Chapter 1: Advent of Commercial Computing

1945 - 1956

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Univac Advertisement - 1955

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“You… fellows ought to go back and change your program entirely, stop this… foolishness with Eckert & Mauchley”

- Howard Aiken, 1948

* Historical Note: there were no computer scientists

Hollerith to IBM

1880 – US Census Bureau1890 – Tabulating MachinesTabulating Machines Co.

International Business MachinesUnit record equipment

Decks of punch cardsBasis of IBM’s success

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Punch Card Systems

Same operation on each record of deckNot well suited for scientific applications1930’s – Some scientific usersIBM – through the 1950’s

Sold thousands of pc systemsCard Programmed Calculator (CPC)Variety of new components

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Card Controlled Calculator

Northrop Aircraft, CAAttached printer to punch card machinesAttached cables

IBM marketed new set-upTransition to electronic computers

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Punch Card Equipment

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ENIAC

J. Presper Eckert & John MauchleyU. of PA Moore School of EEFiring tables of US Army18,000 vacuum tubesPressure to complete

1949Programming (set up)

Plug CablesSet Switches

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ENIAC

Move to Aberdeen delayed due to demand for use

1948 – fully booked for 2 yearsBut…already had better ideas

Stored program to eliminate plugs &

switches

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First College Computer Course

Summer 1946 Moore School of Engineering @ U of PA

with U. S. MilitaryTheory & Techniques for Design of

Electronic Digital ComputersResult of the staff’s inability to

accommodate requests for information after unveiling of the ENIAC

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Howard Aiken

Harvard mathematicianMARK I Calculator“You fellows ought to go back and

change your program entirely, stop this foolishness with Mauchley & Eckert.”

US need for only 5 or 6 such machines

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EDVAC

Electronic Discrete Variable Computer“An important feature of this device was

that operating instructions and function tables would be stored exactly in the same sort of memory device as that used for numbers.”

6 months later – Mauchley & Eckert left to form UNIVAC (stored program computer)

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John von Neumann

Chance Meeting with Herman Goldstine“First Draft of a report on EDVAC”

June 30th, 1945Von Neumann Architecture

Instruction and data in same memory device*Summer 1946- Moore School - 1st course

“Theory & Techniques for Design of Electronic Digital Computers”

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Eckert Mauchley Computer Corp.

Left PA March 31, 1946 (patent disagreement) Incorporated in Dec. 1948

*DETAILS IN VIDEO*Bought by Remington-Rand1st UNIVAC - US Census Bureau

March 31st, 1951#2 Pentagon: USAF June 1952See Table on Pg. 28 for installations

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UNIVAC Features

One Memory for data & Instructions (1000 words)

Binary Coded DecimalClock Speed 2.25 MHz465 Multiplications/ SecondMercury Tubes and Magnetic Tape (no cards)Excessive Redundancy – reliabilityAlphanumeric Processing Check Bits & BuffersOutput – high speed line printer (1954)

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UNIVAC 1 – Central Computer

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UNIVAC – The First Users (p.26)

*Revolutionary: tape replaced punch cardsToo late for 1950 Census; some state workUSAF & Atomic Energy CommissionPentagon- Project SCOOP

Scientific Computation of Optimum Problems- Linear programming discovered

1952- Presidential ElectionUNIVAC became genericG.E: 1st Payroll Oct. 15, 1954

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IBM

Still selling punch card machinesMay 1952 - IBM 701- 2000 mult/sec (4x UNIVAC)Hired Von Neumann as consultant1st 701 - IBM Headquarters, NY, Dec. 19522nd - Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Lab, ’5319 Built- US Def. Dept or military aerospace firmsRent Only: $15,000 a monthSeptember ’53 -702 - built 14

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Punch Card Computer System

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Railroad Computer 1967

Engineering Research Associates

Spun off from NAVY - codebreakersSeymour Cray, William NorrisTask 13 – general purpose electronic

computer, 1947 to 1951Atlas for NAVY; Model 1101 for public-20 Bought by Remington Rand1103 - 1st core memory (not tubes), binary

arithmetic, “interrupt”

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Magnetic Drum

Late 1930’s –John V. AtanasoffERA developed; 4.3 to 34 inch diameter

Inexpensive but slowNumber of inexpensive Computers in 1950’s

Computer Research Corp., CABought by National Cash Register

Labrascope/General Precision 400@ $30,000, one of cheapest everSmall, affordable

Univac Drum

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Magnetic Drum (contd)

Bendix – Turing vs. von Neumann designMinimum latency coding for drum (Turing) 400 @ $45,000Fast but difficult to programBought by Control Data Corp.

IBM 650, 1954 (modest computer)

1000@ $3,500 per monthUniversities 60% discount

If promised to teach courses

Mag Drum 1961

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Summary

First Generation of ComputerCards, Tubes, Tapes, Drums, Diodes…Numerous start-ups bought outIBM & Others quite successful

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