twenty-two users to simultaneously access a database held on disk. MUMPS-15 systems were used extensively in such areas as hospital information and stock and warehouse control.

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