Mac the Mac System : a Progress Report

The notion of machine-aided cognition implies an intimate collaboration between a human user and a computer in a real-time dialogue on the solution of a problem, in which the two parties contribute their best capabilities. In order for this intimate collaboration to be possible, a computer system is needed that can serve simultaneously a large number of people, and that is easily accessible to them, both physically and intellectually. The present MAC System is a first step toward this goal. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief description of the current system, to report on the experience gained from its operation, and to indicate directions along which future developments are likely to proceed. Paper presented at the Symposium on Computer Augmentation of Human Reasoning, Washington, D. C, June 16, 1964. This paper will be published in the Proceedings of the Symposium and in the January 1965 issue of the IEEE SPECTRUM. "Work reported herein was supported by Project MAC, an M. I. T. research program sponsored by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Department of Defense, under Office of Naval Research Contract Nonr-4102(01). Reproduction in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose of the United States Government, "