My father and his Electric Brain

Photo: Paulo Aparecido Paglione, 1967 - Citibank, S?o Paulo, Brazil

When my father began his career at Citibank in S?o Paulo, he worked on the IBM System/360, one of the first commercial computers/mainframes in Brazil at that time. The word 'computer' was not used then but 'electric brain.' Today, our brains have become electric—in the sense that we are connected to our phones daily, and these phones are supercomputers connected to the entire world and access all of the information ever created. This personal connection to the evolution of technology is what makes this comparison so fascinating.

Banks were among the first industries to heavily invest in mainframe computing. Their needs for large-scale data processing, transaction handling, and financial calculations made them perfect candidates to buy these machines. In the early 1960s, IBM established a presence in Brazil, mainly dealing with punch-card machines and earlier model computers. This was a time when computers were large, room-filling machines that required specialized environments to operate. In the late 1960s, The first System/360 machines were installed in Brazil, primarily in large corporations and governmental institutions in major cities like Rio de Janeiro and S?o Paulo. This marked a significant shift in the computing landscape, as these machines were smaller, more powerful, and more versatile than their predecessors.?

As a central global bank, Citibank had early access to cutting-edge technology. The S/360 was the pinnacle of business computing at the time. It was a revolutionary system that introduced many of the concepts and technologies that are still in use today. The 1960s and 1970s saw significant economic expansion in Brazil. With operations in the country, Citibank would need the computing power to keep up with this growth. The S/360 provided this power, allowing Citibank to process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.?

I am using an iPhone 15 Pro Max to write this text this morning. After I saw this memorable photo of my father with the computer, I noticed the IBM logo. I used Google Lens to source the image. Then, I used Google's GEMINI AI (Artificial Intelligence) to research the history of the IBM System/360 in Brazil. AI has revolutionized the way we conduct research, allowing us to process and analyze vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently. Once I compiled my ideas using AI and researched the origins of the computer in the photo, I pasted all of this text into Grammarly, which corrects my grammar, gives me suggestions, and increases the impact of my writing and ideas.?

Compare my father using an IBM 360 in 1967 and me using my iPhone 15 in 2024. How different have our 'electric brains' become!?

• IBM S/360: The top-end IBM S/360 Model 91 could execute roughly 16.6 MIPS (millions of instructions per second), a significant improvement over earlier models, which could only execute a few thousand instructions per second. The S/360 also introduced virtual memory, a concept still used in modern computers.
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: The A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 15 Pro Max likely achieves trillions of operations per second. Since the architectures are wildly different, it's hard to make a direct MIPS comparison.

Memory (RAM)

• IBM S/360: Depending on the model, the S/360 could have anywhere from kilobytes to a few megabytes of RAM.
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Features around 6GB of RAM.

Storage

• IBM S/360: Relied on magnetic tape and hard disk drives with capacities in the megabyte range for the most extensive systems.
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Internal flash storage options up to 1TB (1000GB).

Graphics Capabilities

• IBM S/360: Very limited, primarily text-based displays or rudimentary vector graphics at best.
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Powerful dedicated GPU for rendering high-resolution graphics, 3D gaming, and video processing.

Size and Portability

• IBM S/360: Filled entire rooms required specialized power and cooling.
• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Fits in your pocket.

It's astounding that a device I hold in my hand vastly outperforms a machine from the 1960s that took up entire rooms. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has:

• Millions of times more processing power
• Thousands of times more RAM
• Hundreds of thousands of times more storage
• Graphics capabilities unimaginable in the S/360 era

All of this has happened in? 57 years.

What is truly remarkable is not just the technical information (although it's a treat for tech enthusiasts) but the concept of evolution. Reflecting on this, it's astounding to think that my grandfather didn't even have a calculator when he was growing up. My father first had access to a computer in his early 20s. I, on the other hand, was using an IBM PC Jr. when I was just 4. This journey of technological evolution truly captivates me.

In conclusion, I am filled with the same sense of gratitude today at the age of 45 years that my father had in his early 20s. I am thankful for everything my father gave me, just as my father was grateful for everything my grandfather gave him.

However, the most important inheritance from both of them was character. Being a just person, honest, fair, and a man of your word -- these things technology will never be able to provide for us.?