Hans B Pufal wrote:
>
> Ben Franchuk wrote:
> > Hans B Pufal wrote:
>
> >>Since the manchester machine is considered (by some) to be the first
> >>electronic stored program digital computer, then the first program to
> >>run on it must, by definition, be the oldest - no?
>
> > I think there was a few algorithmic notes , almost a program for
> > babbage's mill.
>
> Ah but this was never run and th ehardware never built, admittedly a
> pedantic point.
>
> > Since one has a Babbage emulator (
> > http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/contents.html )
>
> This is new to me, thanks for the reference and link.
>
> > and some hardware built in the 1990's is the mill the first or last?
> > historical computer built?
>
> I think you might be confusing Babbage's difference engine and
> analytical engine. A working version of the difference engine was built
> by the Londoen Science Musuem in the 90's. An excellent description is
> provided by Doron Swade in his book The Cogwheel Brain (ISBN
> 0316648477). It was the anlytical engine which resembles a modern
> computer and, to my knowledge, no one has attempted to construct one of
> those (yet ;-).
>
> -- hbp
You are right I did get them confused as the difference engine in more
well known.
None the less the Difference engine is remarkable mechanical engine.
Zuse's Z computers are interesting computer designs because they are
from the electromechanical stage of development of computer logic.
http://www.epemag.com/zuse/
--
Ben Franchuk - Dawn * 12/24 bit cpu *
www.jetnet.ab.ca/users/bfranchuk/index.html
Received on Sat Apr 06 2002 - 14:32:51 BST