List of early third-generation computers

This list of early third-generation computers, tabulates those computers using monolithic integrated circuits (ICs) as their primary logic elements, starting from small-scale integration CPUs (SSI) to large-scale integration CPUs (LSI). Computers primarily using ICs first came into use about 1961 for military use. With the availability of reliable low-cost ICs in the mid 1960s commercial third-generation computers using ICs started to appear.

The fourth generation of computers began with the shipment of CPS-1, the first commercial microprocessor microcomputer, in 1972 and for the purposes of this list marks the end of the "early" third-generation computer era. Third-generation computers were offered well into the 1990s.

The list is organized by delivery year to customers or production/operational date. In some cases only the first computer from any one manufacturer is listed. Computers announced, but never completed, are not included. Computers without documented manual input (keyboard/typewriter/control unit) are also not included.

Aerospace and military computers (1961-1971)

1961

Semiconductor Network Computer (Molecular Electronic Computer, Mol-E-Com),^[1]^[2]^[3] first monolithic integrated circuit^[4]^[5]^[6] general purpose computer (built for demonstration purposes, programmed to simulate a desk calculator) was built by Texas Instruments for the US Air Force.^[7]^[8]^[9]

1962

Martin MARTAC 420^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14] (Fairchild Micrologic^[15]^[16])
AC Spark Plug MAGIC^[17]^[18]^[19] (Fairchild Micrologic^[15]^[16])
Librascope L-90 series (silicon planar epitaxial semiconductor IC)^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23]

1963

UNIVAC 1824^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29]^[30]
Autonetics D37 (Solid Circuit, Texas Instruments^[31]^[32])

1965

Apollo Guidance Computer First installation^[33]^[34]
Burroughs D84
Litton L-304 - TTL IC^[35]
Honeywell ALERT - HLTTL IC^[36]^[37]^[38]
Autonetics D26 - DTL IC^[39]^[40]

1967

1970

AN/UYK-7
Rolm 1601 (AN/UYK-12(V)), Feb 1970

1971

AN/GYK-12 Militarized version of Litton L-3050

Commercial computers (1965-1971)

This table of commercial third-generation computers has been constructed by merging of several lists of computers^[42]^[43]^[44]^[45] offered from February 1965, the date of the shipment of the first commercial third-generation computer, through 1971 and then finding reliable sources as to the generation of the models listed and the associated dates.

