Programmed Data Processor

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Programmed Data Processor Mean?

The Programmed Data Processor (PDP) was one of the first iterations of a personal computing device. It was released as a series, with the PDP-1 being regarded by computer historians as the first microcomputer. The final release was the PDP-15.

Advertisements

Techopedia Explains Programmed Data Processor

The PDP was initially released in 1960 by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, which was purchased by Compaq in 1998). The PDP-1 featured solid-state logic circuits, fully parallel processing, a computation rate of 100,000 additions per second, multiple step deferred addressing and expandable RAM.

The initial release of the PDP was groundbreaking in its portability (it was considerably powerful and dynamic for its size), ease of installation and accessibility. It ran on an ordinary 110-volt current, came with an alphanumeric typewriter and had an array of simplified controls and standardized connection ports.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.