Electrical Computers
Understand the development of early electronic computers focusing on ENIAC, the impact of vacuum tubes, and the transition to transistors. Learn how these technologies influenced computer performance and the evolution of operating systems for broader applications.
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ENIAC
The next step in computer design was the construction of the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC). It was the first electronic and general-purpose digital computer that could be programmed.
The ENIAC was constructed in 1946 by John Eckert and John Mauchly. It used a new type of element to perform computations: vacuum tubes. Most computer engineers were skeptical about vacuum tubes before this new invention, due to their high failure rate and energy consumption.
The vacuum tube replaced the relay. The tube is a purely electronic device. It does not have any mechanical ...