The History of the Computer Added to Web Site

[Quadibloc]

I put a page about the history of the computer on my web site a while
back, and then when I decided to add pictures, it grew to about ten
pages or so.
Gradually, I added a few things here and there. I learned about some
computers I hadn't known about, and I added mentions of some that
I did know about.

http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/histint.htm

is the index page to that history.
I even mention the Digital Differential Analyzer and the Burroughs
Scientific Processor.

Of course, there's plenty I haven't mentioned.
I didn't go into the development of computers outside the United
States all that much; although I mention one or two systems from
Britain and from Japan, neither the BESM-6 nor that meritorious
computer the model 109C gets a mention on the page - nothing
about the efforts of Russia and China to make their own computers.
I just couldn't find good pictures that I could use without copyright
worries.
I omit the Canon Cat, and, no doubt, many other computer systems of
interest, as there are so many out there.

John Savard

[D.J.]

On Sun, 23 Jul 2023 10:49:25 -0700 (PDT), Quadibloc
<jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> wrote:
>I put a page about the history of the computer on my web site a while
>back, and then when I decided to add pictures, it grew to about ten
>pages or so.
>Gradually, I added a few things here and there. I learned about some
>computers I hadn't known about, and I added mentions of some that
>I did know about.
>
>http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/histint.htm
>
>is the index page to that history.
>I even mention the Digital Differential Analyzer and the Burroughs
>Scientific Processor.

Thanks ! I'll give it a look this coming week. I should learn about
the computers you all talk about I never heard of.
--
Jim

[Quadibloc]

On Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 11:49:28 AM UTC-6, Quadibloc wrote:

> I omit the Canon Cat,

I decided to relent and include it.

John Savard

[williamfindlay]

According to Wikipedia:

> The Ferranti Mark 1 was "the tidied up and commercialised version of the Manchester Mark I".
> The first machine was delivered to the Victoria University of Manchester in February 1951
> (publicly demonstrated in July) ahead of the UNIVAC I which was delivered to the United States
> Census Bureau in late December 1952, having been sold on 31 March 1951.

--
Bill F.

[Mike Spencer]

In 1953, my social studies teacher took our class to Boston for a day
trip. Along with a visit to Old Ironsides and other historic sites, we
went to see The Computer (note the definite article) at Harvard.

Large room to which we were not admitted, viewed through a big window
wall, with cabinets all around presumably containing squillions of
vacuum tubes (relays?). We all gave the operator (guy on tour-guide
duty?) our names and were presented with punched paper ca. 3/4" tapes
allegedly bearing our names in punch code. Or at least that's the way
I remember it.

Would that have been the Harvard Mark I, nine years on from its debut?

In 1953, the cannons on the Constitution were more intriguing than The
Computer but in the ensuing years, I never fired a cannon but have
five working computers. :-o

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

[Kerr-Mudd, John]

On 24 Jul 2023 01:31:08 -0300

Pshurely US citizens (I know, you're Canadian) are allowed all the
cannons they want? That'd be a well-armed militia.

--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

[Chris Bigos]

On Sunday, 23 July 2023 at 18:49:28 UTC+1, Quadibloc wrote:
> I put a page about the history of the computer on my web site a while
> back

I’ve just read the Third Generation page as that is my main interest. It is a worthwhile and interesting read, but I must point out an error with one of the pictures. The first picture is a Model 65 and not a Model 50. An easy way to tell them apart is to count the number of roller knobs along the right side of the front panel. The Model 50 has four, while the Model 65 has six.

[Dennis Boone]

> In 1953, the cannons on the Constitution were more intriguing than The
> Computer but in the ensuing years, I never fired a cannon but have
> five working computers. :-o

It being you, perhaps the better question would be whether you've
_made_ a cannon. :)

De

[Scott Lurndal]

Hasn't everyone? These were common when I was young.

https://www.facebook.com/TheKingOfRandom/videos/tennis-ball-cannon-from-soup-cans/2120324738284337/

[Quadibloc]

On Sunday, July 23, 2023 at 5:58:21 PM UTC-6, williamfindlay wrote:

> According to Wikipedia:
>
> > The Ferranti Mark 1 was "the tidied up and commercialised version of the Manchester Mark I".
> > The first machine was delivered to the Victoria University of Manchester in February 1951
> > (publicly demonstrated in July) ahead of the UNIVAC I which was delivered to the United States
> > Census Bureau in late December 1952, having been sold on 31 March 1951.

