Cliffies Will Get A Computer Unit To Use in Dorm

A computer-in-residence will start helping Cliffies with their homework by he middle of this month.

A telephone extension of a central computer in Philadelphia will be installed in Cabot Hall, Norman Zachary, manager of the Computer Center, said yesterday.

He said it would be used mainly by mathematics, statistics, physical science, social relations, and economics concentrators who need to solve multiple part computations. Zachary estimated that the computer will handle in minutes calculations which would otherwise take 10 to 20 hours of desk work.

The computer time will cost the University approximately 50 cents per minute, plus extra charges for servicing and the use of New England Telephone Company facilities. Students will use the unit for free.

Dartmouth has been experimenting with similar apparatus for several years, but Radcliffe will be the first women's college to use dormitory computer facilities. The program is part of an experiment being conducted by the Computer Labs and the General Electric Company. If it widely used, similar extensions will be stalled in other Radcliffe dorms and possibly at Harvard, according to Zachary.

Girls will first formulate a program then dial the central computer's number and type out their program and data on telephone-typewriter unit. The computer will type the answers back to the dorm extension.

Introductory lessons in the use of the machine will be given to girls who "show legitimate interest." Zachary said, adding that no formal criteria had been set up for computer use. Harvard students who wish to use the machine in Cabot will be allowed to do so.