ibm 360

1 definition found

ibm 360 - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  System/360
  IBM 360
  
     <computer> The generic name for the CPUs and architecture
     released by IBM on 1964-04-07.  The 360 was marketed as a
     general purpose computer with 'all round' functionality -
     hence 360 (degrees).
  
     Models ranged from the 360/20 to the 360/65 and later the
     360/95, with typical memory configurations from 16K to 1024K.
  
     Elements of the architecture, such as the basic instruction set
      are still in use on IBM mainframes today.  Operating
     System/360 (OS/360) was developed for System/360.  Other
     associated operating systems included DOS, OS/MFT and
     OS/MVT.
  
     The 360 architecture was based on an 8-bit byte, 16 general
     purpose registers, 24-bit addressing, and a PSW (Program
     Status Word) including a location counter.
  
     Gene Amdahl, then an IBM employee, is generally acknowledged
     as the 360's chief architect.  He later went on to found
     Amdahl Corporaton, a manufacture of PCM mainframe
     equipment.
  
     The 360's predecessors were the smaller IBM 1401 and the
     large IBM 7090 series.  If was followed by the IBM 370.
  
     See also ABEND, ALC, BAL, Big Red Switch, HCF, mode bit
     , PL360, PL/S.
  
     (2004-06-06)