Computer History: First Business Computer UK LEO III (Lyons Electronic Office) (Full Version)

[@captainkeyboard1007]

I watched this motion picture as a fan of [modern] computer technology. The year 1966 was a nice time for old computers to do the jobs that many people could not accomplish together without one single error. At home, I depend on my microcomputer more than on my memory.

[@Tocsin-Bang]

When I worked at Lyons head office in the early 70s there was a display of parts in the corridor leading to the stall canteen. Interestingly in the office where I worked all calculations were done on an antiquated electrical calculator. I introduced the use of pocket calculators, after the manager noticed I was able to work at many times the speed of others, using a Sinclair Cambridge. I was sent to buy another 5!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Stephen, great story! ~ Hunter

[@madog1991]

Looked up computer history for some reason. Not disappointed.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

This film is great. Love the humour, typical British. Not to be overly critical of an old film, but when they got to the part where they have a person to figure out the price for delivered goods it's obvious they don't fully utilize the computer and by everything else the film shows, it seems like they only used the machine to store data, not to actually process it. If you give the machine the pricing model, then it can figure out what each customer has to pay. Not familiar with the Leo III or its capabilities, but stuff like billing is what most other computers were built to do long before 1966.

[@matneu27]

Now we are entering the next step where computers can think and teach them self. Again some people are afraid of a new technology and that they are could get replaced. As history has shown we are still alive another year 😊

[@RottnRobbie]

IMO, the two most amazing things about this film are: 1) The British Oxygen company (per the end credits) had a _film unit_ ! I mean... really, how many industrial supply companies have their own film units? 2) The amount of money spent they spent on making this film to try and convince George (the lorry driver), Elsie (the order taker), and all their fellow employees, to "...spend an extra second or two to write clearly... ". Who did the math that said making and showing this film to the staff would reduce the error rate enough to recover the cost of making the movie? BTW - Costing tidbit for "Computer time at £30 an hour..." (@17:00) An online inflation calculator says that £30 in 1966 is equivalent to £480 today (end of 2021). £480 converts to: - €570 - $645 (US) - $825 (CAD)

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Canadian RobJ, Interesting math... that is expensive computer time! A little surprising since the LEO III, like many computers of that time, could do time-sharing and could run all day and into the evening. I guess the high cost of computer time would include the operator/set-up programmer time to keep all jobs running smoothly. Thanks for your observations! ~ Vk

[@Dusty.Spinster]

7:15 that is some serious 10 key speed

[@captainkeyboard1007]

That keyboarding would be identified with punching Hollerith holes into punch cards. Then the cathode ray tube data terminal was brought into the office in 1972. An evolution of data entry apparatus occurred up to the mid 1990s decade when the microcomputer that we know as the personal computer (pc), whether a Windows computer, or an Apple computer, with a 104-key keyboard, superseded all old methods of keyboarding.

[@ThomasTalbotMD]

Interesting film. The LEO seems a bit behind the state of the art for 1966.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Tom, good observation. It may also be worth a mention that the film was 1966, but the LEO III was designed around end of the 1950's, and first available in 1961. So by 1966, it was at least 5 years "old" technically. Good point though. Thanks!

[@frankowalker4662]

Hope you had a good Christmas, and have a Happy New Year

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Franko, yes, and hope you do as well! Looking forward to good things in 2022! ~ Victor, CHAP

[@albear972]

One of the strangest sidelines of computer history. About the English tea company building their own computer.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Agreed! And considering they were so successful at it, is doubly amazing. ~ VK

[@am74343]

The music sounds like a Wendy Carlos or Perrey-Kingsley production!

[@carloslugo4600]

Happy new year

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Carlos, Happy New Year! 2022 will hopefully bring us all better fortune and opportunity! ~ Victor

[@carloslugo4600]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject thanks, same for yours, and many videos

[@MukbangMukbangMukbang111]

We will be missing the errors once the computers are put in our brains for 100% accuracy.

[@rEdf196]

Those tall Gas canisters 4:20 don't even have safety shield caps. Yikes.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

yes, you are right. It is a bit un-nerving to watch that part...

[@thesteelrodent1796]

he also lifts the canisters by the valve at 5:05. They had a rather loose definition of safety before the 1970s. It always took a serious incident or even disaster before anyone considered to maybe do things differently

[@allanegleston4931]

un another vid , lyons paid for edsac and lyons built their own edsac and lessens learned from that was appllied to leo.

[@tech34756]

Computers in the 60s: You screwed up you muppet! Computers where I work today: Ummm mr tech I think I messed up

[@bblod4896]

All those jobs disappeared eventually. Now, the customer goes online, fills out the order form and if not completely automated, perhaps one human will pick the item and send to packing and another human will pack and ship the item. More jobs will be lost in the future. It's inevitable.

[@listohan]

Creating or preserving jobs should not be an end in itself. But many who have not studied high school economics think that it should be. And politicians tend to be the worst offenders even if they know better. Eliminating (boring) jobs that machines can do better is called enhancing productivity and leads to higher living standards. Some think improving productivity is achieved by paying people less to do the same job. Paying people well concentrates the mind on seeing if tasks can be performed more efficiently. I found it interesting that the data was first captured on a computer at the end of the process when it was about time to create invoices. The infrastructure of the time meant using the postal service instead of the internet to convey data and staff collecting their pay in envelopes at the pay office. How quaint. Just as I am amazed the newspaper industry was able to exist with the technology of the time, I am in awe that anything much else got done in those days when so much incidental labour was required.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

@@listohan anything can be done manually, it just takes a lot more time and effort. Computers only simplified things and made it more efficient, but they have never truly changed how things are done. It's mostly still the same processes that have to be performed to do anything, just slightly differently because the computers take care of it