IBM's last tabulator last unitrecord punch card machine

I was wondering when IBM manufactured its last EAM-tab-unit record punch card machine. My guess is the early 1960s.

Before 1962, IBM derived the bulk of its revenues from punched card machines (EAM)--sorters, tabulators, collators, calculators, etc., not from stored-program electronic computers. Obviously there was a strong market for tab (EAM) machines in those years.

IBM did a full upgrade of its tab line in 1948-1950. While there were a few improvements here and there, its tab line basically dated from those years (I'm told even earlier generation machines, like the 405, remained in service).

Accounts indicate that tab machines were manufactured new through at least 1958. Obviously machines were recycled from customer to customer when a customer was finished or upgraded to computers. But given the growth of commerce, it seems tab machines were still in high demand until at least 1962, when computers finally exceeded tab demand.

Of course, that didn't mean tab machines suddenly went away. Computers were still awfully expensive and customers continued to use them well into the 1970s, a few into the 1980s. Many early computer shops used tab machines to support the computer (like pre-sorting input cards on a sorter rather than on the mainframe, or using an interpreter to label output cards for mailing to customers).

But obviously at some point IBM realized that tab demand was declining and returns from customers would be adequate to handle remaining demand. Again, my guess is around 1962, but could be as late as 1965. I wonder if IBM did anything special as the last 407 or 083 rolled out the door.

I mention tab machines because their construction and maintenance were much different than electronic computers. They used very complex electrical relays and mechanical devices to handle and route cards through the processes, print out information and punch cards.

Indeed, Aspray-Kelly says IBM's mechanical (not electronic) skillset enabled them to build the wonderful 1403 high speed line printer and it was the printer that put the 1401 computer on the map. (Good mechancial skills continued to be necessary to maintain computer peripherals. As tape and disk got more sophisticated (see Pugh's S-360 book), the parts got smaller and more tricky.)