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DEC PDP-1

DEC's first computer, an 18-bit machine shown in December 1959 and the home of Spacewar!.

The PDP-1 was the first computer in DEC's PDP series. It was based on the TX-0 and TX-2 computers from MIT Lincoln Laboratory. It used an 18-bit word and 4,096 words of main memory as standard.

DEC showed a prototype in December 1959 and delivered the first one to Bolt, Beranek and Newman in November 1960. In September 1961 DEC donated a PDP-1 to MIT.

Why it matters

It ran Steve Russell's 1962 game Spacewar!, one of the first video games. It also hosted some of the first text editors, word processors and time-sharing systems.

Key facts

  • Shown in December 1959.
  • First delivery to Bolt, Beranek and Newman in November 1960.
  • 18-bit words with 4,096 words of memory.
  • Ran Spacewar! in 1962.
  • Based on MIT Lincoln Laboratory's TX-0 and TX-2.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "PDP-1", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-1, accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. Wikipedia, "Digital Equipment Corporation", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.