Without Question the electronic computer has become a most important influence in our everyday lives. Some writers claim that this is the computer age. that the phenomenal growth and acceptance of electronic data processing ranks in significance with atomic power development or the achievements in space exploration. Indeed, it is true that in nearly every fleld of human endeavour, there is an increasing degree of dependence being placed upon the operation of our most fascinating machine—the electronic computer.

By the end of 1967 there will be more then one hundred machines installed In New Zealand; throughout the world more than thirty thousand machine systems will be in operation.

At least seven of New Zealand's computers will be installed in universities for educational administrative and research purposes. The demand from students for computer facilities has been staggering, so much so that the machines at present installed are easily the busiest in the country, operating round the clock seven days a week.

The Government has invested heavily in data processing equipment over the last five years, already employing eight major installations for administrative, accounting and seientific applications.

Until recently, it was only the large commercial enterprise, often with overseas affiliation or control, that was taking advantage of the computer in everyday business administration. But nowadays two factors have encouraged many New Zealand owned enterprises to place orders for modern electronic machines. Firstly, research, worldwide demand, and keen competition amongst the manufacturers have brought the price of a computer down to a level where many companies must give serious consideration to installation Mation on economic factors alone.

Secondly, as a country, we have acquired sufficient expertise for most informed businessmen to be assured of the machine's capability and reliabilty.

It is safe to predict that within a few years an understanding of computer capabilities will be an essential qualification of every business and professional man. every scientist and engineer.

It is with this development in mind that this brief discussion of electronic data processing in New Zealand is presented.

It is appropriate now to discuss some of the physical characteristics of the computer.

In general there are four main components:

1. Input.

2. Processing.

3. Storage.

4. Ouput.

These components may be grouped in many configurations but all machine systems have the same fundamental organisation.

As one example, a set of meter readings taken at 10-minute intervals over the last 24 hours may be "input" to the computer. These are "processed" to calculate mean hourly levels which may be "output" in tabular form. Simultaneously, these hourly lewls are "stored" in a table of similar results for the previous hundred days. This table is then "processed" to calculate any significant trend in say hourly levels or peak levels or perhaps summarised by weeks or lunar periods, whichever may be appropriate.

In turn the results of this "processing" would be "output."

Similarly, the details of a purchase would be "input" for processing; details of the debtors account may be retrieved from "storage": an invoice calculated ("processed") and output." and the updated (processed) debtors account returned to "storage."

It is, of course, the "processor" that performs all the computing functions of the system.

Let's see how it works.

There are three essential functions of the pressor to be examined.

a. Processor storage.

b. Control.

c. Arithmetic.

The processor storage is somewhat different to the main storage component of the computer system. To differentiate between them I will now refer to core storage (or immediate access storage) in the processor and file store (or backing storage in the overall system. Core storage derives its name from its principal element, the magnetic core, which is a tiny ring of ferrite. Thousands of these are wired together to form a storage device capable of accepting or delivering information in a few millionths of a second.

Groups of cores are systematically organised into "words" each capable of being addressed by the processors control unit, and each capable of storing information. A comparison can be made with a set of pigeon-holes. A whole set is a storage device, a single pigeon-hole is a "word" of storage located at a fixed position within the device.

Processor storage has two functions, first, to store a series of instructions and second to store the information or data to be immediately processed. The instructions for any computation are described collectively as the programme, and programming or the preparing of computer instructions as described in a later paragraph.

Diagrammatically then, the processor may be represented as a set of pigeon-holes (or words", a control device and an arithmetic device.

An instruction to a computer usually has three elements:

1. the function or operation, e.g. add, subtract, move.

2. the "from" word or operand.

3. the "to" word or operand.

An example would be:

Add the contents of word 50 (x) to the contents of word 76 (y).

The control device analyses each instruction and directs the data stored in the operand words to or from the arithmetic device.

When an instruction is executed the control device then reads the next instruction in sequence for analysis and execution.

An important feature of a computer is its, logical capability. This is derived from the facility to take alternative sequences of instructions depending on the results of; previous calculations: e.g. if word A is negative take the next instruction from word 32. otherwise take next instruction from word 43.

The arithmetic unit of the modern computer is capable of much more than simple; addition and subtraction. Most machines can perform logical arithmetic and operate in binary, decimal or other bases at will. If the arithmetic unit does not have the facility built in then almost certainly it can be programmed.

The control unit also has the important function of communication with input, output and storage devices on instruction.