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