IBM System/36

IBM System/36
Model 5360
Also known asS/36
DeveloperIBM
TypeMidrange computer
Release dateMay 16, 1983; 41 years ago (1983-05-16)
Discontinued1989 (1989)
Operating systemSystem Support Program
CPUMSP and CSP
Dimensions1000x1130(1780)x750mm (5360)
650x375x750mm (5362)


162x540x426mm (5364)


650x240(320)x700mm (5363)[1]
PredecessorIBM System/34
SuccessorIBM AS/400
IBM 5360 System Unit
IBM 5362 System Unit

The IBM System/36 (often abbreviated as S/36) was a midrange computer marketed by IBM from 1983 to 2000 - a multi-user, multi-tasking successor to the System/34.

Like the System/34 and the older System/32, the System/36 was primarily programmed in the RPG II language. One of the machine's optional features was an off-line storage mechanism (on the 5360 model) that utilized "magazines" – boxes of 8-inch floppies that the machine could load and eject in a nonsequential fashion. The System/36 also had many mainframe features such as programmable job queues and scheduling priority levels.

While these systems were similar to other manufacturer's minicomputers, IBM themselves described the System/32, System/34 and System/36 as "small systems"[2] and later as midrange computers along with the System/38 and succeeding IBM AS/400 range.

The AS/400 series and IBM Power Systems running IBM i can run System/36 code in the System/36 Environment, although the code needs to be recompiled on IBM i first.[3]

  1. ^ "Brochures of IBM system/36". archive.org.
  2. ^ "IBM Archives: Italy chronology 1970 – 1997". Archived from the original on 2007-10-22.
  3. ^ Kay Geppart (January 2001). "An Overview of the System/36 Environment". IBM Systems Magazine. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019.