After realizing the nature of the error on my page which you have pointed out, I have
made the appropriate correction - so now I mention both the Ferranti Mark I and the
Zuse Z4 as well.

John Savard

[Quadibloc]

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 8:02:25 AM UTC-6, Chris Bigos wrote:

> I’ve just read the Third Generation page as that is my main interest. It is a
> worthwhile and interesting read, but I must point out an error with one of
> the pictures. The first picture is a Model 65 and not a Model 50. An easy
> way to tell them apart is to count the number of roller knobs along the
> right side of the front panel. The Model 50 has four, while the Model 65 has six.

Oops! I am particularly red-faced about this error, given that the page
http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/pan04.htm
also appears on my web site, and so I should have known better.

The appropriate corrections have been made to
http://www.quadibloc.com/comp/his04.htm

Thank you.

John Savard

[Scott Lurndal]

Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 8:02:25=E2=80=AFAM UTC-6, Chris Bigos wrote:
>
>> I=E2=80=99ve just read the Third Generation page as that is my main inter=
>est. It is a
>> worthwhile and interesting read, but I must point out an error with one o=

>f
>> the pictures. The first picture is a Model 65 and not a Model 50. An easy
>> way to tell them apart is to count the number of roller knobs along the

>> right side of the front panel. The Model 50 has four, while the Model 65 =

>has six.
>
>Oops! I am particularly red-faced about this error, given that the page

You should also be red-faced about leaving Dr. Atansoff's ABC computer
out of your early history.

[greymaus]

The area he addresses is very wide.


--
grey...@mail.com
God Damn the Influencers

[Quadibloc]

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 12:33:24 PM UTC-6, Scott Lurndal wrote:

> You should also be red-faced about leaving Dr. Atansoff's ABC computer
> out of your early history.

Even if it was the first computer, as has been claimed by some definitions...

unlike the Harvard Mark I, it seems as though its main influence was to get
mentioned during the course of a lawsuit.

No doubt, though, that is superficial, and I will need to figure out what to
say about the Atanasoff-Berry Computer to do it justice.

John Savard

[Bob Eager]

You may be interested in also including the following; its prototype used
point contact transistors!

http://www.ancientgeek.org.uk/misc/Report_on_the_Metrovick_950.pdf

--
Using UNIX since v6 (1975)...

Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

[Dennis Boone]

> Hasn't everyone? These were common when I was young.

I was envisioning him turning a metal one on a lathe.

De

[Mike Spencer]

Being a blacksmith rather than a founder, I'd be limited to a very
early approach to cannon making. I *did* visit the steel plant in
Sydney, NS, where they cast a number of iron cannons. I forget what
they were made for but my recollection is that the results weren't
uniformly satisfactory.

[Quadibloc]

On Monday, July 24, 2023 at 12:33:24 PM UTC-6, Scott Lurndal wrote:

> You should also be red-faced about leaving Dr. Atansoff's ABC computer
> out of your early history.

I have now added a mention of both the Colossus and the ABC to the page.
Originally, I was reluctant to talk about developments at any time which were
invisible at the time, concentrating on the computer scene at any given time
as it was generally known to people living at the time.
But developments that only became known in hindsight still had their influence,
so a mention was warranted.

John Savard

[Peter Flass]

Mostly cast, I think.

--
Pete

[Timothy McCaffrey]

The Whirlwind gets pretty short (and not entirely accurate) mention.

1) It was the second computer to use Magnetic core storage. The first was
the "Magnetic Core computer" (or something like that) that was built
from spare Whirlwind modules. After the core modules were known
to work they were moved over to Whirlwind.
2) Whirlwind was not a prototype, it was used for many years, and I think was
only one of its kind.
3) Many of the lessons learned were adopted for use in the NORAD computers.
4) One of the grad students that worked on the project had the initials K. O., who
went on to found a major computer company. The architecture of those systems
have a similarity to Whirlwind.

- Tim (Whirlwind fan)

[Quadibloc]

And, speaking of the United Kingdom, I've finally added a mention of the BBC
Micro and the Acorn Archimedes as well.

John Savard

[Bob Eager]

Forgive me if I have already mentioned this, but you might add a nod to
the Metrovick 950, one of the first transistorised computers (the
prototype used point contact transistors).

There is a small Wikipedia page (not my doing), but much more extensive
information here: