MECC
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (later Corporation), most commonly known as MECC, was an organization founded in 1973. The goal of the organization was to coordinate and provide computer services to almost all schools in the state of Minnesota.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
When it was created many schools were independently investigating uses of computers. MECC was created by the state legislature as a pseudo state agency, which was given the task to study and coordinate computer use in schools for both administrative and educational purposes. Schools had to get MECC's approval for most computing expenses. There were some existing services for school's administrative tasks. After study of educational needs, a single educational computer center was recommended for use by schools which did not already have facilities (the University of Minnesota's MERITSS computer provided timesharing services to its campuses and to state universities).[1]
[edit] Computing facilities
SUMITS, a UNIVAC 1110 mainframe was installed at the MECC facility at 1925 Sather (address later changed to 2520 Broadway Drive), next to Highway 280. A sturdy industrial building originally used for electrical maintenance, part of the building was already occupied by the University of Minnesota's Lauderdale computing facility.
Over 400 computer terminals, most of them ASR33 teleprinters, connected at 110 and 300 baud through telephones by using acoustically coupled modems. The UNIVAC machine was replaced with a Control Data Corporation Cyber 73 mainframe, known as the MECC Timesharing System (MTS). After several years most of the phone lines were replaced with direct circuits to schools across the state. To support so many users, primarily using programs written in the BASIC language, both timesharing systems developed shared memory BASIC systems.
Through this and less efficient methods, multiuser programs and chat systems appeared in addition to electronic mail and BBS programs; some of these were derived from MERITSS programs.[2]
[edit] Microcomputer technology
As microcomputer technology appeared its educational uses were examined. In 1978 it appeared that features needed in the classroom, such as a graphical display, were available. Through an evaluation and bidding process, Apple II computers were chosen by MECC for state schools. Any school in the state could buy these computers through MECC without having to go through complex evaluation and purchasing procedures. Many schools started using the Apple II, and MECC produces educational software for them. In 1979 some MECC programs for the Apple II can be downloaded through the timesharing system. In 1981 the Atari 400 and Atari 800 machines were also supported by MECC.[1][2]
As use of microcomputers increased, the demand for the timesharing system decreased. The timesharing system was shut down in 1983. MECC created or converted programs to the Commodore 64, Radio Shack, IBM PC, and Apple Macintosh computers.[2]
[edit] Activities
It also created educational computer programs, primarily for use in libraries and public schools. During its lifetime, the company produced a number of programs that have become well-known to American generation X and Y students, such as The Oregon Trail, Odell Lake, Number Munchers, Lemonade Stand, Spellevator, Storybook Weaver and DinoPark Tycoon.
[edit] Closure
The state of Minnesota spun off the company as a private corporation in the late 1980s. It was bought by a venture capitalist for $5 million, who sold it less than a year later to The Learning Company for $250 million.
MECC's offices in Minnesota closed in January 1999.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c ED220932 - Managing Technology Change. "MECC: A Management History.". ERIC. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
- ^ a b c Steve Taffee. MECC Timeline. MECC Alumni. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.
