IBM 1130 Computer

The IBM 1130 computer was first introduced on the 11th February 1965. A small yet powerful machine, it was designed for use to suit a diverse range of professions. Essentially, it was a data processing facility which allowed users to handle substantial amounts of data in a way that was more efficient and effective. As IBM’s lowest priced computer at the time and one of the earliest data processing computers that was affordable for the mass market, it proved very popular. TNMOC’s IBM 1130 is one of only five known operational 1130 systems in the world. The IBM 1130 on display at TNMOC dates to around 1968. It was used by Liverpool University, in the Nuclear Physics Department until 1982. The IBM 1130 has a card punch and reader that was used for several IBM computer systems, contributing to making punched card technology accessible to the masses.