An interactive console operating as background in a large computer system

In order to fill the gap between small desktop calculators and conventional computer programming, an interactive console system has been developed to permit engineers and mathematicians to solve small scale problems with a simple algebra-like language, EASY (Elementary Algebraic Solutions for You). In order to achieve effective operation at low cost, the consoles (IBM 2260) are supported as a low level background function on an IBM 360 Model 40 computer Attached Support Processor (ASP), which is simultaneously supplying data processing capability to support multiple printers, plotters, card readers and punches, auxiliary storage devices, and the monitoring and job scheduling for an attached IBM 360 Model 65 computer (Fig. 1).