Re: (OT) First computer..1940's-50's?

Mike, I don't know if it's the one you're after, but one of the earliest recognized computers was called ENIAC. It was used for producing artillery ballistics tables if I'm not mistaken. Try a web search on ENIAC, you should get a bunch of hits. Trips On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 13:47:20 -0400, Michael Barlow <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some >statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I >can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can >remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the >invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time >frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on >Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by >chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's >abilities? > >Mike

[[ This message was both posted and mailed: see the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]] In article <[email hidden]>, Michael Barlow <[email hidden]> wrote:

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> I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some > statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I > can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can > remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the > invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time > frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on > Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by > chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's > abilities?

The first electronic computer was the Zuse Z1 invented by the german Konrad Zuse (died a few years ago) in 1938. It used standard relays and not tubes. Don't believe that the americans invented everything 8^) Here is a picture (sorry, german page): http://www.dtmb.de/Rundgang/p09.html Further info: http://inventors.miningco.com/education/sciphys/inventors/library/weekly /aa050298.htm http://www.maxmon.com/1941ad.htm http://www.german-way.com/german/techupd.html Just search for "Zuse Z1". Herwig

I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's abilities? Mike -- ========================================= Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing� ========================================= http://members.xoom.com/BarlowRacing/ Racing online with the help of...... Race Communications Association Holodyne Engineering Mystic Music (have Your !!Name/Address!! placed here)

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 13:47:20 -0400, Michael Barlow <[email hidden]> wrote: > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by >chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's >abilities? AFAIK that would be Konrad Zuse's Z1 from 1936. Try doing a websearch on "early computers" or something like that. ;) --Tel

On 14 Oct 1999 11:08:58 PDT, [email hidden] (Trips) wrote:

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>Mike, > >I don't know if it's the one you're after, but one of the earliest >recognized computers was called ENIAC. It was used for producing >artillery ballistics tables if I'm not mistaken. > >Try a web search on ENIAC, you should get a bunch of hits. > >Trips

[in my best Jim McMahon imitation] "You are CORRECT, sir!" Gunner

On 14 Oct 1999 11:08:58 PDT, [email hidden] (Trips) wrote:

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>Mike, > >I don't know if it's the one you're after, but one of the earliest >recognized computers was called ENIAC. It was used for producing >artillery ballistics tables if I'm not mistaken. > >Try a web search on ENIAC, you should get a bunch of hits. > >Trips

It had so many tubes, one blew every few minutes, and the whole computer had to be turned off to replace them. When they DID get to do any computations, it was MUCH faster than any human, but MUCH slower than the cheapest calculator of today. It raised the temperature of the computer room MANY degrees from the heat of the tubes. Discovery Channel did a piece on it a month or so ago. Gunner

[email hidden] (Don Hancock) writes:

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> On 14 Oct 1999 11:08:58 PDT, [email hidden] (Trips) wrote: > > >Mike, > > > >I don't know if it's the one you're after, but one of the earliest > >recognized computers was called ENIAC. It was used for producing > >artillery ballistics tables if I'm not mistaken. > > > >Try a web search on ENIAC, you should get a bunch of hits. > > > >Trips > > It had so many tubes, one blew every few minutes, and the > whole computer had to be turned off to replace them. When they DID > get to do any computations, it was MUCH faster than any human, but > MUCH slower than the cheapest calculator of today. It raised the > temperature of the computer room MANY degrees from the heat of the > tubes. > Discovery Channel did a piece on it a month or so ago. > > Gunner

<not serious at all> Will Grand Prix Legends run on this system, or do I also need a 3D card ? <serios> I don't know how many billion transistors there are in a PIII, and one tube equals one transistor. Amazing stuff really. -- Olav K. Malmin remove spam when replying

By the way, that's Ed McMahon, not Jim. Jim use to be the quarterback for the bears. :)

Hope this helps Michael: http://www.computerhistory.org/ - The Computer Museum's History Section. http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/1945/index.page - Info on Konrad Zuse. Herwig Henseler <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:141019992205346749%[email hidden]...

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> [[ This message was both posted and mailed: see > the "To," "Cc," and "Newsgroups" headers for details. ]] > > In article <[email hidden]>, Michael Barlow > <[email hidden]> wrote: > > > I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and

some > > statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I > > can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can > > remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers,the > > invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time > > frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on > > Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) andby

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> > chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's > > abilities? > > The first electronic computer was the Zuse Z1 invented by the german > Konrad Zuse (died a few years ago) in 1938. It used standard relays and > not tubes. Don't believe that the americans invented everything 8^) > > Here is a picture (sorry, german page): > http://www.dtmb.de/Rundgang/p09.html > > Further info: > http://inventors.miningco.com/education/sciphys/inventors/library/weekly > /aa050298.htm > http://www.maxmon.com/1941ad.htm > http://www.german-way.com/german/techupd.html > > Just search for "Zuse Z1". > > Herwig

I thought it was called UNIVAC. Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> .......or was it some other "...IAC"?? Sacroilliac? Maniac? > > > Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > VARIAC. > > > > > > Michael Barlow <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:[email hidden]... > > > I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some > > > statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's.

