Editing MECC (section)

== History ==
[[Image:MECC Circular Minnesota Logo.jpg|thumb|100px|right|MECC logo {{Circa|1978}}]]

=== Origins ===
During the 1960s, Minnesota was a center of computer technology, what ''[[City Pages]]'' would describe 50 years later as a "Midwestern [[Silicon Valley]]". [[IBM]], [[Honeywell]], [[Control Data Corporation|Control Data]] and other companies had facilities in the state. In 1963, their presence inspired a group of teachers at the [[University of Minnesota]] [[University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development|College of Education]]'s [[laboratory school]] to introduce computers into classrooms via [[teleprinter]]s and [[time-sharing]]. The group began with long-distance calls to [[Dartmouth College]]'s [[General Electric]] computer to use [[John George Kemeny]] and [[Thomas E. Kurtz]]'s new [[Dartmouth BASIC]] language, then moved to [[Minneapolis]]-based [[Pillsbury Company]]'s own GE computer. In 1968, twenty [[Minneapolis–Saint Paul]] area school districts and the College of Education founded Total Information for Educational Systems (TIES) to provide time-sharing service on a [[HP 2000]], training, and software. The presence of computer-company employees on many [[school boards]] accelerated the expansion of TIES and helped make Minnesota a leader in computer-based education.<ref name="lafrenz19950413">{{cite web |url=http://purl.umn.edu/107423 |title=Oral history interview with Dale Eugene LaFrenz |publisher=[[Charles Babbage Institute]], University of Minnesota, Minneapolis |date=1995-04-13 |author=LaFrenz, Dale Eugene}}</ref><ref name="lussenhop20110119">{{cite news|last=Lussenhop |first=Jessica |title=Oregon Trail: How three Minnesotans forged its path |url=http://www.citypages.com/content/printVersion/1740595/ |access-date=2011-01-20 |newspaper=City Pages |date=2011-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123012937/http://www.citypages.com/content/printVersion/1740595/ |archive-date=2011-01-23}}</ref>{{r|ota1982}}

The success of TIES, and that of similar projects run by [[Minneapolis Public Schools]] and [[Minnesota State University, Mankato]],{{r|lafrenz19950413}} led to the founding of MECC in 1973{{r|lussenhop20110119}} by the [[Minnesota Legislature|state legislature]]. As a [[Joint Powers Authority]], with the support of the University of Minnesota, the [[Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System]], and the Minnesota Department of Education,<ref name="mace19811207">{{cite news|last=Mace|first=Scott|title=Minnesota's MECC educates next generation of computer users|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gT0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22mecc%22%20catalog%20apple&pg=PA9|access-date=2011-01-20|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=1981-12-07}}</ref> MECC's role was to study and coordinate computer use in schools for both [[management information system|administrative]] and educational purposes. Schools, including the universities, had to get MECC's approval for most computing expenses, and were also its customers for computer-related services. After study of educational needs, a single educational computer center in the Minneapolis area was recommended for use by schools throughout the state{{r|lafrenz19950413}} (the University of Minnesota's MERITSS computer provided time-sharing services to its campuses and to state universities).<ref name="ERICHaugo" />{{r|ota1982}} MECC hoped that every Minnesota school, regardless of size, would have a terminal connected to the computer center.<ref name="pioneer19740509">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4FhlAAAAIBAJ&pg=2182%2C6008944 | title=Hendricks may have computer in future | work=Hendricks Pioneer | date=1974-05-09 | access-date=31 December 2014 | pages=1}}</ref>

=== Computing facilities ===
SUMITS, a [[UNIVAC 1100/2200 series|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. SUMITS was a [[batch processing]] system, albeit not a time-sharing system, and its performance failed to meet the terms of the contract. In 1977 it was replaced with a [[Control Data Corporation]] [[CDC Cyber|Cyber 73]] mainframe,{{r|lafrenz19950413}} known as the MECC Timesharing System (MTS). It became the largest such system for education in the world, with up to 448 simultaneous connections{{r|ota1982}} from up to 2,000{{r|ota1982}} terminals throughout the state, most of them [[Teletype Model 33]] teleprinters, connected at 110 and 300 [[baud]] through telephones by using acoustically coupled [[modem]]s. After several years most of the phone lines were replaced with direct circuits to schools across the state.

By 1982 MTS had more than 950 programs in its library.{{r|ota1982}} One of the most popular was ''[[The Oregon Trail (1975 video game)|The Oregon Trail]]'', originally written for the Minneapolis Public Schools' computer.{{r|lussenhop20110119}} Programming was the largest single use for MTS, with up to 45% of the system used for one of almost one dozen computer languages.{{r|ota1982}} To support its larger number of users&mdash;70 to 80% of all Minnesota public schools in 1981,{{r|mace19811207}} and available to 96% of Minnesota students from 7 am to 11 pm daily by 1982<ref name="ota1982">{{cite book | title=Informational technology and its impact on American education | author=Office of Technology Assessment | author-link=Office of Technology Assessment | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mi1hy_DYW_kC&q=mecc+apple&pg=PA214 | pages=214–218 | year=1982 | publisher=United States Government Printing Office | isbn=9781428928299}}</ref>&mdash;primarily using programs written in the [[BASIC]]{{r|lafrenz19950413}}<ref name="MECC BASIC Quick Ref. Card">{{cite web | title = MECC Quick Reference Guide for BASIC Language Version 3.1 | work = Former MECC User | url = http://www.peternelson.com/photos/albums//2008_01_MECC_QuickRef/Minnesota%20Educational%20Computing%20Consortium%20Quick%20Reference%20Guide%20for%20BASIC%20Language%20Version%203.1%20MECC%20TIMESHARE%20SYSTEM%20Rev.%202%20slash%2078.pdf | access-date = 2008-01-28}}</ref> language, both timesharing systems developed shared memory (MULTI) 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.<ref name="MECCtimeline">{{cite web|author=Steve Taffee |title=MECC Timeline |work=MECC Alumni |url=http://geocities.com/meccalumni/Timeline.html |access-date=2007-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810141840/http://geocities.com/meccalumni/Timeline.html |archive-date=August 10, 2009 |url-status=unfit}}</ref>

While some of the ideas may have been derived from MERITSS, the multi programs were more efficient. The MERITSS chat program, even though it operated via fast access system files, could not match the efficiency of a MULTI chat program that copied the input/output into memory to be delivered to the user.

