Eniac: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer (Science Matters)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.89 (623 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0425176444 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2018-01-23 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Their three-year race to create the legendary ENIAC is a compelling tale of brilliance and misfortune that has never been told before.It was the size of a three-bedroom apartment, weighed 30 tons, and cost nearly half a million dollars to build-and $650 an hour to run. But in 1945, this behemoth was the cutting edge in technology, and a herald of the digital age to come. This "little gem of a book" tells the story of this machine and the men who built it-as well as the secrecy, controversy, jealousy, and lawsuits that surroun
Army, has been downplayed. He carefully weighs Atanasoff's claims and gives von Neumann the credit he earned for advancing computer science, but in the end he leaves no room for doubt: if anyone deserves to be remembered for inventing the computer, it's the two men whose tale he has told here so engagingly. The brilliant John von Neumann's subsequent theoretical papers on computer design have made him the traditional "father of modern computing." And Eckert and Mauchly later even lost the patent on their machine when it was claimed that another early experimenter, John Atanasoff, had given them all the ideas about ENIAC that mattered. Does it even make sense, then, to ask who invented the computer? McCartney thinks so, and in ENIAC: The Triumphs and Tragedies of the World's First Computer, he's written a compelling answer to the question, crediting two relatively unsung Pennsylvanians with what is arguably the most significant invention of the century. McCartney's heroes a
"Two thumbs up!" according to GK. If you mention the names Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Bill Gates to a random group of people on the street they'll probably know exactly who you're talking about. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak invented the personal computer, and Bill Gates created software for personal computers. Everybody kno. Finally the true story is debunked! Strong feelings and misinformation are common on this topic, as you can see by reading some of these "reviews." That is why this book is important, for it gives a popular account of the true side of a story that has been clouded by an earlier popular account by Mollenhoff in which Atanasoff is . Well written account From the other reviews of this book you get the impression the author got the basic facts wrong. I think the author did an outstanding job writing the story of the ENIAC, and covered much of the controversy up until the death of Pres Eckert in 1995.Holding aside the issue of whether the ENIAC w