History of Computers - Z3

The Z3 was the first programmable computer, invented in 1941 by Konrad Zuse.

Overview

Zuse, a German inventor working during WWII, began creating the Z3 in 1939 and completed the Z3 in May 1941. He presented his machine to the scientists of the German Laboratory for Aviation. The purpose of the original machine was to perform statistical analysis of wing flutter in German aircraft design. Originally the Z3 was given little credit because it was invented by a German during WWII, but the machine, which was destroyed in 1943 by allied bombers, was rebuilt in 1960 and has regained esteem as one of the pioneering inventions in computer science. The Z3 is now undisputed as the "first reliable, freely programmable, working computer in the world based on a binary floating-point number and switching system."

Operation

The Z3 operated on the binary numeral system created by Gottfried Leibniz. The Z3 was a crossover electro-mechanical device, operating with transistors, but programmed using card stock. As the successor to the Z1, the Z3 offered far more programmability, but followed many of the same design strategies. The Z3 was constructed using more precise parts, and therefore worked where the Z1 had been unable to operate.

Significance

In 1998 the Z3 was proved to have the capabilities of a universal Turing Machine. In effect this means that the Z3 was able to carry out any of the algorithms used by a modern computer, and therefore the Z3 was the first modern, automatic, program-controlled, fully functional, general purpose digital computer. Although in its time it was used for much simpler tasks involving the implementation of basic engineering instructions of the day, this has great implications on the Z3's significance. As the first programmable computer, the Z3 began a revolution in the computing era beginning the ascension of general purpose computing.

Specs

• Frequency: 5,3 Hertz
• Average calculation Speed: Addition 0,8 seconds Multiplication 3 seconds
• Power Consumption: Ca. 4000 Watts
• Weight: Ca. 1000 kilograms
• Memory: 64 words with a length of 22 bits.
• Input: Decimal floating point numbers
• Output: Decimal floating point numbers

External Links

• The Life and Work of Konrad Zuse
• Konrad Zuse's Legacy: The Architecture of the Z1 and Z3
• Konrad Zuse's Z2 and Z3 Computers