Before he founded IP Sharp he helped build the FP6000 computers—this project was halted in Canada—Canada was not allowed to build computers in North America that could compete with the US any more than they could build the AVRO Arrow.
This history Ian told me about really struck me because they were working at Downsview where the arrow was built and my husband worked for SPAR where many former AVRO engineers landed. > In 1962, the SASKATCHEWAN POWER CORPORATION > <https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/saskatchewan_power_corporation.jsp> bought > the largest of only five FP6000 computers ever built by the Canadian firm, > Ferranti Packard. The FP 6000, an innovation in the relatively new area of > general-purpose computers, was one of the first to offer time-sharing and > multiprogramming in a mid-sized computer, which allowed SASKPOWER > <https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/saskatchewan_power_corporation.jsp> to run > engineering calculations alongside a customer billing program. The computer > filled a room and required its own air conditioner; however, the size of its > memory was nearly 10,000 times smaller than what is available on a laptop > computer today. The homegrown expertise that created the FP 6000 began with > work on the Royal CANADIAN NAVY > <https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/canadian_navy.jsp>'s DATAR (Digital Automated > Tracking and Resolving) project in 1949. The rights to the FP 6000 computer > were sold by its British parent company to International Computers and > Tabulators (ICT), who recognized the potential for the machine and quickly > made it the foundation for their 1900 series, from which thousands were sold > in Europe. The FP 6000 became the ICT 1904; a proposal to design and > manufacture ICT's 1905 and 1906 computers in Canada was not successful, > putting Ferranti Packard - and Canada - out of the computer business. The FP > 6000 has been compared to the Avro Arrow; ironically, the two companies were > neighbours in Malton, Ontario. The SaskPower system, after being in use for > eighteen years, was donated to the Saskatchewan WESTERN DEVELOPMENT MUSEUM > <https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/western_development_museum.jsp> in 1983. > On Jul 18, 2021, at 01:47, Joey K Tuttle <[email protected]> wrote: > > I have many great memories of Ian and his amazing sense of humor laced with > cleverness. Even being chastised by Ian is a memory I cherish. > > Many of us agree that he provided the most fun environment we could imagine > and we thought it was amazing to be paid for something we loved to do. > >> On 2021Jul 17, at 12:40, Eric Iverson <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Ian Sharp, founder of I.P. Sharp Associates (IPSA), passed on 2021-07-16. >> Ian played pivotal roles in every aspect of the APL/J/K story. I, and so >> many others, can say without reservation that he was the best boss ever. >> More mentor than boss. An astute business person, he always had a twinkle >> in his eye and a cutting wit. >> >> *Ian Sharp Quotations and Anecdotes >> <https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/SharpQA.htm>* >> >> *(chat forum for comments please)* >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
