Classic Computer Question

From: Andy Holt <andyh_at_andyh-rayleigh.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Fri Oct 18 11:59:00 2002

> When did GEC starting making computers? I know that they had a plant in
> Stafford, and North Staffs Poly had a blue GEC 4000-series machine when
> I was there (a lot later than the 60s!)
>
> - Paul
>
GEC - in this context - took over the process-control computer part of
Elliot Automation.
EA's first computer was in (?)1949.

The 4000 series computers were a good "real-time" system for their era (but
the "Buy British" government policy applied by the Computer Board tried to
force these into environments where Unix or VMS systems would have been more
appropriate*.)

* At a UK University (that those who know me can recognise) we had a massive
fight to be able to go "Open Tender" on the replacement of an ICL 1900
series system rather than go single tender for an ICL 2960. The first hurdle
was overcome at a high-powered meeting in Euston Towers (ICLs then HQ) where
our team met with senior Computer Board members and some of the toughest ICL
salesmen ... we knew we had won this battle when the salesmen stopped trying
to convince us that the 2960 would do the job and started on "look at the
costs of conversion".
The next hurdle came when we were told that there had to be a UK company on
the shortlist (by this time ICL had declined to tender on the grounds "we've
never yet won an open tender and don't see the point of wasting our time").
The only practical UK offer was from GEC so this joined Honeywell, DEC and
Prime on the shortlist. We detailed one member of our staff to find out (and
point-out) every problem with the GEC so that we could eventually rule them
out.

For some silly reason (probably connected with their salesmen not being paid
commission) DEC really did not try - effectively they gave us a copy of the
price book and said "work it out yourself". Honeywell and Prime, however,
really did compete. HW eventually offering ?2M worth of kit for ?400K and
this did us very well for a few years (until we could buy a more powerful
system for less than the maint. cost of the HW). We got a reputation in
Honeywell for wanting "everything half price - and if it's free we want two
of them"

Andy
Received on Fri Oct 18 2002 - 11:59:00 BST