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IBM's Mainframe Dinosaur Turns 40

Posted by simoniker on from the not-so-purple dept.

theodp writes "According to an SFGate.com article, PCs were supposed to kill off the mainframe, but Big Blue's big boxes are still crunching numbers, posting sales of $4.2 billion in 2003. First unveiled on April 7, 1964, the IBM mainframe computer celebrates its 40th birthday this week with a sold-out party at the Computer History Museum." The SFGate article also reveals: "Doug Balog, an IBM vice president, noted that 70 percent of the world's data are still housed in mainframe computers."

13 of 384 comments (clear)

  1. Never in a million years... by xeon4life · · Score: 5, Funny

    Skynet wont be able to take over with just a bunch o' desktops...

    --
    Real programmers can write assembly code in any language. -- Larry Wall
  2. IBM management said that did they? by Colourspace · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thank god IBM's management are less susceptible to the '70% of statistics are made up on the spot' rule that other managers aren't....

  3. Re:If it aint broke..... by adler187 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or, "If it ain't broke... You aren't trying hard enough!" (according to Red Green that is)

  4. The other 30 percent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    "Doug Balog, an IBM vice president, noted that 70 percent of the world's data are still housed in mainframe computers."
    ..and Google stores the other 30 percent.
  5. Obso1337 by isomeme · · Score: 5, Funny

    mainframe n. An obsolete device still used by thousands of obsolete companies serving billions of obsolete customers and making huge obsolete profits for their obsolete shareholders. And this year's run twice as fast as last year's.

    - The Devil's IT Dictionary

    --
    When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a skull.
  6. 70%? by Nutt · · Score: 5, Funny

    "..noted that 70 percent of the world's data are still housed in mainframe computers."

    They obviously haven't seen my pron collection!

    1. Re:70%? by Malfourmed · · Score: 4, Funny

      You obviously haven't seen theirs.

      --
      a world in progress...
  7. Ah, Engineers by segfault7375 · · Score: 4, Funny


    The IBM mainframe computer celebrates its 40th birthday this week with a sold-out party at the Computer History Museum

    Yeah, I'll bet that's going to be a real barn burner :)

  8. Re:A different kind of mainframe by Kozar_The_Malignant · · Score: 5, Funny

    >the actual guts of these computers have actually improved with the times

    God, yes. You hardly ever see iron-core memory anymore, and punch cards are being phased out right and left.
    --
    Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
  9. Re:Support is easier on a mainframe. by PCM2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's easy to have a 6-year uptime when the only applications it's running are tic tac toe, chess, and Global Thermonuclear War.

    --
    Breakfast served all day!
  10. I don't understand by Mr.+Piddle · · Score: 4, Funny

    posting sales of $4.2 billion

    So, IBM sold three mainframes. What's the big deal, here?

    --
    Vote in November. You won't regret it.
  11. Re:Big iron I/O rocks... by lacrymology.com · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I could walk inside it."

    Ahhhh! So YOU were the bug. ;)

    -m

    --

    #
    # Modus Ponens
    #
  12. Correction by M.C.+Hampster · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Doug Balog, an IBM vice president, noted that 70 percent of the world's data are still housed in mainframe computers."

    should read:

    "Doug Balog, an IBM vice president, noted that 70 percent of the world's data are still inaccessible and locked up in mainframe computers."
    --
    Forget the whales - save the babies.