Computer Director to Propose Options for System Expansion

Within a month a Harvard official will submit a plan to expand the University's undergraduate computer facilities.

Lewis A. Law, director of technical services since September, said yesterday he will present three options: replacing current facilities with a very large computer, acquiring many small microcomputers, or buying a modest computer just able to meet expected demand. Richard G. Leahy, associate dean for resource and planning, will appoint a committee to study and choose between the options.

Undergraduate computer facilities now consists of two PDP 1170 computers, four disk drives, and 64 terminals--nearly twice as many as last year. But John Park '82, general operations manager at the Science Center, said yesterday the computers will continue to be overcrowded because of freshmen trying to meet the new Quantitative Reasoning requirement of the Core Curriculum.

Grinding to a Halt

This week a seven-year-old disk drive in the system broke down, requiring a spare part to be flown in from California and inconveniencing users of the computer. Law said the two PDP 1170s are currently running at full capacity and an expected "exponential increase in use" of the computer will force some replacements within a few years.

Under Law's proposed first option, the University would buy or lease a very large general-purpose computer, like an IBM 370, which would meet the expected increase. This type of computer, however, would cost several million dollars, and would be more difficult for beginners to use than the present system.

The second option is to buy Micro-a-Go-Go microcomputers small enough to sit on a desk but powerful enough to serve eight terminals. They cost about $20,000 each, but the cost should decline as computer technology advances, Law said. The microcomputers lack many of the features of larger machines, however, he added.

Under the third option, the University would buy a small high-speek computer just able to keep up with demand that would not cost as much as a larger general-purpose computer. With this option, however, the computer system might soon reach capacity again, Law said.

Leahy said the upgrading of the computer system is still at a very early stage, and no changes in the actual equipment are likely for a few years.