The University of Minnesota Computer Center (UCC as it was called then) rejected implementing MULTI due to concerns about system stability. UCC tried to retrofit the MULTI-mail program for its own use because of the good user interface, but it was not possible. They then tried again with an older fast access system file version, and while it worked, it was unreliable. After doing test runs with several other universities' mail programs, two developers at UCC implemented their own version, which also contained a message board feature, and was the campus-wide e-mail solution for a couple of years.

=== Microcomputer technology ===
As MECC's Cyber 73 entered into service, microcomputers began to appear. In 1978 it appeared that features wished for in the classroom, such as a graphical display,{{r|lafrenz19950413}} were available. Through an [[Invitation for bid|evaluation and bidding process]], the [[Apple II]] was chosen by MECC for state schools over other candidates, such as the [[Radio Shack]] [[TRS-80]]; the win was an important early deal in the [[history of Apple Inc.]]{{r|lussenhop20110119}} Any school in the state could buy Apple computers through MECC,{{r|mace19811207}} which resold them at cost,{{r|resler19830126}} without having to go through complex evaluation and purchasing procedures. Through what ''InfoWorld'' described as an "enviable showcase" for its products Apple sold more than 2,000 computers during the next three years<ref name="freiberger19811102">{{cite news|last=Freiberger|first=Paul|title=Atari and MECC reach an agreement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZD0EAAAAMBAJ&q=mecc+apple+atari&pg=PA1|access-date=2011-01-22|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=1981-11-02}}</ref> and more than 5,000 by 1983,{{r|resler19830126}} making MECC the company's largest reseller.{{r|lafrenz19950413}} In late 1981 MECC switched to a discount agreement for the [[Atari 8-bit computers]],{{r|freiberger19811102}} and distributed software through the [[Atari Program Exchange]].<ref name="apx1983fall">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/Atari_Program_Exchange_catalog_Fall_1983#page/n33/mode/2up | title=Programs by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium | work=APX Product Catalog | date=Fall 1983 | access-date=29 July 2014 | pages=32–33}}</ref> The use of microcomputers quickly increased, with 85% of school districts using them by 1981 compared to 75% for time-sharing,{{r|ota1982}} and the Cyber 73 shut down in 1983.<ref name="MECCtimeline" /> By then each Minnesota public school had an average of three to four computers, compared to only 20 [[Milwaukee]] elementary schools (out of 110) with computers. MECC offered computer training to teachers and administrators, and 10 consortium consultants traveled throughout the state assisting school districts.<ref name="resler19830126">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eIJQAAAAIBAJ&pg=6998%2C4777114 | title=Pupils byte into computer age | work=Milwaukee Sentinel | date=1983-01-26 | access-date=31 December 2014 | author=Resler, Jerry | pages=6}}</ref>

MECC developed hundreds of microcomputer educational programs,{{r|lussenhop20110119}} many converted from the time-sharing original;{{r|lafrenz19950413}} by 1979 some MECC programs for the Apple II could be downloaded from the timesharing system.<ref name="ERICHaugo" /><ref name="MECCtimeline" /> MECC distributed ''The Oregon Trail'' and other titles in its library to Minnesota schools for free, and charged others $10 to $20 for diskettes, each containing several programs.{{r|lafrenz19950413}} By July 1981 it had 29 software packages available. [[Overhead projector#Use in education|Projector]] slides, student [[worksheet]]s, and other resources for teachers accompanied the software.<ref name="zamora19810720">{{cite news|last=Zamora|first=Ramon|title=MECC's Educational Software Packages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tT0EAAAAMBAJ&q=mecc&pg=PA21|access-date=2011-01-22|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=1981-07-20}}</ref>

As control over computer resources moved to local levels within Minnesota, MECC's focus on selling software grew.{{r|lafrenz19950413}} Beginning in 1980 with the [[Iowa Department of Education]], 5,000 school districts around the world purchased [[site license]]s for MECC software.{{r|lussenhop20110119}}{{r|lafrenz19950413}} It distributed 250,000 copies of MECC software around the world by 1982,{{r|ota1982}} and the "Institutional Membership"{{r|bouchard19860224}} business became so successful that state subsidies ended. In 1983 MECC became a taxable, profit-making company, [[state-owned company|owned by the state of Minnesota]] but otherwise independent.{{r|lussenhop20110119}}{{r|lafrenz19950413}} By the 1985–1986 [[school year#United States|school year]] MECC offered more than 300 products<ref name="bouchard19860224">{{cite news|last=Bouchard|first=R. Philip|title=Letters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qC8EAAAAMBAJ&q=mecc&pg=PA32|access-date=2011-01-22|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=1986-02-24}}</ref> and had about $7{{Nbsp}}million in annual sales.<ref name="mace19851202">{{cite news|last=Mace|first=Scott|title=Christmas Contenders|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=My8EAAAAMBAJ&q=mecc&pg=PA28|access-date=2011-01-22|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=1985-12-02}}</ref>