From: mike@solent.force9.co.uk (Mike Sutton) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: IBM and 4 computers Reply-To: mike@solent.force9.co.uk Message-ID: <37a88dc5.6900542@usenet.force9.net> X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 Lines: 11 Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 20:01:19 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 195.166.142.138 X-Complaints-To: abuse@plus.net.uk X-Trace: stones 933796853 195.166.142.138 (Wed, 04 Aug 1999 21:00:53 BST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 21:00:53 BST Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!landlord!stones.POSTED!not-for-mail Hi, I once remember hearing that Thomas J Watson Sr predicted that the world would only ever need 4 computers (I think one in usa, one in England and 2 in india). Does anyone have more info on this? -- Mike Sutton, Solent Software WebFaster, WebCheaper, WebStripper. http://www.solentsoftware.com mike@solentsoftware.com ###### Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers From: Eric Fischer Subject: Re: IBM and 4 computers X-Nntp-Posting-Host: mumble.uchicago.edu Message-ID: Originator: eric@fudge.uchicago.edu (Eric Fischer) Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator) X-Newsposter: Pnews 4.0-test51 (15 Jan 97) Organization: The University of Chicago References: <37a88dc5.6900542@usenet.force9.net> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 14:31:00 GMT Lines: 15 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.belnet.be!news.tvd.be!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!uchinews2!uchinews!not-for-mail Mike Sutton wrote: > I once remember hearing that Thomas J Watson Sr predicted that the > world would only ever need 4 computers ... Does anyone have more > info on this? Since no one else has followed up yet... There is a more reliable attribution of a similar statement to Howard Aiken. There was an article published about it last year: I. Bernard Cohen, "Howard Aiken on the Number of Computers Needed for the Nation," IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 20, no. 3, 1998, pp. 27-32. eric ###### From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa or Jeff) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: IBM and 4 computers Date: 5 Aug 1999 23:36:56 GMT Organization: Net Access BBS Lines: 24 Message-ID: <7od76o$j4f@netaxs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: bbs.cpcn.com Originator: root@bbs.cpcn.com Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!newshunter!cosy.sbg.ac.at!news-feed.inet.tele.dk!bofh.vszbr.cz!europa.netcrusader.net!207.8.136.130!news-xfer.newsread.com!news-toy.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!netaxs.newsread.com!bbs.cpcn.com!root > I once remember hearing that Thomas J Watson Sr predicted that the > world would only ever need 4 computers (I think one in usa, one in > England and 2 in india). This is a false myth. As his son explained in his autobiography, Watson Sr was very interested in electronics after WW II ended and sought to hire engineers. IBM's first efforts were in electronic calculator card punches. While not computers, IBM's machines were a lot cheaper and easier to use, and there was a substantial demand for them back in 1948. A crude computer-like arrangement, the CPC, was very popular among places that needed heavy duty calculations. It is true IBM got into computers later than Univac did, but IBM had just overhauled its comprehensive tab machine line that was, at that time (late 1940s, early 1950s) the mainstay of the data processing world and would continue to be for another ten years at least. IBM also chose to develop and build, using its own money, a general purpose computer. In that time, computers were custom designed and built for a specific user and application. IBM sold its 701 to 18 different customers. ###### From: Charles Richmond Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: IBM and 4 computers Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 02:27:49 +0000 Organization: Cannine Computer Center Lines: 22 Message-ID: <37AA4825.D02D3FEA@plano.net> References: <37a88dc5.6900542@usenet.force9.net> Reply-To: richmond@plano.net X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.03 (Macintosh; I; 68K) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!masternews.telia.net!newsfeed.direct.ca!remarQ73!supernews.com!remarQ.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail > Mike Sutton wrote: > > > I once remember hearing that Thomas J Watson Sr predicted that the > > world would only ever need 4 computers ... Does anyone have more > > info on this? > I have heard (through _The Machine that Changed the World_ PBS show in the US; I think it was called somthing different in Britain) that Thomas J. Watson, Sr. was against IBM getting into the computer business. He thought it might mess with their TAB machine business, which was very good at the time. It was Junior who wanted to build computers and finally prevailed. Old Joke: How was Thomas J. Watson, Sr. buried? Face down, nine edge first. -- +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Charles and Francis Richmond | +-------------------------------------------------------------+