Early Computing in the UK

From: John Lawson <jpl15_at_netcom.com>
Date: Sun Jan 31 19:31:34 1999

  Of possible interest to the List, especially to our members in the
Greenwich Time Zone... I have aquired two books published in
England in the 50's... one is buried in a stack (I am building more
shelves for more books... arrgh) but is a general treatise on the
state of the art from a very technical stance. It has many great
photos.

  The other book came from yesterday's TRW haul... it is

"ELECTRONIC COMPUTERS Principles and Applications" by T.E. Ivall

 published by Iliffe & Sons, Second Ed of 1960. (two prev: 1956, 7)


   This book covers Analogue and Digital machines and is packed with
many plates, pictures, and diagrams... it has several views of the
ACE, the TRIDENT analogue flight simulator, several Ferranti and
Creed devices, etc., etc.

  I have made a picture gallery on my web site and I have now got to
scan a bunch of these things in... a project that will take only
about a long weekend to complete.... sometime in 2015 if my best
estimates are correct. ;)

  But I'd like to get this stuff up, because it tends to balance the
Americo-centric focus of foundation computing.

  Remember who had the first actual 'Von Neuman-ish' machine in
service.....


   Also, in one of the manuals, I have a large model/feature/config
chart of all known machines from the EDSAC up to about 1966... from
all manufacturers, Germany, Japan, France, Switzerland, etc.

  But its big.... oh well, soon!


  Cheerz

John
Received on Sun Jan 31 1999 - 19:31:34 GMT