Data entry terminals IBM had developed an efficient
batch processing concept as the basis for most of its computer installations. In this approach, users did not interact with the computers directly, instead they would prepare their programs and data on separate systems, often mechanical or electromechanical, and then give the resulting information to the computer operators to process. The most common example from the IBM market was to input data using a
punch card machine and then pass the resulting "deck" of punch cards to the computer operators. The operators would then load those cards into a tray containing many such decks, which would be processed one by one and the results output typically to a
computer printer. The printout would then be returned to the user. To further improve performance, several card readers could be connected to a single
magnetic tape machine, often run by a low-end computer. The decks would then be transferred to tape which could be loaded into the main computer more rapidly. Likewise, output was directed to another tape, which was then removed and placed in another system that could drive multiple printers. This style of operation ensured that the machine was used efficiently, with little downtime between "jobs". The main downside to this approach is that it is expensive. Punch cards and computer printouts are not free, and their use often accounted for a considerable amount of the overall cost of running the system. IBM, having invested heavily in the batch processing concept, introduced the
IBM 3740 as a way to address the costs associating with this style of operation. The system was essentially like a card punch in overall concept, but replaced the cards with
floppy disks which could be reused many times, eliminating the cost of using cards. The disks also ran much faster, which could eliminate the need for additional machines like card-to-tape systems and tape-to-printer. Instead, the user would give the floppy to the operators, and the computer would read the data from the disk and push the output back to it. The user could then retrieve the disk and examine or print the results at the 3740.
5280 The 3740 was introduced in 1973, a time when the computer industry was changing rapidly. Through the 1960s, new concepts of how to arrange the data flow began to eliminate the middle steps, using
terminals connected directly to a computer and software on that machine that could efficiently switch between inputs and outputs. This style of operation,
timesharing, could outperform batch processing in some case, as any time that the machine might be waiting on external devices, like waiting for paper to be loaded into a printer, would then be switched to another process that was ready to run. Much more importantly, from the user's perspective, was that the total end-to-end time to run a process was reduced, as the user themselves entered the data directly into the machine and retrieved the output as soon as it was complete. Even if it took longer to run the program itself, the total turnaround time was greatly reduced. Users greatly preferred this style of operation. By the mid-1970s, new "smart" terminals had further eroded the value of the batch processing concept, even one based on terminals like the 3740. Moreover, the introduction of low-cost
microprocessors and
dynamic RAM allowed a desktop machine to offer much greater power than those of the early 1970s. These changes significantly eroded the value of systems like the 3740, which could not be programmed to provide editing commands on the terminal end. A smart terminal, for instance, could change its style of editing under program control, and thus tailor itself from a system aiding the entry of text in a
word processor to something able to handle the needs of the
APL language. IBM's response to this problem was the 5280, which they described as a "Distributed Data System" in its 1980 announcement. Its role was described as "a new low-cost product family to enter data into larger computers, communicate data and process data on the spot." In contrast to the desk-sized 3740, the 5280 was about the size of a contemporary all-in-one
microcomputer like the
TRS-80 Model III. A keyboard extended from the front of the machine, with a large (for the era)
computer monitor above it and to the left, and one or two 8-inch floppy drives to the right of the monitor. Instead of being a desk, the 5280 sat on one. However, those same changes in technology were leading to new desktop computers that could perform all of the actions of the 5280, while being complete computers on their own. This change was hastened by the introduction of the
IBM PC, which had all of the capabilities of the 5280 and differed largely in that they stored data on the newest 5.25-inch disks rather than 8-inch. The need for systems like the 5280 was greatly reduced, and as the cost difference was minimal, the concept of a dedicated data entry system largely disappeared and the 5280 was not very successful. By 1982, IBM conceded that these offerings had "stiff competition" (described by a securities analyst as "have not been doing all that well.") ==Configuration==