IBM 601
1931 unit record machine that could multiply
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The IBM 601 Multiplying Punch was a unit record machine that could read two numbers from a punched card and punch their product in a blank field on the same card. The factors could be up to eight decimal digits long.[1] The 601 was introduced in 1931 and was the first IBM machine that could do multiplication.[2][3]
TypeElectromechanical calculator
Released1931
| |
 IBM 601 Multiplying Punch | |
| Type | Electromechanical calculator |
|---|---|
| Released | 1931 |
| Successor | IBM 602 (electromechanical) IBM 603 (vacuum tube) |
In 1936 W. J. Eckert connected a modified 601 to a 285 tabulator and an 016 duplicating punch through a custom switch he designed and used the combined setup to perform scientific calculations.[4]
