Design of a Computer. The Control Data 6600.

the first commercially successful supercomputer

First edition of this important book on the first successful supercomputer. An unusually attractive copy in the dust jacket.

The CDC 6600 was the world's most powerful computer between 1964 and 1969, and was immensely successful, selling more than 100 units. Many were designated for nuclear weapons and physics research at institutions such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and CERN, and others were obtained by university computer science laboratories. The machine's abilities surpassed those of the IBM 7030, leading its president Thomas Watson to write a now-famous memo stating that, 'I fail to understand why we have lost our industry leadership position by letting someone offer the world's most powerful computer'. Gordon Moore published 'Moore's Law' just a year after production began, and the CDC 6600 became the benchmark for the concept.

First edition, first printing; 8vo; diagrams and illustrations within the text, faint number written in green pencil on title, otherwise contents fresh; original brown cloth, titles to spine and upper board in gilt and black, yellow endpapers printed with data tables, an excellent copy in the lightly rubbed jacket with faded spine panel; 181pp.