Have you ever wondered where the computer, one of the biggest technologies that makes our lives easier, came from? The first computer we can call modern was named ENIAC. This device, whose English abbreviation is Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, is translated into Turkish as Electronic Numerical Integrated Computer.
The construction phase of this computer, which set out to produce a programmable computer, was financed by the government. Under contract with the military and under the direction of Herman Goldstine, ENIAC began work in 1943 and was completed in February 1946. Let’s take a look at what Eniac is, how it was made and what it was used for.
What is Eniac?
Eniac was the first programmable computer built by the USA during World War II. It was created by American physicist John Mauchly, American engineer J. Presper Eckert, and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Electrical Engineering. Although computers with mechanical calculations were produced before this, ENIAC is the first computer that we can call the ancestor of today’s computers.
What was Eniac used for?
ENIAC was a computer far from dreams of being used universally. Specially designed for calculating gun range values only, this machine lacked the features to make it a more general useful machine. Some plugins were used to transmit the instructions to the machine. Thus, the advantage of working at machine speed was achieved after the programming was completed. But instructions read from another card reader or other mechanical device couldn’t keep up with the purely electronic ENIAC. The disadvantage of this was that the machine had to be reprogrammed for each problem. It would take days to reprogram this computer, which is far from today’s technology, and to get it ready.
Information about ENIAC:
- It was a complex device.
- Designed for the US military.
- It cost the government exactly $500,000.
- Produced after two and a half years of labor.
- Reduced a day’s work to 15 minutes.
- Thousands of pieces were combined to form.
- Had problems due to vacuum tube.
- It was hidden until the end of the war.
- He was able to make parallel calculations.
- It was freezing then too.
- Updated and made better.
- He worked continuously for 8 years.
It wasn’t just the name that was complicated: It was a complex working device
ENIAC. It was the shortened name for Electronic Digital Integrator and Computer built in the 1940s. It was obviously the most complex electronic system in the world at the time. It filled the 135-square-foot basement of the Moore School for which it was designed. With over 17,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 switches and 1,500 relays, it was the most complex electronic system ever built. This massive machine, which produced 174 kilowatts of heat, also had its own cooling system.
Ambition to win: Designed for the US army
It was started to be designed with the thought that it would create a great advantage in the Second World War. However, the war ended before the computer, which was created in a period of 3 years, was completed. But the army continued to finance and develop the computer to maintain its power.
Astonishing to hear: It cost the government exactly $500,000
The Eniac computer cost $500,000 at the time. If we think about it in today’s money, it is calculated as about 6 million dollars. This 25-ton computer was built with incredible effort and investment.
Before it was over, the war was over: two and a half years of labor completed
Eniac was first introduced to Dr. It was invented by John Mauchly. He began working on his own concept for the electronic calculator in the 1940s. Mauchly completed Eniac with the help of his partner, John Ekert, shortly after the end of WWII. They spent two and a half years designing and building the computer. Even though the war ended before the computer was built, the US army continued to finance it in order to make calculations such as hydrogen bombs and weather forecasts.
Time is money: He reduced a day’s work to 15 minutes
The famous American saying “Time is money” made its impact here as well. He had the ability to complete an employee’s actions in just 15 minutes. It consisted of a large number of switches and cables. Although it completed the operations very quickly after being programmed, programming could take days or even weeks.
From the part to the whole: Thousands of parts came together
After its completion, the world’s first computer had more than 17,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 7200 diodes It is known to contain 1500 relays and millions of hand-soldered joints. Thanks to its massive hardware specs, Eniac was able to perform 5000 additions, 360 multiplications and about 40 divisions.
It wasn’t perfect: It suffered problems due to vacuum tube
ENIAC was the first general purpose computer in the World. However, there were some problems in the early stages due to the vacuum tube. In the early years, several cylinders were burning every day. This caused him to take half the time he worked.
No one knew of its existence: ENIAC was hidden until the end of the war
Some of the early programmers were women. These women who programmed ENIAC are all in the international hall of fame. For strategic purposes, the government kept the existence of ENIAC a great secret until the end of the war. When ENIAC was finally introduced to the public, the US military did not name the entire team, but only after its inventors, John Mauchly and John Eckert.
Designed to be used extensively: It was able to perform parallel calculations
Thanks to its ability to connect a series of accumulators together, ENIAC was capable of performing parallel calculations. That is, it could perform multiple operations or calculations at the same time.
Freezing ancestral tradition: Freezing then too
A freeze in the design in 1943 indicated that the computer could not store it in any memory initially.
Innovations continued: Updated and made better
ENIAC, after completion, the first major change was made in 1938. This update provides additional enhancements to in-memory storage. The new one that came with three accumulators for certain tasks had greatly reduced programming time, although it did reduce the speed of modification.
It never stopped: it worked continuously for 8 years
Considered the first computer, ENIAC worked continuously from July 1947 to October 1955. EDVAC, which was then a binary computer, replaced ENIAC.
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