TX-2
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The MIT Lincoln Laboratory TX-2 computer was the successor to the Lincoln TX-0 and was known for its role in advancing both artificial intelligence and human–computer interaction. Wesley A. Clark was the chief architect of the TX-2.<ref name="november">Template:Cite book</ref>
Specifications
The TX-2 was a transistor-based computer using the then-huge amount of 64K 36-bit words of magnetic-core memory. The TX-2 became operational in 1958.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Because of its powerful capabilities, Ivan Sutherland's revolutionary Sketchpad program was developed for and ran on the TX-2.<ref>Reilly, Edwin D. (2003) Milestones in Computer Science and Information Technology Greenwood Publishing Group Template:ISBN pg 261</ref><ref>Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004) Architecture's New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-aided Design MIT Press Template:ISBN pg 66</ref> One of its key features was the ability to directly interact with the computer through a graphical display.<ref>Naughton, John (1999): A brief history of the future: the origins of the internet, London, p. 71</ref>
The TX-2 had 32 modes of predication, innovative bitmanipulation instructions <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is likely one of the very first processors with SIMD within a register, used in Sutherland's Sketchpad:
...the Lincoln Lab’s TX-2 computer offered instructions that operated on the ALU as either one 36-bit operation, two 18-bit operations, or four 9-bit operations... Sketchpad did in fact take advantage of these SIMD instructions, despite TX-2 appearing before invention of the term SIMD.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The compiler (today we would say assembler) was developed by Lawrence Roberts while he was studying at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>
In 1964 the TX-2 was extended with the APEX time-sharing system. This included a hardware memory-management unit named SPAN which employed thin-film memory.<ref name="Forgie_APEX_paper">Template:Cite conference</ref>
Relationship with DEC
Digital Equipment Corporation was a spin-off of the TX-0 and TX-2 projects. The TX-2 Tape System was a block addressable 1/2" tape developed for the TX-2 by Tom Stockebrand which evolved into LINCtape and DECtape.
Role in creating the Internet
Dr. Leonard Kleinrock developed the mathematical theory of packet networks which he successfully simulated on the TX-2 computer at Lincoln Lab.
Decommissioning
TX-2 was taken out of operation and dismantled in 1977.<ref name=CompEng_dismantling_ref>Template:Cite book</ref>