They only had 7 track tapes at the time. 9 track tapes introduced with S/360 in 1964. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9_track_tape
On Sun, Nov 15, 2020 at 3:36 PM Paul Gilmartin <0000000433f07816-dmarc-requ...@listserv.ua.edu> wrote: > > On Sun, 15 Nov 2020 15:13:24 -0600, Mike Schwab wrote: > > >Sorry. First computer to use 8 bits per character. > > > Wikipedia, not necessarily an authority, says: > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_7030_Stretch#Data_formats > Alphanumeric characters are variable length and can use any character > code of 8 bits or less. > > ... so, if true, 8 bits was at least possible. Was it widely in "use"? > > >On Sun, Nov 15, 2020 at 11:09 AM Seymour J Metz wrote: > >> > >> > You have to remember that S/360 was the first 8 bit computer. > >> > >> What is the 7030, chopped liver? > > -- gil > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN -- Mike A Schwab, Springfield IL USA Where do Forest Rangers go to get away from it all? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
