EASY: The microcomputer-based EDUNET access system

ABSTRACT

The same advances in computer hardware that have revolutionized computing now promise to make a substantial improvement in the way resources can be accessed over a network. The most significant development is the availability of powerful but low-cost microcomputers. For approximately $2,500 it is now possible to make available a microcomputer that: 1) greatly simplifies access to a given network resource, especially for the untrained, non-technical person; 2) can substantially reduce the cost of communications; and 3) provides valuable local computing services on its own, without resorting to a remote network computer.

The topic of this paper is a hardware/software system that functions both as a stand-alone microcomputer system and, using special access software, as an intelligent terminal useful in accessing the large computer systems that supply services through EDUNET. The current implementation of EASy is based on a 48K Apple^TM II Plus system with the “Language Systems” card that supports UCSD Pascal^TM, a Disk II floppy disk subsystem, and a communications card for network access or connection of external devices.

Index Terms

• Computer systems organization

  • Embedded and cyber-physical systems

  • Real-time systems

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)

    • Interaction paradigms