How the University of Colombo Entered the Minicomputer Age

May 1980. Room C8 wasn’t ready yet — but history rarely waits for the paint to dry.

The small space where the IBM 029 card punch had once clattered to life was about to welcome a very different sound. Engineers unboxed a Data General NOVA/4 minicomputer, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, loaned to the Department of Mathematics while the permanent system was being prepared.

First encounter with the future — seated at the NOVA/4 terminal, 1980, as the minicomputer era arrived at the University of Colombo. (Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara)

At the time, few in Sri Lanka had even seen a minicomputer in person. This was the first hands‑on experience for both students and staff, marking the start of a cultural and technological shift within the Department of Mathematics.

It had taken years to get here. In the 1970s, Sri Lanka’s strict import restrictions meant that even pocket calculators were banned. As neighbouring countries leapt ahead in computing, local academics had to make do with scarce, outdated tools. That changed after 1977, when a new open‑economy policy allowed technology to flow in. IBM, WANG, ICL, HP — all began appearing on Sri Lankan soil. But Data General? Not yet.

Negotiations stretched across continents. Data Serve Pvt. Ltd., a telecommunications firm, became the sole local agent for Data General after an agreement with the US company. Dr. Roger Stern’s proposal to Professor P. W. Epasinghe sealed the deal: the University would get a system powerful enough to run world‑class statistical software like SPSS, GLIM, and MINITAB.

Two generations in one frame — the temporary NOVA/4 loaner and the permanent Eclipse S/140 that redefined our computing capacity, 1982. (Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara)

The NOVA/4 had kept the department moving while negotiations and shipping delays tested everyone’s patience. The arrival of the Eclipse S/140 signaled the transition from borrowed capability to full independence.

The permanent machine, a Data General Eclipse S/140, arrived in 1981. Its specs were serious for the time:

• 256KB RAM
• Dual 25MB disc drives
• Time‑sharing and multi‑user capability
• A magnetic tape drive
• Eight terminals (three in the original order, plus five added thanks to extra funding)

Embracing the future—Dr. Roger Stern at the University of Reading, along with staff from the Department of Mathematics, explores sharing and statistical software on the Data General ECLIPSE S/140, technology once considered unattainable.(Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara)

For many, this was their first encounter with SPSS, GLIM, and MINITAB. Training sessions turned into informal collaborations, as faculty discovered what was possible with shared access to a powerful machine.

The funding came from multiple allies: the Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation (NUFFIC), the University Grants Commission, and equipment votes from the Faculty of Science and the Department of Sociology.

By April 1982, Room C8 was transformed into the Statistical Laboratory — no longer defined by the click of keypunches, but by the quiet hum of multi‑user computing.

Room C8 transformed — from a keypunch corner to a fully‑fledged multi‑terminal computer room, April 1982.(Photo Archive Library (c) Turrance Nandasara)

The hum of multiple terminals replaced the clatter of keypunches. Ergonomic furniture, improved lighting, and carefully planned wiring made C8 not just functional but a showcase of modern academic computing in Sri Lanka.

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“We moved from working around limitations to working through them — with the right tools at last.”

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