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Further reading □ Overview □ Harwell computers (Hollerith, Dekatron) □ 3D Computer (1957) □ Atlas requirements (1958) □ Howlett notes (1956-61) □ Howlett letter (1995) □ Correspondence (1959) □ Harwell computing needs (1960) □ Curtis 1/7/60 □ Atlas Order Code 27/7/60 □ Gill 5/8/60 □ AEA/Ferranti 11/8/60 □ AEA 18/11/60 □ AEA minutes 24/11/60 □ Working party 28/11/60 □ AEA CPC 2/12/60 □ AEA 8/12/60 □ Correspondence (1960) □ Hall 28/06/61 □ Correspondence (1961) □ CPC 26/3/62 □ NIRNS 29/11/62
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Further reading ⇓

□ Overview □ Harwell computers (Hollerith, Dekatron) □ 3D Computer (1957) □ Atlas requirements (1958) □ Howlett notes (1956-61) □ Howlett letter (1995) □ Correspondence (1959) □ Harwell computing needs (1960) □ Curtis 1/7/60 □ Atlas Order Code 27/7/60 □ Gill 5/8/60 □ AEA/Ferranti 11/8/60 □ AEA 18/11/60 □ AEA minutes 24/11/60 □ Working party 28/11/60 □ AEA CPC 2/12/60 □ AEA 8/12/60 □ Correspondence (1960) □ Hall 28/06/61 □ Correspondence (1961) □ CPC 26/3/62 □ NIRNS 29/11/62

AEA Meeting: CO(113)

Minutes Secretary

24/11/1960

1 Extract from the Minutes

The Authority had before them a paper by Sir William Penney reviewing the use of computers within the Authority and setting out proposals for meeting needs over the next five years.

SIR WILLIAM PENNEY said that his paper outlined the existing facilities available to the authority and the results achieved, and set out three specific recommendations from the Computer Policy Committee:

  1. The IBM 7090 should be purchased rather than hired, and transferred to Risley when the Stretch computer now on order for Aldermaston was installed.
  2. An English Electric KDF 9 should be purchased for AEA Winfrith.
  3. The Authority should support a programme in collaboration with a number of other interested users for the purchase and installation of a Ferranti Atlas computer now in course of development.

SIR WILLIAM PENNEY said that the proposals in the paper had been considered by the Atomic Energy Executive, and recommendations (i) and (iii) had been endorsed by them for submission to the Authority. On (ii) they had concluded that while a good case could be argued on general grounds for providing Winfrith with a computer of the capacity of the KDF 9, it would be desirable to defer action for a few weeks until a decision had been taken by Ministers on the Atlas computer. the cost of buying the IBM 7090, recently installed at Aldermaston, would be little more than the cost of hiring it for the length of the Weapons Group commitment. The Northern Groups had a heavy programme of work and could fully use this machine. The Authority's need for computing facilities such as the Ferranti Atlas could provide was insufficient to justify the provision of one for the Authority alone. It was known that other interested users, including a number of Government Departments, were in much the same position. It had therefore seemed that a case might be made out for a collaborative programme for the purchase and installation of one of these machines. A Committee set up by the Minister for Science had accordingly been considering the question. This Committee had not as yet reached any final conclusions, but it appeared that it had already been established that there would be form requirements amounting to the employment of an Atlas machine for two shifts a day. This could certainly be regarded as an economical load for such a machine. The Atlas was not yet a proven machine, but it was considered by the experts to be well designed and to have very great promise. This was a field in which it was most desirable that UK industry should establish itself, but Ferranti had intimated that they would be unable to continue development of the machine unless they received a firm order for one. Sir William Penney therefore recommended that the Authority should support a collaborative project on the lines indicated in the paper.

During discussion the following points were made:

  1. The principal use of an Atlas machine in the Authority would be Harwell and Culham.
  2. The general UK need for computing capacity was likely to grow substantially within a comparatively short time. Computers would probably become less costly, whereas the cost of employing qualified staff would almost certainly continue to rise. There was therefore a strong economic argument for encouraging the development of computer capacity.
  3. Much attention had been paid to the possibility of using computer capacity from a distance, but this method of operation was both expensive and unsatisfactory. the maximum benefit from a computer could only be obtained if it were located near its users.
  4. If there were a collaborative programme for the purchase and installation of an Atlas, the Authority could accept responsibility for its operation. Financial and other questions would clearly need careful negotiation. the Treasury would have the last word.

The Authority

  1. approved the proposal in AEA (6) 113 that the IBM 7090 should be purchased outright instead of hired and transferred to Risley as soon as it could be released by AWRE;
  2. agreed that the Authority should support a collaborative programme with other interested users for the purchase and operation of an Atlas computer and invited the Chairman to inform the Minister for Science accordingly;
  3. agreed to defer consideration of the purchase of a KDF 9 for Winfrith until a decision had been taken by Ministers on the Atlas computer.
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