ENIAC, or Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, was the first electronic general-purpose computer. It was built by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania between 1943 and 1945 and was funded by the United States Army.
ENIAC was a massive machine, weighing 30 tons and occupying 1,800 square feet. It contained 17,468 vacuum tubes, 7,200 crystal diodes, 1,500 relays, and 7,200 capacitors. It could perform 5,000 additions or 350 multiplications per second.
ENIAC was used to calculate ballistics tables for the United States Army. It was also used to study the feasibility of the thermonuclear weapon. ENIAC was retired from service in 1955, and is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
Here are some of the key features of ENIAC:
- It was the first electronic general-purpose computer.
- It was the first computer to use vacuum tubes.
- It was the first computer to be able to perform complex calculations at electronic speeds.
- It was used to calculate ballistics tables for the United States Army.
- It was used to study the feasibility of the thermonuclear weapon.
ENIAC was a groundbreaking machine that paved the way for the development of modern computers. It was a massive undertaking, and its development required the skills and talents of many people. ENIAC is a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of its creators, and it continues to inspire computer scientists and engineers today.
Here are some of the contributions of ENIAC:
- It showed that electronic computers were possible.
- It helped to develop the field of computer science.
- It led to the development of more powerful and sophisticated computers.
- It had a significant impact on the development of the atomic bomb.
ENIAC was a truly revolutionary machine, and its contributions to the field of computing are still felt today.