A pile of core memory

Core Memory 2

Upon seeing a photo of tires at a scrapyard making its way around the internet, we were reminded of something else that looks just the same: A pile of vintage magnetic memory cores.

Core Memory 1

 

These old cores came 50000 to a bakelite pill box, and were made in 1982, in East Germany.

 

5 thoughts on “A pile of core memory

  1. One of my favorite computer facts is that, at one time, the supply of memory for computers was limited by the number of people who could make it, as it was made by hand.

  2. My first memory from the early 1960’s was seeing a ferrite core memory module. The cores were strung at the intersection of vertical and horizontal wires held within the frame.
    I don’t recall seeing a core module at the Computer History Museum when I visited a couple of years bak,, but maybe I just wasn’t looking.
    I wonder if any of these core memory modules still exist? And if there are available for purchase?

    1. The Computer History Museum has them, all in a row from big to small. The geek jest at the time was that the new generation of memory was made from the plugs of the last generation!

  3. I have some core memory at home, and there’s a good amount on ebay for sale at any given time, though prices are high.

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