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Abstract

use in comparison with today’s laser printers that was around 10 times slower.<h2 id="9cd8">Computers required air conditioners and floor wood paneling</h2>A separate air conditioning plant was installed especially for the computers which used to run 24 hours to cool down the computers and provide a dust-free environment.Only limited and restricted access was allowed in computer rooms and it had separate automatic generators installed to provide a continuous supply of electricity.The computers were huge and they required a spacious hall with wooden floor, hollow underneath for complete interface of different units. In case of any malfunctioning of CPU, the engineer had to open the back door of the CPU and go inside giant CPU for the problem diagnosis.The cost of the mainframe was high and the cost of the environment required to keep it working was even higher.<h2 id="5b31">Programming back then</h2>Dad had a strong mathematical background so when ICL arranged a PLAN training program he soon got up to speed with the programming language. However, programming at that time was very different, there were special coding sheets to write programs and they had pencils and erasers to write and amend the programs.The program used to be divided into various paragraphs and loops. Then sample data was run manually on each paragraph and the final result was discussed with the users to find out if it was according to their requirements.The coding sheets were then given to Key Punch Operators (KPO) for punching on the cards. After punching by KPO the program was fed in the computer for compilation and debugging.Finally, the print out was taken for manual comparison of instructions with the coding sheets and removal of punching errors. After the final compilation test data was run by this program.Even the best of programmers couldn’t get accurate results in the initial attempt, at least that hasn’t changed, but I can understand the pain of debugging when everything was so laborious. If you were lucky you could get the correct results in a few attempts but mostly this wasn’t the case.It is amazing that they used it for huge tasks like processing of export receipts of the whole

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of Pakistan on that 28k RAM computer.<h2 id="c334">The journey</h2>After working 7 years Dad got the chance to shift to another Government department where he learned COBOL language. The logic building was the same but they had to write fewer instructions to do the same task.Debugging was much easier. But punch cards were still used for programming and data punching. The data was still processed in batch modes and there was no online facility.Data entry and processing were time-consuming and it took a while to produce the final results which made them less significant.With the passage of time more powerful computers were introduced making it possible to run powerfully development tools.Finally, microprocessors were invented in 1971, signaling the start of a new era of mass usage of computers. It was however at least a decade afterward that Dad got hold of his first desktop computer.Microprocessors have thousands of integrated circuits on one silicon chip. This chip contained the CPU, memory, and input/output controls. Following these developments around 1981, IBM introduced the first computer that was dedicated to the home users, and then three years later, Apple introduced Macintosh.The development of computer networks began and this lead to the invention of the Internet. Later keyboards and monitors were invented, and we saw the invention of the mouse, GUI, and other features. The usage of microprocessors expanded and in the present day, the majority of electronic devices use microprocessors or micro-controllers.The first time my dad bought personal computers for his department it was only used for official record-keeping and presentations but within just a matter of few years, came the internet boom and made room for many of the languages used by programmers today. Scripting languages such as Applescript, Javascript, and Python were born in this era and paved the way for many other programming languages used for the virtual world of the web.The human mind is the magic wand that converted huge room size slow computers into efficient handheld devices in the span of a single generation. Making programming and problem solving available to all.</article></body>

Evolution of Computers and Programming, a Personal Journey

1968–2020 from huge mainframe operated by granddad to touch screen flipped by the grandson

As I see my son casually flipping his fingers on his touchpad and creating games in Python, it makes me wonder how far we have come.

My dad started his IT career in 1968 when the first 4 computers (ICL 1900) were imported in Pakistan by the banking sector. At that time there were no formal degrees in computer science and he was selected as a programmer on the bases of his mathematics background and performance in the IQ test.

International Computers Limited (ICL) was a large British computer hardware, computer software and computer services company that operated from 1968 until 2002. It was formed through a merger of International Computers and Tabulators (ICT), English Electric Leo Marconi (EELM) and Elliott Automation in 1968.

The ICL 1900

He started with the British made International Computers Limited’s (ICL)1900 series. The programming language they used was PLAN (programming language for 1900 series).

It was the assembly language for that computer. The ICL 1900 was a word machine with 24-bit words, containing 4 * 6-bit characters. Instructions were whole words, and a word could be addressed in both ‘word’ or ‘character mode depending on the type of data it held and IMHO a nice instruction set for commercial DP. The computer had a CPU with 28K memory.

To bring this in perspective one of the usual photos that we save on our laptops or phones these days takes up 50 times more memory than this.

Back then there was no hard disc instead there were two-spool tape drives and one high-speed printer …. and don’t get too excited by the high in high-speed because in comparison with today’s laser printers that was around 10 times slower.

Computers required air conditioners and floor wood paneling

A separate air conditioning plant was installed especially for the computers which used to run 24 hours to cool down the computers and provide a dust-free environment.

Only limited and restricted access was allowed in computer rooms and it had separate automatic generators installed to provide a continuous supply of electricity.

The computers were huge and they required a spacious hall with wooden floor, hollow underneath for complete interface of different units. In case of any malfunctioning of CPU, the engineer had to open the back door of the CPU and go inside giant CPU for the problem diagnosis.

The cost of the mainframe was high and the cost of the environment required to keep it working was even higher.

Programming back then

Dad had a strong mathematical background so when ICL arranged a PLAN training program he soon got up to speed with the programming language. However, programming at that time was very different, there were special coding sheets to write programs and they had pencils and erasers to write and amend the programs.

The program used to be divided into various paragraphs and loops. Then sample data was run manually on each paragraph and the final result was discussed with the users to find out if it was according to their requirements.

The coding sheets were then given to Key Punch Operators (KPO) for punching on the cards. After punching by KPO the program was fed in the computer for compilation and debugging.

Finally, the print out was taken for manual comparison of instructions with the coding sheets and removal of punching errors. After the final compilation test data was run by this program.

Even the best of programmers couldn’t get accurate results in the initial attempt, at least that hasn’t changed, but I can understand the pain of debugging when everything was so laborious. If you were lucky you could get the correct results in a few attempts but mostly this wasn’t the case.

It is amazing that they used it for huge tasks like processing of export receipts of the whole of Pakistan on that 28k RAM computer.

The journey

After working 7 years Dad got the chance to shift to another Government department where he learned COBOL language. The logic building was the same but they had to write fewer instructions to do the same task.

Debugging was much easier. But punch cards were still used for programming and data punching. The data was still processed in batch modes and there was no online facility.

Data entry and processing were time-consuming and it took a while to produce the final results which made them less significant.

With the passage of time more powerful computers were introduced making it possible to run powerfully development tools.

Finally, microprocessors were invented in 1971, signaling the start of a new era of mass usage of computers. It was however at least a decade afterward that Dad got hold of his first desktop computer.

Microprocessors have thousands of integrated circuits on one silicon chip. This chip contained the CPU, memory, and input/output controls. Following these developments around 1981, IBM introduced the first computer that was dedicated to the home users, and then three years later, Apple introduced Macintosh.

The development of computer networks began and this lead to the invention of the Internet. Later keyboards and monitors were invented, and we saw the invention of the mouse, GUI, and other features. The usage of microprocessors expanded and in the present day, the majority of electronic devices use microprocessors or micro-controllers.

The first time my dad bought personal computers for his department it was only used for official record-keeping and presentations but within just a matter of few years, came the internet boom and made room for many of the languages used by programmers today. Scripting languages such as Applescript, Javascript, and Python were born in this era and paved the way for many other programming languages used for the virtual world of the web.

The human mind is the magic wand that converted huge room size slow computers into efficient handheld devices in the span of a single generation. Making programming and problem solving available to all.