Vintage Educational GE Computer Film 1969 General Electric DATANET 30 Data Processing

[@bblod4896]

This film describes, in the most simplistic way, how a computer and it's software operates. It should be used in today's elementary schools. 😎 Thanks CHAP for releasing it.

[@josephgaviota]

That explanation about how a program works is actually a pretty good simple explanation for someone who doesn't know how computers work. I give it 👍👍.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @josephgaviota, Thanks very much for the feed back on this. Glad you found it interesting and helpful! ~ Victor, CHAP

[@exxzxxe]

Great series. The second job (around 1965) I had was as a programmer at the GE processing service bureau on Carpenter Freeway in Dallas. Most of my work involved the GE 225 with an AAU (auxilary aritmetic unit- for floating point calculations), programming in GECOM (GE's version of COBOL). Strangest job at the service bureau was our processing of the local phone company's long distance billing tapes. Long distance charges were spooled onto paper tape at the phone company's office. We sorted the charges in phone number order, also onto paper tape for final billing. I can remember the 225 operator's frantic mounting and dismounting punched paper tapes as the 225 progressed through the stages of the sort and merge steps.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @exxzxxe, your comment paints an amusing picture. It sounds like that was quite a intricate set of tasks at the service bureau. Fascinating times?

[@exxzxxe]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Yes, and it was made even worse when the GE paper-tape reader-punch machine malfunctioned and broke a paper tape. The operator would have to stop, dismount a real and apply adhesive tape to repair the broken tape, re-mount and re-start at the last checkpoint.

[@exxzxxe]

Just noticed I misspelled reel.

[@PashPaw]

It’s wild to think my great-grandmother worked at the plant building and repairing these machines in Phoenix. She was apparently quite adept at crawling around in them. I often wonder what she would have thought about the modern microcomputers.

[@exxzxxe]

I should have added the GE 225 and GE 235 were process-control computers adapted to "business processing." Later computers- the GE 435, GE 635 and GE 645 were designed for "business" and "scientific" processing.

[@RetroElijah1982]

Man I love Old School technology(some of the new technology's not too bad), and videos that have to do with Old School technology. This video here, instant classic. Well done C.H.A.P. 👍🏽😎👍🏽

[@norcal715]

$1 for health insurance! Those were the days.

[@bblod4896]

With the rate of inflation, that would be about $8.65 today. However, that's only the amount withheld. When I worked at PanAm in the late 80s, employees had to contribute $10 per pay period towards health insurance. Many of the old timers were rather upset. Unfortunately Pan Am still failed in 1991. 😢

[@ptonpc]

You can thank Nixon and his mates for that. He put in a new law allowing the healthinsurance companies to charge what they like (he was friends with the CEO of a major health insurance company) . Subsequent administrations let them go out of control.

[@RottnRobbie]

Not to mention $88.25 take-home per week = almost $4,600 a year! (Were those really 'the days'? Although, only 35 hours per week sounds pretty good now!)

[@RottnRobbie]

Anybody else notice that new-fangled (in 1969) _felt-tip_ pen used to calculate George's pay?!?

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

really?

[@RottnRobbie]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Yes, really. I clearly remember our family being excited by this new way of writing around '68 - '71. This being youtube, I can't give the lknk but, an archived page from Sharpie corp (linked to from wikipedia's article on felt tip pens) says that in 1964: "The Sharpie Fine Point black marker becomes the first pen-style permanent marker. It writes on almost any surface from glass, wood and stone, to plastic, metal and, of course, paper. NBC talk show hosts Johnny Carson and Jack Parr are some of the first celebrity endorsers". So in 1969, that was still a pretty new writing technology.

[@johnathanstevens8436]

​@@RottnRobbieand CD-Rs .. it also writes reliably on CD-Rs

[@thesteelrodent1796]

this film is actually more educational than all the computer educational film from the 80s we were shown in school (which also included Wargames, Electric Dreams, and an ad for GEM because they didn't know how to teach IT)

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

That's funny about the GEM ad... I think you are right though.

[@garthhowe297]

Oh, if writing a payroll application was that easy. Lol Terrific film about the basic steps though.

[@johnevans9751]

great post

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@CalculatorWish]

😍

[@RetroSportsNetwork]

Ernie Tetrault!

[@UQRXD]

This how big corporations are becoming the world rulers, and we have become but a number.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

... and sometimes I cannot remember my number, and then I get really worried. Thank you for your feedback!

[@frankowalker4662]

Those jobs have also been taken by computers. LOL.

[@deeplife9654]

❤

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thanks!

[@cpm1003]

$1/week for health insurance! That would be nice.

[@JimBeshears]

Core memory....:::shudder::::

[@dalecomer5951]

Why? Magnetic core memory was very reliable and fast enough for the time.

[@josephgaviota]

@@dalecomer5951 AND, contents of memory survived a power out.

[@JimBeshears]

Do a Westinghouse P580.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @JimBeshears, a "Westinghouse P580"? Is that some kind of an analog multiplexer?? You got me on that one... : )