History of Computers - Atanasoff-Berry Computer
Many think that the word "computer" only represents the devices that exist in the present, such as laptops or desktops; this is not so. Computers have been built for centuries, though the definition for "computer" has has to expand for one to grasp this. The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (or ABC Computer) is a perfect example of this idea. It was built in 1930's and tested successfully in the 1940's. Though it is not what one would normally consider a "computer," it was a great innovation at the time. [1]
Remake
Overview
The ABC Computer was designed by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. They decided to make a computer that could solve linear equations. Though this is a simple thing to do now, one must remember that during this time period, this was a completely new field. The computer itself weighed more than 700 pounds, and contained more than 300 vacuum tubes. Though it contained nearly a mile of vacuum tubes, it was the size of a desk[2]
Significance
The Atanasoff-Berry Computer was recently dismantled, remade, and displayed at Iowa State University. Though it was a simple computer, the ABC Computer was a breakthrough at the time.[3] Its 300 vacuum tubes allowed the computer to solve complex algebraic equations. It was also significant because it was the first to use binary digits to represent all data, perform all calculations with electronics instead of gears, wheels, or ratchets, and organized a system in which computations and memory were stored and performed separately. These are all things that modern computers do, so one can see why the ABC Computer was very important. [4]
