"PACTOLUS": a digital analog simulator program for the IBM 1620

Abstract

Perhaps the most formidable challenge in the field of digital computer applications is the development of equipment and programs which will extend the creative power of scientific users. The crux of the problem, of course, is intimate man-machine communication---a most elusive and difficult-to-define characteristic. The engineer requires a conveniently manageable system; the scientist requires sufficient intimacy to provide real insight into the complex interplay of problem variables; the creative user requires computing power and flexibility to permit imaginative use of the computer and graphic display to permit recognition of inventive solutions. The development of computers designed specifically for such applications has been slow due to the difficulty of ascertaining the proper man-machine relationship.