Date^[a]	Manufacturer	Model	Comment
Feb 1965	Scientific Data Systems	SDS 92	First commercial third-generation computer
Sep 1965	Systems Engineering Laboratories, Inc.	810
Oct 1965	ASI Computer Division of Electro-Mechanical Research, Inc.^[b]	ASI 6070^[48]
Nov 1965	Systems Engineering Laboratories, Inc.	840
Dec 1965	Honeywell Information Systems	2200^[49]
Jan 1966	Computer Control Company	DDP-124
Jan 1966	Honeywell Information Systems	1200^[49]
Feb 1966	ASI Computer Division of Electro-Mechanical Research, Inc.^[b]	ASI 6050^[48]
Feb 1966	Honeywell Information Systems	120^[49]
Jun 1966	Honeywell Information Systems	DDP 516^[50]
Jul 1966	RCA	Spectra 70/35, /45 & /55
Aug 1966	Systems Engineering Laboratories, Inc.	810A/840A
Nov 1966	Ferranti	Argus 400
Nov 1966	Hewlett-Packard, Co.	2116A
Dec 1966	Business Information Technology	BIT 480^[51]^[52]
Dec 1966	Scientific Data Systems	Sigma 7
Jan 1967	Scientific Data Systems	Sigma 2
Feb 1967	General Electric	GE 4020^[53] (in Japanese)
Mar 1967	Interdata, Inc.	Interdata 3
Apr 1967	Electronic Associates, Inc.	EAI 640^[54]
May 1967	Honeywell Information Systems	4200^[49]
May 1967	Standard Computer Corporation	IC6000^[55]
Jun 1967	Univac	9200 & 9300
Jun 1967	Varian Data Machines	620/i
Aug 1967	Burroughs	B2500/3500 ^[56]^: 473
Aug 1967	Xerox Data Systems	Sigma 5
Sep 1967	Elbit Computers, Ltd.	100^[57]
Oct 1967	Marconi	Myriad II^[58]	Uses DTL
Oct 1967	ASI Computer Division of Electro-Mechanical Research, Inc.^[b]	ASI 6130^[59]
Oct 1967	Digiac Corporation	3080C^[60]
Oct 1967	Raytheon Computer	703^[61]
Dec 1967	Honeywell Information Systems	125^[62]
Jan 1968	Systems Engineering Laboratories, Inc.	840MP
Jan 1968	General Automation, Inc.	SPC-12
Apr 1968	Computer Automation, Inc.	PDC 808	Uses DTL circuits
Apr 1968	Digital Equipment Corp.	PDP-8/I^[63]
Apr 1968	Hewlett-Packard, Co.	2115A
c. Apr 1968	Spear	Micro-LINC 300	Uses MECL
May 1968	Texas Instruments, Inc	980^[64]
Jun 1968	Honeywell Information Systems	1648^[65]
Jul 1968	Hewlett-Packard, Co.	2116B
Jul 1968	Redcor Corporation	RC-70^[66]
Aug 1968	Honeywell Information Systems	1250^[62]
Sep 1968	Honeywell Information Systems	110^[49]
Sep 1968	National Cash Register	Century 100
Sep 1968	Standard Computer Corporation	IC4000^[55]
Sep 1968	Systems Engineering Laboratories, Inc.	810B
Oct 1968	Digital Equipment Corp.	PDP-8/L^[63]
Oct 1968	Hewlett-Packard, Co.	2114A
Oct 1968	Varian Data Machines	520/i
Nov 1968	General Automation, Inc.	SPC-8
Nov 1968	RCA	Spectra 70/46
Dec 1968	Bailey Meter	855
Dec 1968	Computer Automation, Inc.	PDC 816	Used TTL for logic
Dec 1968	Honeywell Information Systems	DDP 416^[67]
Dec 1968	Honeywell Information Systems	H632^[68]^[69]
Dec 1968	Micro Systems, Inc	Micro 800/810^[70]^[c]	TTL MSI, Core Memory, Microprogrammed
1968	Fujitsu, Ltd.	FACOM230-25, -35, -45
Feb 1969	Data General	Nova
Feb 1969	Honeywell Information Systems	8200
Mar 1969	Fujitsu, Ltd.	FACOM-R^[71]^[d]
Mar 1969	Lockheed Electronics	MAC-16
Mar 1969	Raytheon Computer	706^[72]
Apr 1969	Burroughs	B8500^[73]
Apr 1969	Philips Electrologica Limited	P350 series^[74]
Apr 1969	Scientific Control Corporation	SCC 4700^[75]
May 1969	Datacraft Corporation	DC-6024/1^[76]^[77]^[78]
May 1969	Univac	9400
Jun 1969	National Cash Register	Century 200^[79]
Jun 1969	Honeywell Information Systems	H316^[50]
Jun 1969	Standard Computer Corporation	IC7000^[55]
Jul 1969	Burroughs	B6500 ^[56]^: 449
Aug 1969	Westinghouse Electric	2500^[80]
Sep 1969	Tempo Computers, Inc.	1/1-A^[81]
Nov 1969	Hewlett-Packard, Co.	2114B
Dec 1969	IBM	360/85
Dec 1969	Xerox Data Systems	Sigma 3
1969	International Computers and Tabulators	ICT 1900A
Jan 1970	Business Information Technology	BIT 483^[82]
Jan 1970	GRI Computer Corp.	GRI 909^[83]
Jan 1970	IBM	System/3
Feb 1970	Digital Equipment Corp.	PDP-15^[63]
Feb 1970	Honeywell Information Systems	3200^[49]
Feb 1970	Datacraft Corporation	DC-6024/3^[84]^[77]^[78]
Feb 1970	CII	Iris 50
Early 1970	U. of Illinois	ILLIAC IV
Mar 1970	Digital Scientific Corp.	META 4^[85]
Apr 1970	Digital Equipment Corp.	PDP-11/20^[63]
Apr 1970	Raytheon Computer	704^[86]
Apr 1970	Viatron Computer Systems Corp.	Viatron 2140 & 2150
May 1970	Data General	SuperNova
May 1970	General Automation, Inc.	SPC-16
Jun 1970	Texas Instruments, Inc	960^[64]
Jul 1970	Unicomp, Inc.	COMP-16^[87]
Aug 1970	Digital Computer Controls, Inc	DCC-112^[57]
Sep 1970	RCA	Spectra 70/60
Sep 1970	Wang Laboratories, Inc.	Wang 3300
Sep 1970	Philips Business Systems, Inc.	P850/855/860^[88]
Fall 1970	Datamate Computer Systems, Inc.	70^[89]
before Nov 1970	GRI Computer Corporation	99^[90]
before Nov 1970	Varisystems Corporation	PAC-16/2^[91]
Dec 1970	Modular Computer Systems, Inc	III^[92]
1970	Fujitsu, Ltd.	FACOM230-15
1970	Unicomp, Inc.	COMP-18^[87]
Jan 1971	IBM	370/155
Feb 1971	RCA	Spectra 70/61
Mar 1971	Digital Equipment Corp.	PDP-8/E^[63]
Mar 1971	General Electric	GE 655
Apr 1971	Data General Corp.	Nova 800
Apr 1971	IBM	370/165
Jun 1971	IBM	370/145
Dec 1971	Data General Corp.	Nova 1200
1971	Fujitsu, Ltd.	FACOM230-45S

Notes

^
Unless otherwise noted date is "first customer shipment" or "first practical demonstration" taken from the following sources listed in priority order:
1. Dates with reliable sources in linked Wikipedia articles
2. Digital Computer Census (1964-1974)^[93]
3. Auerbach EDP Series No.4 - Minicomputers,^[43] Appendix C. Product Comparison charts
4. Dead Medium: Dead computational platforms, dead mainframes, and their dates^[42]
To the extent there is a conflict between sources, only the highest priority source is used.
^ ^a ^b ^c ASI became EMR-Computer in 1964.^[46] Later sold to Univac.^[47]
^ Sold in Europe as Intertechnique Multi-8
^ Generation 3 estimated based upon dates of other older models from manufacturer

References

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^
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^ ^a ^b
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^ GRI-99 System Reference Manual Oct72
^ Varisystem
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Works cited

Baechler, D. O. (Jun 22, 1967). "Table 2 – Characteristics of Aerospace Computers". State-of-the-Art of Aerospace Digital Computers, 1962-1967: 24 – via NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS). Alt URL
Baechler, D. O. (Jan 14, 1969). "Table 1 – Characteristics of Aerospace Computers". Aerospace Digital Computer Design Trends – Case 103 – via NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS).