The Metrovick 950 is a transistorised computer first completed in 1956 by the British electrical-engineering company Metropolitan-Vickers, part of Associated Electrical Industries (AEI). Six machines were built in total, of which several were successfully deployed internally, remaining in use for about five years; one machine was supplied to Queens University Belfast, and another to the AEI computer centre in Sale, Greater Manchester.[1][2]
The 950 was an adaptation of the Transistor ComputerInnovative series of stored-program electronic computers developed during the 30-year period between 1947 and 1977 by a small team at the University of Manchester, under the leadership of Tom Kilburn. developed at the University of Manchester, the first version of which was operational in November 1953.[3] The main improvement made by Metropolitan Vickers was to modify the circuitry to make use of junction transistors instead of the less reliable germanium point-contact transistors.[1]
The Metrovick 950 comprised about 230 transistors, mounted on 90 printed circuit boards. It was succeeded by the AEI 1010Commercial development of the Metrovick 950, one of the earliest transistorised computers. in the late 1950s, which made use of fast-access ferrite core main storage instead of the magnetic drum the 950 relied on for the storage of data and instructions.[2]
See also
- Manchester computersInnovative series of stored-program electronic computers developed during the 30-year period between 1947 and 1977 by a small team at the University of Manchester, under the leadership of Tom Kilburn.