It's a Computer Month – Part 3
Some of the things that happened in eighties computer centers are unthinkable today. A meeting with a client of mine was adapted.I traveled several hours and visited a customer's company to resolve a major issue. He inquired about the welfare and called for coffee. He began to describe the problem I had come to solve. He suddenly stopped talking and got up and left! I don't understand anything. It even seemed a little disrespectful.
I still remember the returnee's explanation. The scratch floppy that was sorting is full. If not changed immediately, all the work will be wasted! At that time, there was no message on his cell phone. Why, a time when you don't know what a cell phone is. How did he know that the floppy was full?
“It's nothing sir. Don't make the mistake of thinking that I suddenly got up and left. When this Email Data sort program is running, a sound rhythm is familiar to my ears when the floppies are written alternately. When the floppy is about 1 to 2 minutes full, this rhythm changes. Whatever the job,
If you put it aside and replace it with a new empty floppy, everything will be fine. Otherwise, several hours are wasted starting from Pillaiyar Shuji. There is no other way."
“Somehow, we need to change this program and make the computer wait even if no one is around”.
For many years he continued to thank her for fulfilling his most reasonable need that day! These types of problems are not to be encountered in today's computing environment. Heck, in the 80s, someone couldn't hack into your computer and do all kinds of crap over the internet. Searching for this article, there aren't many pictures of these types of computers on the internet!
In the 80s, a problem at a large computer center freaked out many of the engineers at the company I worked for. A few thousand pages were printed during the payday at the end of the month. Trusted company employees patiently wait to take the printed list to their company. It is a big responsibility. It is common for a tea estate's payroll or a large manufacturing company's catalog to run to a few thousand pages.
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Here's the problem: the printing press, suddenly, stops halfway through. For example, a 1,300-page catalog will stop printing at 780 pages. This is a huge embarrassment and loss for the computer center when many customers are waiting. In those days, there was no facility to reprint from page 781. If you print from scratch, the machine prints the entire 1,300 pages! Waste of paper and time is something that computer center does not like. 2 or 3 copies are printed with carbon paper of the pay roll for that period.
Several heated phone conversations ensued with the client and the company I worked for. Computer center, printing machine is malfunctioning. That should be changed. The computer company was reluctant to replace the multi-lakh machine. This was happening month after month. Finally, the computer center took the trouble to solve the problem. If you don't replace the printer in a month, we will replace your computer. Many of the very talented engineers at the company I worked for could not solve this problem. A customer with an intractable problem is an embarrassment to any business. Business relations were also slightly affected.
Finally, a qualified maintenance engineer was dispatched. For a week, he, too, tried various experiments around without success, and finally an idea came to him. A dissection of the artificial roof of the computer center revealed no traces. Finally, he dissected the artificial turf. After months of trouble, it became apparent immediately. From the computer to the heavy-duty printing press, a strapped cable runs underground.
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