Jan 28 Early Computing Industry
Page 1: Birth of Modern Computing
Course: HIST 121 Winter 2025
Date: Jan 28, 2025
Page 2: Overview
Continued discussion on the Theory of Computation
Emergence of the computer industry from wartime planning
Key developments:
ENIAC: Early electronic computer
EDSAC: One of the first computers to use the stored program concept
Moore School: Important institution for computing advancements
Eckert and Mauchly: Key figures in early computer development
UNIVAC: First commercially available computer
Public awareness of computing begins to grow
Page 3: Office of Scientific Research and Development
WWII drove the creation and development of vast R&D operations globally
Vannevar Bush played a crucial role in the establishment of the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC)
Tasked with rapid funding and development of wartime technologies
Digital computing was initially a low priority, evolved from niche developments
Page 4: Moore School at the University of Pennsylvania
Collaboration with the Ballistics Research Laboratory (BRL)
Utilization of Moore School’s differential analyzer for ballistics calculations
The Engineering, Science, Management, and War Training (ESMWT) program trained war-related positions
Key figures: John Mauchly, Mary Mauchly, Kay Mauchly
Page 5: Training of Human Computers
Mary Mauchly instructed women on calculators in dedicated classrooms
Female workers were integral to calculating ballistic missile firing tables
Training resulted in impressive calculations, setting the stage for computer invention
Page 6: Ballistics Calculations
Involved complex calculations of differential equations with multiple variables
Example: 3,000 entries in a typical table
Differential analyzer: 10-20 minutes for calculations
Human computers: 1-2 days for similar tasks
Efficiency comparison: 1 month of analyzer vs. 100 human computers per table
Page 7: Development of Digital Computing with ENIAC
Mauchly proposed a digital computer to tackle necessary calculations
ENIAC's impact shaped public perception of computing
Incorporation of delay-line storage from RADAR developments
John Presper Eckert joined Mauchly to pursue the electronic computer proposal (1942)
Initial proposal ignored by NDRC
Page 8: ENIAC Overview
ENIAC: Largest and most advanced electronic computer of its time
Utilized at least 18,000 vacuum tubes
Average time to failure: 3,000 hours (one every 10 minutes)
Skepticism from NDRC regarding costs
Resolution: Continuous operation and reducing voltage improved reliability
Page 9: ENIAC Troubles and Modern Architecture
Harvard Mark 1 limited to reading programs from paper tape
ENIAC's speed: 5,000 operations per second
Programming complexity: Physically wired tasks
Relied on female programming staff
Move toward stored program architecture due to issues with ENIAC's programming model
Page 10: Von Neumann Joins Moore School Team
A personal account of meeting John von Neumann
Discussion focused on the development of an electronic computer capable of high-speed calculations
Change in conversation tone reflected the seriousness of computing advancements
Page 11: Fat Man and Trinity
Reference to significant historical events relating to World War II
Page 12: Development of EDVAC
EDVAC: The first modern programmable computer
Resolved issues with reprogramming and memory limitations of ENIAC
Introduced stored-program machine architecture with delayed storage
Each unit capable of storing 1000 bits
Enabled true, general-purpose programming
Page 13: Delay Line Memory
Description of delay line memory using sound waves in liquid mercury
Transducers convert electrical signals to sound and back
Page 14: EDVAC Architecture
Components:
Input, Control Unit, Arithmetic Unit, Memory (program and data), Output
Page 15: Von Neumann Architecture
Document titled "A First Draft on the Report on the EDVAC" established the current computational architecture in 1945
Von Neumann primarily authored but not solely credited
Ignored contributions of engineering design during development
Page 16: FRIGIDAIRE and Kelvinator
Seemingly unrelated content possibly irrelevant to computing history
Page 17: Historical Context
Content appears fragmented and unrelated to main topics of computing
Potentially refers to a biographical account or historical records
Page 18: Voder Schematic
Technical illustration relating to sound modulation and electric circuitry
Page 19: Voder Exhibit
Reference to a Bell Telephone exhibit showcasing technology
Page 20: Telautograph Transmitting Instrument
Illustration and communication concerning Elisha Gray's invention
Depicts the Telautograph, a writing telegraph system
Page 22: Future Technologies and Insights
Contemplation on anticipated technologies in relevant literature
Exploration of technical thought processes of the time
Inquiry into unfamiliar terms and their relevance in historical context