|
October 1961 Popular Science
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early
electronics. See articles from
Popular
Science, published 1872-2021. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
|
In his spare time, when
not developing world-changing concepts of information theory,
Claude Shannon designed this Minivac 601 programmable computer for students
and hobbyists. It had 6 bits of data storage, implemented with electromechanical
relays. Its output consisted of six incandescent lamps. Marketed by
Scientific Development Corporation, advertisements for it appeared in
magazines like Popular Science in the early 1960s. $85 in 1961 is the equivalent of around
$885 today per the
BLS CPI calculator, which is about what high end smartphones cost today. Since this ad is pitching a computer, let us perform a
few simple calculations. Inflation from 1961 through 2024 represents a factor of
10.4 in 63 years, an average of 0.165x per year. Four short years ago the
equivalent price was
$731, representing a factor of 8.6 in 59 years, an average
of 0.146x per year. Continuing, 0.165/yr ÷ 0.146/yr = 1.12, or a 12%
increase in the last four years. Let me know if my math is wrong.
Scientific Development Corporation Minivac 601
  Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars in Research Time
... Nothing Like It On the Market
Minivac ®601
scientific exploration ... education ... experimentation at the 24" console of
this amazing computer
Minivac 601
is a unique digital computer - the small computer - the small brother of huge
electronic brains that are the newest tools of science and industry. Minivac has
memory - it thinks ... it can even play games. It prepares teenagers and adults
for the world of tomorrow.
Created as a private project by Dr. Claude E. Shannon, now Donner Professor of
Science, MIT, and developed by the SDC staff, Minivac 601 is built of professional
components to professional standards.
It opens the way to exciting experimentation with circuits that solve problems
and make decisions. It enables you to duplicate control systems like those used
in advanced missiles. You may program it to demonstrate data processing techniques
used in business. Hundreds of experiments are contained in the booklets. But this
is only the beginning. The only limit to Minivac's accomplishments is the imagination
of the machine's master.
$85.00
A complete set of 6 instruction manuals included. "Getting Acquainted with Minivac
601", "What is a Digital Computer?", "How Computers Make Logical Decisions", "How
Computers Do Arithmetic", "How Computers Work for Man", and "Minivac Games".
Scientific Development Corporation
Consumer Products Division
372 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts
***
Scientific Development Corp., Consumer Products Division
372 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
Please send free brochure giving complete information on Minivac 601 ... what
it is ... what it does ... how it operates.
Name ____________________________________
Address ___________________________________
City _________________ Zone ___ State ____
Posted May 21, 2024
|
