UNIVAC I
From Computer History Wiki
| UNIVAC I | |
| Manufacturer: | Remington Rand |
|---|---|
| Year Design Started: | Early 1947 |
| Year First Shipped: | March. 1951 |
| Form Factor: | mainframe |
| Word Size: | 72 bits |
| Logic Type: | vacuum tubes |
| Design Type: | serial asynchronous |
| Clock Speed: | 2.25 Mhz (basic - serial machine; add - 120 usec for operation, 525 usec for complete instruction) |
| Memory Speed: | 400 μsec (maximum) |
| Physical Address Size: | 3 digits (decimal) |
| Predecessor(s): | EDVAC |
| Successor(s): | UNIVAC II |
| Price: | US$1250-1500K (system) |
The 'UNIVAC I ('UNIVersal Automatic Computer'; originally, just plain 'UNIVAC') was the first commercially available computer in the US.
It was a vacuum tube machine, using mercury delay lines for main memory, with the CPU operating in serial mode (to match the memory output). Its word size was 72 bits, with two instructions per word.
The only input/output devices were magnetic tape units, the 'UNISERVO'. Data could be tranferred to from tape with offline peripherals.
