On the Demonstration of High-Speed Digital Computers

The demonstration of a computer is an important event for the computer staff, whether the computer is to be sold or rented, whether it has been constructed by a non-profit organization, or whether it is simply to be used in an industrial or scientific installation. The organization selling or renting a computer is, of course, anxious to show the computer in its best light. The staff operating a computer in a research, educational, or industrial organization is anxious to impress users of the machine with its speed, flexibility, and large domain of applicability, for it is important that the computer be used to its fullest extent and advantage to justify its considerable cost. Demonstration routines are among the most important tools to gain that objective. Because computer demonstrations are usually made to persons who do not know the inner workings of the device, their impact is generally dependent on an understanding of the psychological attitude of humans towards machines. A machine that acts like a human will, for a little while at least, impress those humans viewing it for the first time. Persons arranging demonstrations, however, must not over-emphasize showmanship at the expense of intellectual and scientific integrity. The demonstration should therefore include examples of problems which are standard to the computer's repertoire and are at the same time interesting and intriguing. The important characteristics of highspeed computers which are new and impressive to the observer are automaticity, speed, and versatility. Despite these impressive characteristics, the demonstration of a computer can be unimpressive to the layman and even, in cases, to the scientist. The following aspects of demonstration routines are important: 1) Complete control by the computer of its own behavior during the entire demonstration. 2) Human-like behavior by the computer in the sense that it responds to external stimuli in a logical fashion. 3) Demonstration of the computer's superiority in speed over conventional techniques. 4) Complete use of the computer's inputoutput facilities i n as thorough and versatile a manner as possible.