Laboratory Computers

 

Figure 11: Ramesh Shukla teaches fourth year students Tim Lahey (left) and Klaas Westera (right). Note the new Wang Computers (600C and 720C). Both Lahey and Westera went on to work for Wang. (1972)

The Department of Physics has relied heavily on computers for many years. The first laboratory computers in the department were a pair of Wang Computers (600C and 720C according to Klaas Westera), purchased between 1969 and 1971 according to Colin Plint. The next laboratory computer was also a Wang (2200C according to Klaas Westera) and was purchased jointly by Chemistry and Physics in about 1975 for about $5000.00. Matrix algebra could be done on this computer. Colin Plint reports that he used this Wang 2200C in his research in 1976 or 1977.

 

Figure 12: Klaas Westera demonstrates the new Wang 2200C to (left to right) Frans Koffyberg (Physics), John Rustenberg (Electronics), Geoff Kidson (Physics), Chi Woboso (Physics), Michael Brett (Physics), Roger Vaughn (Physics) and Paul Bickert (Chemistry). A new and exciting capability of the Wang was its ability to do matrix algebra. It was purchased by Physics and Chemistry jointly. (1975)