 Amdahl Memorabilia Company: Amdahl Corporation
Based: Sunnyvale, CA. Founder: Gene Amdahl Founded: 1970 (became a subsidiary of Fujitsu in 1997 Specialty: Developing IBM Mainframe compatible computer products. Early Pioneer of Air-Cooled CPU's. |  An Amdahl Model 5860 from the 580 Series (1982) |
Amdahl 5860 Computer Air Cooled Logic processor (early-mid 1980s)
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Gene Amdahl had designed the revolutionary family of 360 computers for IBM, but left the company in 1970 to create a rival organization. For five long years, his company worked feverishly, developing a computer that was faster and less expensive than the IBM System/360 mainframe computer systems.
The 470V/6, introduced in 1975, was an immediate success. The following year. Amdahl Corporation went public. In the 1970s, when IBM had come to dominate the mainframe industry, Amdahl created plug-compatible computers that could be used with the same hardware and software as Models from IBM, but were more cost-effective. These machines gave IBM some of the little competition it had in that very high-margin computer market segment.
Proverbially, during this time savvy IBM customers liked to have Amdahl coffee mugs visible in their offices when IBM salespeople came to visit. While winning about 8% of the mainframe business worldwide, Amdahl won a position of market leader in some regions, most notably Charlotte, North Carolina. In the early to mid-1990's, Amdahl won most of the major contracts for mainframes in the Carolina's.
In the late 70s & 80s the larger IBM mainframe computers were water cooled. Amdahl, an IBM competitor, invented an air cooling technology for it's mainframe computers. The Amdahl 5860 was the 2nd generation Amdahl mainframe following the pioneering 470V/6. Amdahl continued to lead IBM with this air-cooled, LSI, bi-polar technology which enabled Amdahl to offer mainframes that outperformed IBM's best in the early 1980s. The chips use Emitter Coupled Technology, which though fast, used a lot of electricity, so generated a lot of heat that had to be dispersed.
This Lucite cube contains an actual Amdahl logic chip with an air cooling device mounted on top of it - a pioneering achievement for the time.
Measures 2" x 2" x 2".
The 470V/6, introduced in 1975, was an immediate success. The following year. Amdahl Corporation went public. In the 1970s, when IBM had come to dominate the mainframe industry, Amdahl created plug-compatible computers that could be used with the same hardware and software as Models from IBM, but were more cost-effective. These machines gave IBM some of the little competition it had in that very high-margin computer market segment.
Proverbially, during this time savvy IBM customers liked to have Amdahl coffee mugs visible in their offices when IBM salespeople came to visit. While winning about 8% of the mainframe business worldwide, Amdahl won a position of market leader in some regions, most notably Charlotte, North Carolina. In the early to mid-1990's, Amdahl won most of the major contracts for mainframes in the Carolina's.
In the late 70s & 80s the larger IBM mainframe computers were water cooled. Amdahl, an IBM competitor, invented an air cooling technology for it's mainframe computers. The Amdahl 5860 was the 2nd generation Amdahl mainframe following the pioneering 470V/6. Amdahl continued to lead IBM with this air-cooled, LSI, bi-polar technology which enabled Amdahl to offer mainframes that outperformed IBM's best in the early 1980s. The chips use Emitter Coupled Technology, which though fast, used a lot of electricity, so generated a lot of heat that had to be dispersed.
This Lucite cube contains an actual Amdahl logic chip with an air cooling device mounted on top of it - a pioneering achievement for the time.
Measures 2" x 2" x 2".
|  Amdahl Processor Top View |
Amdahl 5860 Computer Air Cooled LSI RAM Chip (early-mid 1980s)
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This is an Amdahl LSI RAM chip in a clear Lucite cube. The 5860 computer had RAM chips that were mounted on PCB's arranged in arrays alongside similar style logic chips.
These chip paperweights were very popular with the Amdahl sales reps in the 1980's since they featured an Amdahl unique cooling tower designed to achieve cooling with air only, no water cooling as required by IBM mainframes.
Measures 2" x 2" x 2".
These chip paperweights were very popular with the Amdahl sales reps in the 1980's since they featured an Amdahl unique cooling tower designed to achieve cooling with air only, no water cooling as required by IBM mainframes.
Measures 2" x 2" x 2".
Amdahl 5890 Mainframe Computer First Shipment (1986)
Item #487
Clear Lucite paperweight with miniature Pewter models inside of each of the Amdahl 5890 Mainframe computer system's components. Reads "Amdahl celebrates first 5890 shipment, June 1986".
Amdahl's model 5890, introduced in October 1985 to compete directly with IBM's Sierra-class CPU, stood up against its IBM counterpart in reliability and technology and offered multiprocessor capabilities that enhanced the performance range of Amdahl processors. In June 1986, Amdahl began shipping its new model. The computers performed even better than advertised, and final quarter sales boosted revenues to nearly $1 billion. The success of the model 5890 was reflected in Amdahl's increased customer base. Continued shipment of its successful product lines during 1987 catapulted Amdahl's revenues to $1.5 billion, an increase of almost 56 percent over the previous year, and earnings jumped nearly 250 percent. The company upgraded its successful 5890 to keep abreast of improvements in IBM's 3090 computer.
There were three parts to the 5890's system; operator console, power controller, and the multi-processor computer module. Fujitsu drives were commonly used along with this system for data storage. The main color is white/cream with red trim on the equipment.
Cube measures 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Amdahl's model 5890, introduced in October 1985 to compete directly with IBM's Sierra-class CPU, stood up against its IBM counterpart in reliability and technology and offered multiprocessor capabilities that enhanced the performance range of Amdahl processors. In June 1986, Amdahl began shipping its new model. The computers performed even better than advertised, and final quarter sales boosted revenues to nearly $1 billion. The success of the model 5890 was reflected in Amdahl's increased customer base. Continued shipment of its successful product lines during 1987 catapulted Amdahl's revenues to $1.5 billion, an increase of almost 56 percent over the previous year, and earnings jumped nearly 250 percent. The company upgraded its successful 5890 to keep abreast of improvements in IBM's 3090 computer.
There were three parts to the 5890's system; operator console, power controller, and the multi-processor computer module. Fujitsu drives were commonly used along with this system for data storage. The main color is white/cream with red trim on the equipment.
Cube measures 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Amdahl Computer Manual Binder (1980s)
Item #405
Amdahl Corporation was founded by Dr. Gene Amdahl, a former IBM employee, in 1970, and specialized in IBM Mainframe compatible computer products. It has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu since 1997. The company is located in Sunnyvale, California.
Amdahl company binder in burnt orange with Amdahl logo in white.
Amdahl company binder in burnt orange with Amdahl logo in white.
 Amdahl Sunnyvale Headquarters (1976) |
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