University’s New Computer

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31480, 21 September 1967, Page 14

University’s New Computer

“Sixty to 64 times faster” than the present machine, the new 1.8. M. model 44 computer of the University of Canterbury is now being installed. Mr B. A. M. Moon, director of the university computer centre, said he used these loose figures deliberately to show that the new machine would do in one minute what

would take the existing computer one hour; or that, with the demand doubling every year, the new one would reach the limit of its present capacity in only four years. The new computer was landed at Lyttelton on Tuesday. All “pieces” were. unpacked and in the centre by yesterday morning, and assembly was well under way by the end of the day. The new machine will be ready for work in about a week.

Mr Moon said the first university 1.8. M. 1620 computer (which will be retained) was installed in May, 1962. and quickly reached its capacity working up to 231 hours a day. So far 11-12ths of the demand was simply for fast computing. In the future the centre would be asked to couple the computer to experimental equipment, to field stations, and to remote offices. The new machine was capable of all these extensions. It had been chosen after careful examination of both American and British machines. “This machine is the fastest in the country and the first of its kind in Australia

or New Zealand,” said Mr Moon. He said that the waiting list of work was four times the capacity of the old machine. This would be introduced gradually to the new computer. The old machine would be used extensively for basic computer teaching , testing whether research programmes were suitable for computer analysis, and for work where great speed was not essential. In this photograph of the new computer during assembly, Mr Moon is at the rear and the installation engineer (Mr G. Hayward) is seated at the console.