Fifty Years Ago .... from the pages of Computer Weekly

12th September 1974 computing, compiled by TNMOC volunteer archivist, Brian Aldous.

A selection of stories from Computer Weekly from 12th September 1974. The full archive of Computer Weekly can be seen at TNMOC, where there are special rolling displays of front pages from 25 and 40 years ago.

Supermarket PoS system for UK: The supermarket terminal system developed by NCR, the 255, is now available in the UK. The interactive system is controlled by the NCR 726 16-bit minicomputer, and according to NCR, a system with eight 255s and a 20K 726 will cost about £20,000. The system is already being ordered on a large scale in the US. In addition to the price lookup and other on-line features offered by the 726, such as cheque authorisation, the computer can produce a variety of reports instantly. The NCR 255 terminal features a removable cash drawer, enabling each cashier to account precisely for her own sales by inserting the drawer as she identifies herself at the start of a shift and removing it as she signs off at the end. (CW 410 12/9/1974 p3)

Data link terminal controller launched: High-Integrity data communication over HF radio and telephone voice circuits at a competitive price is the promise of a new company, Dollman Electronics, of Biggin Hill, Kent, formed to manufacture and market a new product, the data link terminal controller. Voice telephone circuits are indifferent vehicles for carrying data transmission, but HF radio is beset with a multitude of fading and interference problems, which often degrade data communication to the point of total unintelligibility. The problem of transmitting alphanumeric data from aircraft to control centre and producing hard-copy print-out and position plots led to the development of the encoding method which is at the heart of the data link equipment, and the availability of the Intel 4004 four-bit microprocessor chip made it possible to design an economic unit, which could not have been done economically using TTL logic. (CW 410 12/9/1974 p11)