Archives:The Computer Pioneers: The TX-0

Abstract

The Computer Pioneers was originally intended to be a documentary examining the history of the development of computers produced by Richard Solomon in association with MIT.  This segment of the unfinished documentary discusses the development of the TX-0 computer.

The TX-0 computer was built in 1955 and made operational in 1956.  It was, in essence, a transistorized version of MITs Whirlwind computer, although it was much smaller and slightly faster than the Whirlwind.  Almost immediately after completion, MIT turned to working on the TX-1.  The TX-1 proved to be problematic and focus turned to the TX-2. Due to the high cost of materials at the time, much of the memory in the TX-0 was taken out to use in the TX-2 design. The TX-0 was then given to MITs Research Laboratory of Electronics where it would become an important part of what would become the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. The TX-0 was used to develop many advances in computing, including the areas of speech and handwriting recognition as well as the tools necessary to use them.

This footage was shot on November 13, 1983.

Development of the TX-0 at MIT - November 13, 1983, participants include Doug Ross and Harrison (Dit) Morse, Electronic Systems Group alumni, interview conducted by Gordon Bell.