[RndTbl] Roundtable Digest, Vol 202, Issue 11

vsankar at foretell.ca vsankar at foretell.ca
Tue Oct 26 15:50:25 CDT 2021 

Hi,

This seems to have cost data from 1975 to 1985. Hopefully it is relevant info.

Vijay

Monthly Labor Review - Volume 109, Issue 9 - Page 10books.google.ca › books <https://books.google.ca/books?id=2BaU-56SOfUC&pg=PA10&dq=how+much+did+mainframe+computer+usage+cost+in+1975&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmuN3g-OjzAhU0Ln0KHWNeAHYQ6AF6BAgEEAI>
1986
FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 10
Domestic consumption of micro , mini , and mainframe computers , " 1960–84 [ Dollars in millions ) Table 4. ... declining component costs , and other technical developments led to the introduction of the personal computer in 1975.
Vijay Sankar
ForeTell Technologies Limited
vsankar at foretell.ca

> On Oct 26, 2021, at 12:00 PM, roundtable-request at muug.ca wrote:
> 
> Send Roundtable mailing list submissions to
> 	roundtable at muug.ca
> 
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> 	https://muug.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> 	roundtable-request at muug.ca
> 
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> 	roundtable-owner at muug.ca
> 
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Roundtable digest..."
> 
> 
> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. How much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?
>      (Brian Lowe)
>   2. Re: How much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?
>      (Adam Thompson)
>   3. Re: How much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?
>      (Adam Thompson)
>   4. Re: How much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?
>      (Scott Toderash)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2021 20:56:07 -0500
> From: Brian Lowe <brian2 at groupbcl.ca>
> To: roundtable at muug.ca
> Subject: [RndTbl] How much did one second of computer time cost in
> 	1975?
> Message-ID: <7988573.jIZ38J7S2z at haremya.renyamon.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> Today with multi-core CPUs running at gigahertz speeds attached to gigabytes 
> of RAM and terabytes of disc space, we're well used to running programs that 
> require what would be enormous resources back when mainframes ruled the data 
> centre.
> 
> My question is "how much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?" This 
> assumes the program in question is being run on a mainframe from IBM or any of 
> the other manufacturers of the day. Of course, there are a lot of factors to 
> consider: leasing costs, staffing, power and cooling, if the system could run 
> more than one program simultaneously, and how computer time was charged back 
> to the users.
> 
> I'm interested to know if anyone on this list has had experience with this 
> sort of system accounting, and if they can recall some numbers.
> 
> Regards,
> Brian
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:17:13 -0500
> From: Adam Thompson <athompso at athompso.net>
> To: Continuation of Round Table discussion <roundtable at muug.ca>, Brian
> 	Lowe <brian2 at groupbcl.ca>, roundtable at muug.ca
> Subject: Re: [RndTbl] How much did one second of computer time cost in
> 	1975?
> Message-ID: <960940F4-55CD-4317-AD32-A7323D611243 at athompso.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> There are many people here who used the UofM mainframe back when it was updated on a chargeback system (including me, sadly, although my Dept paid the bill, not me).
> Of course I didn't keep a copy of the rate sheet, so I don't remember what 1sec cost.
> It wouldn't quite be the fully-loaded cost you describe, but it would be close - I don't think Computer Services was expected to turn a profit back in 1991.
> -Adam
> 
> On October 25, 2021 8:56:07 p.m. CDT, Brian Lowe <brian2 at groupbcl.ca> wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> 
>> Today with multi-core CPUs running at gigahertz speeds attached to gigabytes 
>> of RAM and terabytes of disc space, we're well used to running programs that 
>> require what would be enormous resources back when mainframes ruled the data 
>> centre.
>> 
>> My question is "how much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?" This 
>> assumes the program in question is being run on a mainframe from IBM or any of 
>> the other manufacturers of the day. Of course, there are a lot of factors to 
>> consider: leasing costs, staffing, power and cooling, if the system could run 
>> more than one program simultaneously, and how computer time was charged back 
>> to the users.
>> 
>> I'm interested to know if anyone on this list has had experience with this 
>> sort of system accounting, and if they can recall some numbers.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Brian
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Roundtable mailing list
