The Computer Guy Is Here!: Mainframe Mechanic

Way back in the last century, back in the 1960s, computers were mammoth mysterious machines. They were immensely expensive yet became essential to daily business operations. Yet, no one ever saw them. Security dictated they be hidden away. Only the computer operators were allowed access. These were the important people who actually made the computer do useful work. On the other hand, these knowledgeable operators knew absolutely nothing of the technology behind the covers. Whenever a problem arose, there was no choice but to call the Computer Guy. Frantically a supervisor would place a call for service. Then wait. And wait. Little could be done without the computer running. Finally! At long last, someone would yell out, “The computer guy is here!” Following a brief greeting, the thankful supervisor immediately wanted to know how long it would take to get the computer running again. So, with everyone anxiously looking over his shoulder, the computer guy set about his business of determining the cause and finding a solution to the problem. Clearly a stressful situation. Yet this was only a minor portion of an essential career from the early days of the Computer Era. The Computer Guys were the Field Engineers who installed, maintained and repaired those old mainframe computers. Their place in technological history is finally documented.

The author is a retired Customer Engineer (Mainframe Mechanic) from Cleveland, Ohio who spent over 32 years with IBM. While claiming to be an expert on nothing, he has traveled much and accumulated a great variety of experiences inside and outside the computer industry. Much was learned and some of it recalled in "The Computer Guy is Here!" In the past he has also been a TV Repairman, home builder, writer, educator, Broadcast Engineer (First Class FCC license), mechanic and even a pump jockey back when there were such things.