-40%
1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing
1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing
1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing
1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing
1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing
1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing

1970s Rare Computer Investors Group Paperweight - AMS 7001 1K SRAM - Leasing

$ 92.4

Availability: 84 in stock
  • Condition: Excellent Condition

    Description

    About This Listing:
    About the Paperweight
    This listing is for an extremely rare paperweight made by Computer Investor Group, Inc. (CIG) (founded in 1960). The paperweight is in excellent condition with very minor scratches.
    CIG was promoting its ability to save customers money by reducing their mainframes main memory costs. In the 1970s, IBM Mainframe computer leasing companies used an economical way to expand the performance of IBM System 360 computers by offering add-on memory systems that replaced IBM's ferrite core memory systems with a faster, more reliable,  semiconductor monolithic Main Memory.
    Their supplier was a company called AMS (Advanced Memory Systems) of Sunnyvale California. AMS was a start-up founded by Engineers from IBM, Collins Radio, Motorola & Fairchild Semiconductor.
    This paper weight contains an AMS 7001 1K Static Monolithic MOS memory chip of the type that would have been used in upgraded IBM 360 & 370 mainframe computers. It features a 22-pin ceramic DIP package with gold frame. In 1974 the AMS "7001" was the world’s fastest SRAM chip with access times of 60ns and cycle times of 180ns.
    In 1971, IBM had threatened that they would not maintain IBM computer systems that had the AMS memory upgrades installed that were above IBM's current limits. IBM was taken to court and received a stipulated judgement in 1972 requiring IBM to maintain the systems.
    About Computer Leasing
    In the 1960s computer’s began to be leased. What was this phenomenon called computer leasing? And why did it have such tremendously profitable growth and drawn such tremendous interest from the investment community?
    Computer leasing was a development in the 1960s, whose basis lies in the unique pricing structure currently prevalent in the computer industry. Essentially it operates under a "price umbrella" established by lBM, the principal manufacturer in the computer industry. As a result of this "price umbrella" the computer leasing companies were capable of providing users with a price reduction. The service they render to buyers is a price cut. Computer systems in the 1960s could run in the millions of dollars when purchased.
    Originally, IBM offered equipment only on a rental basis. This policy was upset in January 1956, by a consent decree which forced IBM lo make equipment available on a purchase basis as well. All manufacturers in the computer industry now offer equipment on a purchase or rental basis. The general ratio between the monthly rental cost and the purchase price ranges from 1 :45 to 1 :50. Purchase of a
    machine therefore reaches breakeven with rental in approximately 45 to 50 months. However, the cost
    of money and the cost of equipment maintenance is normally included in rentals (but not in purchase contracts) thereby increasing the breakeven period to approximately 60 months.
    Users tend to consider rental as more advantageous and less risky than direct purchase for several
    reasons-because the industry has a rapid product turnover, because IBM encourages rental, and because of the large amounts of cash involved. Today, therefore, over 70% of the approximately billion in installed computer equipment is rented from the original manufacturer. Approximately 3% is rented from a third party) a computer leasing company. and the remainder is purchased outright. The possibility of the leasing companies increasing their 3% market share is one factor in making them an interesting situation.
    Originally leases for computers were for 5, 8, even 10 years. As time went the cycle time to develop new and faster computers shortened. Obsolescence because a very real concern for companies buying computers. And as the value of computers became recognized the increase in cycle growth required companies to upgrade more often. IBM became one of the leading players in computer leasing. IBM designed its computers to by upgraded many times under the same serial number. Eventually all but a few large companies got out of the computer leasing business.
    Want to see more AntiqueTech items?
    Click here to see more AntiqueTech
    TM
    in my store on eBay
    Want to see my artworks made with computer chips?
    Click here to see more ChipScapes
    TM
    in my store on eBay