Talk:List of vacuum-tube computers

Latest comment: 2 years ago by Alexander Davronov in topic Mainframes


Add category

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I worked thru this list and added "Category:Vacuum tube computers" to all entries except in a few cases where the computer line also included transistorized systems and those which already had "Category:IBM vacuum tube computers". I also added "see also" pointing to this list. Peter Flass (talk) 13:29, 12 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

AVIDAC (Argonne National Laboratory) was used by E. Fermi in 1951 for calculating orbits in the accelerator that he was designing. (Jalexbnbl (talk) 23:08, 9 December 2013 (UTC))Reply
ORACLE (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) was in operation in September 1953 (personal observation). Jalexbnbl (talk) 23:15, 9 December 2013 (UTC)Reply

Some Errors

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The Colossus was not programmable, and the Pilot ACE was not designed by Turing. Jfgrcar (talk) 21:44, 6 April 2013 (UTC)Reply

Re: Colossus and programmability

Wikipedia page states that Colossus was "the world's first electronic digital computer that was at all programmable". and mentions:

"It compared two data streams, counting a statistic based on a programmable Boolean function."

and

"Both models were programmable using switches and plug panels in a way the Robinsons had not been."

Colossus machines were indeed programmable - but only hardware programmable in very limited ways.

They were dedicated code-breaking machines built for a specific job and were in no way either general purpose or software programmable computers in the way of post-war machines such as the Manchester Mark 1, Cambridge EDSAC, and others.

109.148.255.185 (talk) 22:37, 27 June 2013 (UTC)Reply


UNIVAC 1103A

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Claim to be the first computer with interrupts in 1956 is contradicted by http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/events/EDSAC99/reminiscences/#EDSAC%201%20construction

Donald Willis (Research Assistant 1948-50 & 1952-55)

"Stan Gill wrote the subroutines which interrupted the processor when data arrived from the [tape] reading head"

UNIVAC 1103 page specifies HARDWARE interrupts, therefore amended "Notes" in line with this. 109.148.255.185 (talk) 22:31, 27 June 2013 (UTC)Reply

BINAC

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Given that it is unclear whether BINAC ever did any useful work for its end users, does it really deserve an entry in this page? --TedColes (talk) 21:28, 26 October 2013 (UTC)Reply

I think it should be there. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 23:47, 26 October 2013 (UTC)Reply
The user got it to work once in a while. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:41, 22 December 2017 (UTC)Reply

Should we include the 1948 IBM 604 electronic calculator

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It could multiply and divide and the processing for each punched card was defined using a 20-60 step plugboard ? It used about 1200 valves and its in Category:IBM vacuum tube computers - Rod57 (talk) 07:27, 9 January 2016 (UTC)Reply

It is hard to say - I'm pretty sure that it was very limited in the programming - couldn't run a general program. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 02:53, 10 January 2016 (UTC)Reply
Not sure what you mean by a 'general program' - Just noticed the 1952 Remington Rand 409 is in the list - also plugboard programmable - so can we define the list to say which of them belong ? - Rod57 (talk) 00:54, 15 January 2016 (UTC)Reply
Interestingly: Univac says the 1004 could have its plugboard wired to load programs from cards. That may apply to other plugboard programmable machines. - Rod57 (talk) 00:54, 15 January 2016 (UTC)Reply
It seems to me to be an automated calculator. It could read cards in, take those numbers and do some basic arithmetic operations and print the results out on a card, then go on to the next card. It looks like it could not store that result internally and did not have looping or branching. However, if you want to include it, I won't object. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:39, 15 January 2016 (UTC)Reply
And, yes, since the Remington Rand 409 is there, the 604 can be too - it seems very similar. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:40, 15 January 2016 (UTC)Reply
OTOH, the RR 409 could store a few hundred digits whereas it looks like the 604 could not. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:44, 15 January 2016 (UTC)Reply
IMO as long as a desktop calculator like Sumlock ANITA is in the list then IBM 603 should be added in as well - because unlike a basic calculator, IBM 603/604/605 series was actually programmable (through a plugboard). IBM 604/605 should probably be added as part of the IBM CPC system, of which production numbers are known. These tabulators/calculators are important in the history of computing because difficult numeric problems were solved with them. Richard Feynman used IBM tabulators/multiplicators for chain reaction simulations at Los Alamos during WW2. MagisterLudi (talk) 18:15, 13 January 2020 (UTC)Reply

Should we add month to date

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Many in same year so month can be significant - but is it month they first ran or month they were announced ? - Rod57 (talk) 12:02, 9 January 2016 (UTC)Reply

I think the month is important. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 02:53, 10 January 2016 (UTC)Reply

BESM

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May be add USSR computers (ru:МЭСМ, BESM etc.)? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gja822 (talkcontribs) 04:41, 23 April 2017 (UTC)Reply

