IBM System 3

The IBM System/3 was an IBM midrange computer introduced in 1969, and marketed until 1985. It was produced by IBM Rochester in Minnesota as a low-end business computer aimed at new customers and organizations that still used IBM 1400 series computers or unit record equipment. The first member of what IBM refers to as their "midrange" line, it also introduced the RPG II programming language.

The system was targeted to smaller businesses that could not afford IBM's traditional mainframe models. Entry models had as few as 4K (4096) bytes of magnetic-core memory, and many of the original System/3 model 10 units were shipped diskless, with only a card reader/sorter/punch I/O and a printer.

It featured a new punched card format that was smaller and stored 96 characters. Instead of the rectangular punches in the classic IBM card, the new cards had tiny (1 mm), circular holes much like paper tape. Data was stored in six-bit binary-coded decimal code, with three rows of 32 characters each, or 8-bit EBCDIC, with the two extra holes located in the top rows. Cards had room for 128 printed characters in four rows of 32 characters each. The new cards were about 1/3 the size of the original 80 column cards but held 20% more text data (96 characters). The smaller, and thus lighter card could be processed with faster equipment and with fewer jams.

The most common punched-card device was IBM 5424 Multifunction Card Unit (MFCU) which read, punched, printed on and sorted the new 96-column cards. Available as RPQs (special order equipment) to handle 80-column cards were the IBM 2560 Multifunction Card Machine (MFCM) which could read, punch, interpret and sort, and the IBM 1442 which could only read and punch. A smaller (IBM 5203) printer was attached to the main system (see photo, fan-fold paper showing). Later on, IBM offered multiple models of the existing IBM 1403 printer line, which had been originally built for the IBM 1401 computer. A modified Selectric typewriter was often used as a console.

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