GE-645 Dead
GE-645
KindMachine
Introduced1965
Discontinued1973
StatusDead
ManufacturerGeneral Electric
ClassMainframe
Platform36-bit
Sourcemulticians.org ↗
The machine Multics was built for — hardware segmentation and rings designed for timesharing. The 645 shipped too late for Multics' first runs but became its home.
1960198020002020
Created by General Electric
GE built the 645 specifically for Multics — the GE-635's design extended with hardware segmentation and eight protection rings, so an OS could ring-isolate user programs without simulation. Multics development began on the 635; the 645 shipped in 1967 as its intended home.
After Honeywell absorbed GE's computer business it became the Honeywell 6180 — the machine the last Multics site ran on until October 2000.