GEC 2050 facts for kids

The GEC 2050 was a special type of computer from the 1970s. It was known as an 8-bit minicomputer. This means it was smaller than the huge "mainframe" computers of that time, but still quite big! It was first made in the UK by a company called Marconi Elliott Computer Systems. Later, the company changed its name to GEC Computers Limited, and the computer became known as the GEC 2050.

What the GEC 2050 Could Do

The GEC 2050 was used for many different jobs.

• One common use was as a "Remote Job Entry" (RJE) station. Imagine a smaller office needing to send big tasks to a powerful computer far away. The GEC 2050 helped with this. It could read punched cards, print information, and talk to the main computer.
• It was also used for special "turnkey" systems. This means it was sold as a complete package ready to use for a specific task. For example, it ran a ticketing system for places like Arsenal Football Club.
• It helped control road traffic and automate industrial processes.

The GEC 2050 could hold up to 64 kilobytes (KiB) of magnetic-core memory. This is a type of memory that kept its information even when the power was off. It weighed about 41 kilograms (90 pounds).

How People Used the GEC 2050

Imagine being a programmer in 1975, working with a GEC 2050.

• You would arrive with your program written on paper. You would also have a special punch tape that held your program's source code in a machine-readable format.
• First, you had to turn on the computer. Since the memory usually still had the last user's program, you often needed to load a special tape called Minisystem. This tape contained a small program to help you get started.
• You would feed the Minisystem tape into the tape-reader on the front of the computer. The tape would spill out onto the floor as it was read!
• Once the Minisystem was loaded, you could start it.

Editing Your Program

• Next, you would use the computer's keyboard to call up a "text editor" program.
• You would then load your program's source tape into the reader. While the computer read your program, spilling more tape onto the floor, you could rewind the Minisystem tape.
• Editing was very different back then. Only one line of your program was shown at a time, by being printed on paper. If you added text, it printed below the line. If you deleted text, it was simply crossed out.
• The printer was very slow, working at 110 baud. This meant it made a lot of noise, clunking and whirring as it printed.

Saving and Compiling

• When you finished editing, the computer would print out your new program. It would also create a new punch tape with the updated code.
• While the new tape was being made, you could rewind your old source tape to keep it as a backup. You would label the new tape with its name, version, and date.
• The GEC 2050 didn't have enough memory to hold both the Minisystem and the Fortran compiler (a program that translates your code into computer language) at the same time.
• So, you would load the Fortran compiler tape. While it was loading, you could tear off your new source tape and rewind it.
• The first time you ran your source tape through the compiler, it was usually just to check for syntax errors (mistakes in the code). If there were errors, you had to load the Minisystem again, edit your program, and make a new source tape.
• If there were no errors, you would rewind your source tape and load it again. This time, the computer would slowly read it and create an "object tape." This object tape was the final computer-ready version of your program.

Running Your Program

• After all that, with tapes all over the floor, you would load the Minisystem one more time.
• Then, you would load a program called "LINK" (a linking-loader program). This program helped connect your object tape with other necessary parts, like library functions.
• Finally, you could run your program! If something went wrong, you might have to go back to the editor and start the whole process again.

See also

• GEC Computers Limited
• GEC 4000 series