>> Roundtable at muug.ca
>> https://muug.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <http://muug.ca/pipermail/roundtable/attachments/20211026/1069387e/attachment-0001.htm>
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:27:59 -0500
> From: Adam Thompson <athompso at athompso.net>
> To: Continuation of Round Table discussion <roundtable at muug.ca>, Brian
> 	Lowe <brian2 at groupbcl.ca>, roundtable at muug.ca
> Subject: Re: [RndTbl] How much did one second of computer time cost in
> 	1975?
> Message-ID: <F2A7C63D-FC41-4D76-B91A-556C4F84F177 at athompso.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Whoops.  Definitely not 1975.  I know most systems *were* operated on a chargeback basis then, but I didn't even know computers existed in '75.  Maybe email the docents at the Computer History Museum?
> -Adam
> 
> On October 26, 2021 12:17:13 a.m. CDT, Adam Thompson <athompso at athompso.net> wrote:
>> There are many people here who used the UofM mainframe back when it was updated on a chargeback system (including me, sadly, although my Dept paid the bill, not me).
>> Of course I didn't keep a copy of the rate sheet, so I don't remember what 1sec cost.
>> It wouldn't quite be the fully-loaded cost you describe, but it would be close - I don't think Computer Services was expected to turn a profit back in 1991.
>> -Adam
>> 
>> On October 25, 2021 8:56:07 p.m. CDT, Brian Lowe <brian2 at groupbcl.ca> wrote:
>>> Hello all,
>>> 
>>> Today with multi-core CPUs running at gigahertz speeds attached to gigabytes 
>>> of RAM and terabytes of disc space, we're well used to running programs that 
>>> require what would be enormous resources back when mainframes ruled the data 
>>> centre.
>>> 
>>> My question is "how much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?" This 
>>> assumes the program in question is being run on a mainframe from IBM or any of 
>>> the other manufacturers of the day. Of course, there are a lot of factors to 
>>> consider: leasing costs, staffing, power and cooling, if the system could run 
>>> more than one program simultaneously, and how computer time was charged back 
>>> to the users.
>>> 
>>> I'm interested to know if anyone on this list has had experience with this 
>>> sort of system accounting, and if they can recall some numbers.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Brian
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Roundtable mailing list
>>> Roundtable at muug.ca
>>> https://muug.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <http://muug.ca/pipermail/roundtable/attachments/20211026/10c5c8a3/attachment-0001.htm>
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2021 06:20:40 -0500
> From: Scott Toderash <scott at 100percenthelpdesk.com>
> To: Continuation of Round Table discussion <roundtable at muug.ca>
> Cc: Brian Lowe <brian2 at groupbcl.ca>
> Subject: Re: [RndTbl] How much did one second of computer time cost in
> 	1975?
> Message-ID: <47bc090bd0b43936e78fb557ca059046 at 100percenthelpdesk.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
> I remember in 1987 being told it was nanosecond billing, not per second 
> for TSO services with IBM here. But I don't know the rate.
> 
> 
> On 2021-10-25 20:56, Brian Lowe wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> 
>> Today with multi-core CPUs running at gigahertz speeds attached to 
>> gigabytes
>> of RAM and terabytes of disc space, we're well used to running programs 
>> that
>> require what would be enormous resources back when mainframes ruled the 
>> data
>> centre.
>> 
>> My question is "how much did one second of computer time cost in 1975?" 
>> This
>> assumes the program in question is being run on a mainframe from IBM or 
>> any of
>> the other manufacturers of the day. Of course, there are a lot of 
>> factors to
>> consider: leasing costs, staffing, power and cooling, if the system 
>> could run
>> more than one program simultaneously, and how computer time was charged 
>> back
>> to the users.
>> 
>> I'm interested to know if anyone on this list has had experience with 
>> this
>> sort of system accounting, and if they can recall some numbers.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Brian
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Roundtable mailing list
>> Roundtable at muug.ca
>> https://muug.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Subject: Digest Footer
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Roundtable mailing list
> Roundtable at muug.ca
> https://muug.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> End of Roundtable Digest, Vol 202, Issue 11
> *******************************************

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://muug.ca/pipermail/roundtable/attachments/20211026/fdf8e082/attachment.htm>

More information about the Roundtable mailing list