[tommiegannert]

> Based on my research, the earliest computer to use the term "main frame" was the IBM 701 computer (1952)

> This shows that by 1962, "main frame" had semantically shifted to a new word, "mainframe."

> IBM started using "mainframe" as a marketing term in the mid-1980s.

I must conclude it takes the competition 10 years to catch up to IBM, and IBM about 20 years to realize they have competition. Setting a countdown timer for IBM to launch an LLM in 2040.

Thanks for researching and writing this up. It's a brilliant read!

[masswerk]

I can kind of see why this should have been. The 1401, which was really intended as a replacement for IBM's punchcard appliances, was widely known as IBM's small mainframe. On the other hand, there are the 701, things like the 7030 (Stretch), and then the ranges of the S/360 and S/370. – Considering this rather inconceivable wide class of machines, stepping in and deciding, what's a mainframe and what's not, is a losing game, from a marketing perspective. So better keep silent and reap the fruits…

[stonemetal]

> IBM to launch an LLM in 2040.

What about Watson? How did it generate language? My understanding is it output language well enough to match what LLMs do today.

[zdragnar]

Watson was a different flavor of NLP that was turned into a gimmick. The jeopardy show it was on was not exactly what it appeared to be.

According to someone who worked on it, it would fail a second grade level reading exam: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/16/technology/what-happened-...

[tiagod]

My understanding is it's not even close to the output and capability of modern LLMs

[wmf]

https://www.ibm.com/granite

[MonkeyClub]

Combined, proof that we are in the future.