I

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> > > can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can > > > remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > > > > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the > > > invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time > > > frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on > > > Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > > > > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by > > > chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's > > > abilities? > > > > > > Mike > > > -- > > > ========================================= > > > Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing� > > > ========================================= > > > http://members.xoom.com/BarlowRacing/ > > > > > > Racing online with the help of...... > > > > > > Race Communications Association > > > Holodyne Engineering > > > Mystic Music > > > (have Your !!Name/Address!! placed here) > > > > > > > > > -----------== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News

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I thought the UNIVAC was a floor cleaning device used in an educational establishment !! ;) -- Ian Parker [email hidden] UKGPL League http://members.xoom.com/ukgpl/index.html http://www.ukgpl.com -- Kenny L. <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:wYsN3.1202$[email hidden]... > I thought it was called UNIVAC. > > Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > .......or was it some other "...IAC"?? Sacroilliac? Maniac? > > > > > > Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message > > news:[email hidden]... > > > VARIAC.

VARIAC. Michael Barlow <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some > statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I > can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can > remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the > invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time > frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on > Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by > chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's > abilities? > > Mike > -- > ========================================= > Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing� > ========================================= > http://members.xoom.com/BarlowRacing/ > > Racing online with the help of...... > > Race Communications Association > Holodyne Engineering > Mystic Music > (have Your !!Name/Address!! placed here)

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.......or was it some other "...IAC"?? Sacroilliac? Maniac? Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> VARIAC. > > > Michael Barlow <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some > > statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I > > can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can > > remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the > > invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time > > frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on > > Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by > > chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's > > abilities? > > > > Mike > > -- > > ========================================= > > Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing� > > ========================================= > > http://members.xoom.com/BarlowRacing/ > > > > Racing online with the help of...... > > > > Race Communications Association > > Holodyne Engineering > > Mystic Music > > (have Your !!Name/Address!! placed here) > >

-----------== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News ==---------- http://www.newsfeeds.com The Largest Usenet Servers in the World! ------== Over 73,000 Newsgroups - Including Dedicated Binaries Servers ==-----

In my research, which, in fact, I had to present to my history teacher this wednesday, had the first computer as Manchester Mark I, because it was the first computer to have a memory-stored program instead of wiring-based programming. It wasn't the first machine to do some calculating, though :) Please visit my short link list, which is at the start of http://mtakala.cjb.net -file, under the "koulu" (=school in Finnish) -section. -- /---------------\ Mika Takala [email hidden] ICQ 14314015 Michael Barlow wrote in message <[email hidden]>... > I'm doing a bit of research and am trying to find the name and some >statistics on the first (recognized) computer from the 40's or 50's. I >can't remember the date or even the name of the thing, all I can >remember is that it had a lot of vacuum tubes. > > I've found some sites but they all talk about Apple computers, the >invention of the mouse, ect.. but nothing on the computer of the time >frame I'm looking for. I've even read a very interesting page on >Charles Babbage's Difference engine of 1822. > > What was the name of that computer (from the 40's or 50's) and by >chance does anyone have a link to a page that talks about it's >abilities? > >Mike >-- >========================================= >Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing� >========================================= >http://members.xoom.com/BarlowRacing/ > >Racing online with the help of...... > >Race Communications Association >Holodyne Engineering >Mystic Music >(have Your !!Name/Address!! placed here)

But surely they don't need vacuum cleaners in Space, they're surrounded by a vacuum ;) -- Ian Parker [email hidden] UKGPL League http://members.xoom.com/ukgpl/index.html http://www.ukgpl.com -- Bruce Kennewell <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Close. > It is actually a standard fitting used on both American and Russian > spacecraft/orbiting laboratories to allow the plugging in of electrical > appliances (such as vacuum cleaners, to be sure) running on either 240 or > 110 volts AC. > > Ian Parker <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:7u7n64$3a7$[email hidden]... > > I thought the UNIVAC was a floor cleaning device used in an educational > > establishment !! ;) > > > > -- > > Ian Parker

On 14 Oct 1999 21:36:37 +0200, [email hidden] (Olav K. Malmin) wrote: >I don't know how many billion transistors there are in a PIII, and one tube >equals one transistor. Amazing stuff really. > Obviously transistors are FAR more dependable than tubes.... good thing, considering how many million (not billion - YET) there are in a P6-class CPU. Gunner

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 20:24:10 GMT, Outshined <[email hidden]> wrote: > >By the way, that's Ed McMahon, not Jim. Jim use to be the quarterback >for the bears. :) I KNEW I had it wrong!!! Suprised I even got THAT close! hehe.. killed WAY too many brain cells in the last several years! Gunner

You may want to research the Antanosoff (sp. )Berry Computer "ABC" invented at Iowa State University around that time frame. The ENIAC had been considered the first digital computer until word of this computer emerged. Because of a legal battle over patent rights, and which was actually the first, no person or corp was allowed to patent the digital computer.