The World's Largest Computer in 1951

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the ENIAC, the world's first general-purpose electronic computer, which stood 10 feet tall, occupied 1,000 square feet, and weighed approximately 30 tons. It utilized over 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 6,000 switches, and 18,000 vacuum tubes, consuming 150 kilowatts of power. Additionally, the conversation shifts to the Russian Ekranoplan, a Ground Effect Vehicle developed by Rostislav Alekseev, which could travel over 400 km/h and weighed 540 tons fully loaded. The Ekranoplan was designed for military transport and could carry over 100 tonnes of cargo.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electronic components such as resistors and capacitors
  • Familiarity with the concept of Ground Effect Vehicles
  • Knowledge of military transport technologies
  • Basic historical context of computing technology development
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the technical specifications and historical significance of the ENIAC
  • Explore the design and operational principles of Ground Effect Vehicles
  • Investigate the military applications of the Ekranoplan
  • Learn about the evolution of computing technology post-ENIAC
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for historians, technology enthusiasts, and engineers interested in the evolution of computing and transport technologies, particularly those focused on military applications and early electronic devices.

  • #31
Ivan Seeking said:
a party: year 1969?
:biggrin: Good answer! and possibly correct, but not what I had in mind. :wink:
 
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  • #32
field programmable gates arrays.
invented by G BELL, to turn sound waves into a varying current.
 
  • #33
wolram said:
Originally Posted by Evo
a crude thing made of a wooden stand, a funnel, a cup of acid, and some copper wire - what was it?

not a battery,not electro plating, something to catch the resulting
element from the reaction of acid and copper?
It is currently in use today, I am attaching a picture of the original.

http://imageuploader.milbrathnet.net/uploads/bg.jpg
 
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  • #34
nice one EVO.
anyone have a what, is ,was it?
 
  • #35
enigma said:
It had less processing power than a $5 pocket calculator.

But it had certainly more ROCK'N'ROLLLL! :biggrin:
 
  • #36
1.4 meters in diameter, 2.5 tones. In 1930 it set records 9 miles from Nonesuch.

Njorl
 
  • #37
a diving bell?
 
  • #38
more than a half mile below the ocean's surface at Nonesuch Island near ... Barton and
Beebe, in their diving bell, reached a depth of 3,028 feet yesterday, August ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
my best guess.
 
  • #39
Evo said:
It is currently in use today, I am attaching a picture of the original.

Like Herman used to say, "darn darn darn darn darn darn darn!"

I knew that! I forgot about the acid.
 
  • #40
wolram said:
more than a half mile below the ocean's surface at Nonesuch Island near ... Barton and
Beebe, in their diving bell, reached a depth of 3,028 feet yesterday, August ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
my best guess.


Yup. The Bathysphere to be precise. It is one of my favorite words to say.
 
  • #41
wolram said:
field programmable gates arrays.
invented by G BELL, to turn sound waves into a varying current.
ooh, almost, not a FGPA though. You probably have at least one of these in your house.
 
  • #42
I thought this was answered. It's a telephone.
 
  • #43
Ivan Seeking said:
I thought this was answered. It's a telephone.
Yes, I was looking for telephone specifically. You and Wolram can share the honor.
 
  • #44
who's next, if you find this stimulating, give me a what was, is ,it.
 
  • #45
I love this stuff. When Tsu and I first played trivial pursuit we were both completely addicted until we had finally memorized about half of the cards.

The parts list includes a transmitter and receiver, a stylus for each, and two large pendulums.
 
  • #46
Njorl said:
...Bathysphere... It is one of my favorite words to say.

Do you say this a lot...while alone...in the dark?
 
  • #47
Ivan Seeking said:
The parts list includes a transmitter and receiver, a stylus for each, and two large pendulums.
Alxander Bain's proto "fax" machine?
 
  • #48
Not quite what I had chosen but definitely close enough. I assume they were basically the same. Instead I chose the 1860 model of Giovanni Caselli's Pantelegraph - which sent the first facsimile between Paris and Lyon.

http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/FAX_HIST.html

according to this, Bain's actually made a telegraph, not a fax machine, but I really know nothing about it. Maybe you or someone else can clear this up...I must get back to work. :frown:



A fax machine from the year 1865

The idea of putting the achievements of telegraphy to good use in order to transmit photographs as well as printed texts and drawings dates back to the 1850's. The Pantelegraph conceived by the abbot, Giovanni Caselli, was a system of sending and receiving images over long distances by means of electrochemistry.

The stylus of the transmitter scanning an original document by moving across its parallel lines sent messages by telegraph to a receiver. The stylus of the receiver moving across a chemically-treated sheet of paper reproduced the document according to the signals received. Transmitter and receiver were syncronized by two large pendulums swinging in sync with each other. On 16th February, 1865 the Pantelegraph was introduced into service for the Paris and Lyons and the Paris and Le Havre on to the Marseille Railways. It was phased out in 1870. The machine on display in the Museum is a working model that was built for the 1932 Chicago Exhibition.

http://www.museoscienza.org/english/radio/telefax.html
 
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  • #49
wolram said:
who's next, if you find this stimulating, give me a what was, is ,it.
Wolram, this is a great thread. I love learning stuff this way. :smile:
 
  • #50
Introduced in 1954. It measures 5 x 3 x 1 1/4 inches, weighs 12 ounces, and contains four germanium transistors.
 
  • #51
'transistor radio' - Regent?
 
  • #52
brass cylinder (approx), 6' in diameter, 8 'feet'
 
  • #53
Nereid said:
'transistor radio' - Regent?
YES! You even got the maker correct!
 
  • #54
Nereid said:
brass cylinder (approx), 6' in diameter, 8 'feet'

Okay a wild one here but it makes sense in a cryptic way.

The church of the ascension?
 
  • #55
Nereid said:
brass cylinder (approx), 6' in diameter, 8 'feet'
Hint: ~100 AD
 
  • #56
roman water clock?
 
  • #57
Nereid said:
brass cylinder (approx), 6' in diameter, 8 'feet'
Hint(2): the purpose is well known, but details of the internal mechanism are, unfortunately, not.
 
  • #58
Antikythera Mechanism? its the only thing with internal mechanism i can
think of.
 
  • #59
Nereid said:
brass cylinder (approx), 6' in diameter, 8 'feet'
Hint(3): The 'feet' were (likely) receptacles shaped like frogs with open mouths.
 
  • #60
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