They Want Computers

EASTERN EUROPE

"As far as computers are concerned," complained the Czech magazine Kulturni Tvorba, "we are still living in primeval times. We are 50 times worse than the U.S., 15 times worse than West Germany and Scandinavia, ten times worse than Britain, France, Holland and other countries."

Kulturrni Tvorba made its observations after a glimpse at Incomex '66 (for International Computer Exhibition '66), a month-long display of the wares of 15 Western computer makers in Prague's Park of Culture. To study the largest array of computers ever assembled in the East, politicians and problem solvers flocked from all over the bloc.

Czech Premier Josef Lenart showed up, along with almost all of his Cabinet.

Bulgarian Premier Todor Zhivkov came, together with Soviet Deputy For eign Trade Minister Boris A. Borisov and Polish Government Observer Eugeniusz Zadrzynski. Technicians from science academies, state banks, government offices and such industries as Skoda, Bata Shoe and East Germany's Carl Zeiss optical works not only probed and photographed the equipment but brought along actual problems for the computers to solve.

The Western companies went all out to sell them. The British, who had conceived Incomex '66, opened case after case of Scotch for their visitors, who thirsted not only for knowledge. From New York, London, Vienna and Stuttgart, IBM rushed in programmers to solve particular problems. Sperry Rand, displaying eight plaques representing earlier sales to Communist customers, advertised itself proudly as "The Pioneer of Automation in Socialist States."

The capitalistic competition amused the Communists, but they could understand it. The East bloc is at least five years behind the West in computer technology and, until the gap is closed, intends to order equipment from the West. Czechoslovakia alone has earmarked $145 million for computer purchases.

IBM and its competitors have some selling to do before they can tap this market fully. The U.S. and British governments still refuse permits for the sale to the East of such advanced third-generation equipment as the IBM System/360 and English Electric's System 4, which computer commissars want to buy most of all. Beyond that, as Western experts discovered at Prague, the East is woefully ignorant of even second-generation procedures and equipment. "In most cases," commented one American expert, "the machines are too sophisticated for the problems. The Communists are very good in theory, but they have had no opportunity to try computers in practice. They have to learn to talk before they can sing."

Even so, as they prepared to close their displays this week, Western exhibitors had about $100 million in orders. Eventual purchases after follow-up calls may bring total orders to $500 million.

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