BESK

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According to the articles (Swedish and English Wikipedia) on BESK it was finished in 1953 (and taken out of operation in 1966)150.227.15.253 (talk) 11:12, 19 December 2017 (UTC)Reply

CSIRAC

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The article says "Oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer — unrestored and non-functional." ENIAC exists, but not all together. The Smithsonian has part of it (it was enough to operate), the Moore School has part of it, Aberdeen has a function table, and it is said that part of it is at (I think) the University of Michigan. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 01:34, 22 December 2017 (UTC)Reply

There's a difference in being "unrestored and non-functional" and being in parts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.25.210.104 (talk) 11:55, 20 May 2018 (UTC)Reply

JAINCOMP computers

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References for JAINCOMP computers

Jacobs Instrument Company sources:

THE JAINCOMP-B1 COMPUTER

Project Cyclone: Symposium II on simulation and computing techniques, Part 2, April 28-May 2, 1952, New York City

The JAINCOMP-B1 computer Technical Report


Other sources:

DIGITAL COMPUTER NEWSLETTER. VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2

Project Whirlwind: Group leaders' meeting, November 9, 1953

Picture of JAINCOMP-B(1?)

Achieving Accuracy: A Legacy of Computers and Missiles - a little biased

JAINCOMP Assembly

Technical Journal, Year 84. 1954, pp. 624-625, Google translation from Swedish Teknisk Tidskrift, Årgång 84. 1954

DIGITAL COMPUTER NEWSLETTER. VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1

DIGITAL COMPUTER NEWSLETTER. VOLUME 5, NUMBER 2

DIGITAL COMPUTER NEWSLETTER. VOLUME 5, NUMBER 4

Research, United States Office of Naval (1953). A survey of automatic digital computers. Office of Naval Research, Dept. of the Navy. pp. 54–56.

--89.25.210.104 (talk) 14:31, 24 May 2018 (UTC)Reply

MMIF 1957

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Different members of the team had been in contact with Howard Aiken before and maintained contact during the project. Aiken came to visit the MMIF in Antwerp. The memory was of Harvard architecture. The author given in ref, cite book, quotes prof. Jean Meinguet in 2002 (himself part of the team in the 50’s) considering the computer to be comparable to a Harvard Mark IV. It had 5.000 vacuum tubes and 1.000 gas tubes; power 25kW. --Dominique Meeùs (talk) 07:16, 2 August 2019 (UTC)Reply

ERA Atlas

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There was only one of these right, before they went on to the 1101? Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 02:11, 12 September 2020 (UTC)Reply

Well, the article mentions :machines". How many were there (the table doesn't say)? Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 02:15, 12 September 2020 (UTC)Reply

Datatron

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Datatron also known as the Burroughs 205 after Burroughs acquired ElectroData in 1956. Approximately 120 systems built, per letter dated 1 February 1965 from Mike Mengel, VP of Product Planning, to Burroughs top management.[1]

The actual number of systems is a little difficult to pin down, since some systems were refurbished and then resold, but system serial numbers ranged from 101 to at least 220. Pkimpel (talk) 17:15, 26 January 2021 (UTC)Reply

References

  1. ^ Burroughs Corporation Records (CBI 90), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Burroughs 220 [new]

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Commercial/scientific successor to the Datatron/Burroughs 205. First delivery 1959. Approximately 120 systems built, per letter dated 1 February 1965 from Mike Mengel, VP of Product Planning, to Burroughs top management.[1]

The actual number of systems is a little difficult to pin down, since some systems were refurbished and then resold. The number 50 was also cited by Brad Mackenzie in the transcription of the 1985 B5000 Conference oral history, page 8[2]. Pkimpel (talk) 17:40, 26 January 2021 (UTC)Reply

References

  1. ^ Burroughs Corporation Records (CBI 90), Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
  2. ^ "Burroughs B 5000 Conference". Charles Babbage Institute. University of Minnesota Libraries. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

memory

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I think it would be interesting to add another column (or more) to the table for more information - specifically how much memory and what technology it used. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 23:49, 13 July 2021 (UTC)Reply

Mass Produced

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You have

UNIVAC I 1951 46 Mass-produced. 46 were made.

IBM 650 1954 ~2000 The world's first mass-produced computer

Both of these can't be true. The UNIVAC I of 1951 was mass produced then the 650 of 1954 can't be. 76.88.55.202 (talk) 02:25, 10 December 2021 (UTC)Reply

It is probably safer to say that the IBM 650 was the first one with more than 100 produced, or something like that. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 02:45, 10 December 2021 (UTC)Reply

Mainframes

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Hi everyone. I've created a {{Mainframes}} template. Anyone can give a feedback on that? Would also appreciate much if someone helps me with linking. Thanks! AXONOV (talk) 18:40, 20 April 2022 (UTC) AXONOV (talk) 18:43, 20 April 2022 (UTC)Reply