The 1903T replaced the 1905E as the main GEORGE batch system in 1974. Later a second 1903T was installed to support the interactive MAXIMOP system. Discs in use were then EDS60s (60MB) - physically the biggest discs ever seen at UEA. Ten drives can be seen in this picture split between the two processors. The first processor spans the width of the room with memory cabinets and comunications kit behind and the second processor out of sight. The processor had 8 user addressable registers (referenced as X0 to X7 in PLAN the 1900 assembler) and the front of cabinet (what a compact little system box ) door could be opened to reveal these and other register displays ( 24 bit word length ). Behind the register displays an example of a wiring nightmare ! . No wonder we had a resident ICL Engineer to keep the thing going ! Tape decks in use at this time were 7 track and 9 track reel to reel and when not in use were catalogued in a tape store . A full size (1500ft ?) 9 track tape held about 100MB of data.
