Re: OT
Van Snyder <[email protected]> Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:46:58 -0700
| Newsgroups | gmane.linux.debian.user |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
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On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 23:18 +0200, Jan Claeys wrote:
> On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 14:02 -0700, Van Snyder wrote:
> > On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 22:56 +0200, Jan Claeys wrote:
> > > On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 14:51 -0400, hlyg wrote:
> > > > 1st computer ENIAC was built in US in 1945
> > >=20
> > > Correction: Konrad Zuse finished his Z4 computer in April 1945,
> > > before ENIAC was finished in May 1945.
> > >=20
> > > And before that there were also programmable computers in several
> > > countries that weren=E2=80=99t =E2=80=9Cpotentially universal Turing =
machines=E2=80=9D
> > > yet,
> > > including Zuse=E2=80=99s Z1 in 1938, Zuse=E2=80=99s Z3 in 1941, the U=
K=E2=80=99s Colossus
> > > in 1943, and the Harvard Mark I in 1944, etc.
> >=20
> > How about the ABC, or Atanasoff-Berry Computer at Iowa State in
> > 1937-
> > 1942?
>=20
> It was the first to do computations electronically (with vacuum
> tubes)
> instead of electro-mechanically (with relays) or mechanically (e.g.
> Charles Babbage=E2=80=99s Analytical Engine, or Zuse=E2=80=99s Z1), but i=
t wasn=E2=80=99t
> programmable.=C2=A0 Basically it was the ALU part of a modern CPU, but
> lacking the part that interprets an instruction set.
Mauchly's ENIAC patent was invalidated citing ABC as prior art, mostly
because he had visited Atanasoff at Iowa State and expressed amazement
at the accomplishment of an electronic ALU.
> Zuse original design plan for the Z3 was also to use vacuum tubes,
> and
> he demonstrated a small prototype, but he couldn=E2=80=99t get access to =
the
> thousands of vacuum tubes needed, so his further designs until (way)
> after World War II all used mechanical relays instead.
>=20
>=20
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</style></head><body><div>On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 23:18 +0200, Jan Claeys wro=
te:</div><blockquote type=3D"cite" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex; border-left:=
2px #729fcf solid;padding-left:1ex"><div>On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 14:02 -0700,=
Van Snyder wrote:<br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite" style=3D"margin:0 0 0=
.8ex; border-left:2px #729fcf solid;padding-left:1ex"><div>On Thu, 2026-07=
-30 at 22:56 +0200, Jan Claeys wrote:<br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite" st=
yle=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex; border-left:2px #729fcf solid;padding-left:1ex"><=
div>On Thu, 2026-07-30 at 14:51 -0400, hlyg wrote:<br></div><blockquote typ=
e=3D"cite" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex; border-left:2px #729fcf solid;paddin=
g-left:1ex"><div>1st computer ENIAC was built in US in 1945<br></div></bloc=
kquote><div><br></div><div>Correction: Konrad Zuse finished his Z4 computer=
in April 1945,<br></div><div>before ENIAC was finished in May 1945.<br></d=
iv><div><br></div><div>And before that there were also programmable compute=
rs in several<br></div><div>countries that weren=E2=80=99t =E2=80=9Cpotenti=
ally universal Turing machines=E2=80=9D yet,<br></div><div>including Zuse=
=E2=80=99s Z1 in 1938, Zuse=E2=80=99s Z3 in 1941, the UK=E2=80=99s Colossus=
<br></div><div>in 1943, and the Harvard Mark I in 1944, etc.<br></div></blo=
ckquote><div><br></div><div>How about the ABC, or Atanasoff-Berry Computer =
at Iowa State in 1937-<br></div><div>1942?<br></div></blockquote><div><br><=
/div><div>It was the first to do computations electronically (with vacuum t=
ubes)<br></div><div>instead of electro-mechanically (with relays) or mechan=
ically (e.g.<br></div><div>Charles Babbage=E2=80=99s Analytical Engine, or =
Zuse=E2=80=99s Z1), but it wasn=E2=80=99t<br></div><div>programmable. =
Basically it was the ALU part of a modern CPU, but<br></div><div>lacking t=
he part that interprets an instruction set.<br></div></blockquote><div><br>=
</div><div>Mauchly's ENIAC patent was invalidated citing ABC as prior art, =
mostly because he had visited Atanasoff at Iowa State and expressed amazeme=
nt at the accomplishment of an electronic ALU.</div><div><br></div><blockqu=
ote type=3D"cite" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex; border-left:2px #729fcf solid=
;padding-left:1ex"><div>Zuse original design plan for the Z3 was also to us=
e vacuum tubes, and<br></div><div>he demonstrated a small prototype, but he=
couldn=E2=80=99t get access to the<br></div><div>thousands of vacuum tubes=
needed, so his further designs until (way)<br></div><div>after World War I=
I all used mechanical relays instead.<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></di=
v></blockquote><div><br></div><div><span></span></div></body></html>
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