page_title: IBM System/38
section_title: Hardware characteristics
hierarchical_section_title: IBM System/38 / Hardware characteristics
caption_attribution_description: Bildbeschreibung: IBM System/38 Festplatten Quelle: http://www.corestore.org/38.htm Fotograf/Zeichner: Mike Ross Datum: 19.01.2006
context_page_description: The System/38 is a discontinued minicomputer and midrange computer server platform manufactured and sold by the IBM Corporation. IBM announced the System/38 in 1978. The System/38 has 48-bit addressing, which was unique for the time, and a novel integrated database system. It was oriented toward a multi-user system environment. At the time, the typical system handled from a dozen to several dozen terminals.
context_section_description: The IBM 5381 System Unit contains processor, main memory, disk storage, a diskette magazine drive, and a system console with keyboard and a display. 5381 was available in Model 100 and Model 200.
  The IBM 5382 System Unit is physically identical to 5381, but with more powerful processors, more memory, and more disk storage. 5382 was available in Models 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700.
  In hindsight, the System/38's architecture was probably too demanding of the hardware of the era.  When first launched, it struggled under the overhead of the software and operating system, which consumed almost 60 MB on disk, a vast sum at the time, leading some wags to suggest that the pre-announce code name for the series, PACIFIC, was actually an acronym meaning "Performance Ain't Critical If Function Is Complete."
caption: Two hard disks
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