the solid state circuitry of a ge 312 computer was composed of 2500 diodes, 2500 transistors, and 12,000 resistors, but no magnetic core memory. there were 20 binary digits per word or per instruction. all arithmetic was fixed point. numbers were 19 bits plus the associated positive or negative sign, not a very big number range when expressed in decimal form, just -524,287 to +524,287. the ge 312 was designed by a. spielberg of the ge computer department that was newly formed in 1957.