FWD: Manchester Baby Programming Competition

From: hdwarden_at_netins.net <(hdwarden_at_netins.net)>
Date: Mon Oct 20 11:05:35 1997

In <199710201020.LAA12294_at_mailgate.motiv.co.uk>, on 10/20/97
   at 11:20 AM, kevan_at_heydon.org said:

> Program the world's first computer!
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>The world's first computer program was run on June 21st 1948 on the
>"baby" Mark1 at Manchester. As part of the celebrations to mark the 50th
>....

    Could some of the list members with more historical knowledge comment
on this? I thought the first "electronic digital computer" was the ABC -
Atanasoff Berry Computer from 1939. This was verified in some high
powered patent cases in '73 and '74, that concluded Sperry-Univac could
not claim patents for the ideas from thier Univac machine ("43 or '44?).
Honneywell, CDC, IBM, and others did not want to pay royalties to Sperry.
The Sperry machine is the first "commercial" machine that was offered for
sale.
    A replica of the ABC has been built, and is currently on tour of
midwest Universities.
    Where does the Manchester computer fit in? In seems 1948 was several
years after the ABC and Univac efforts, yet they're referring to the
"world's first computer program".

Harlan
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Harlan Warden, near Van Cleve Iowa
hdwarden_at_netins.net
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Received on Mon Oct 20 1997 - 11:05:35 BST