From: GERALD LEVY (gerald_a_levy@msn.com)
Date: Thu Feb 28 2008 - 12:32:03 EST
> Whilst some early computers had government funding: Collosus at > Bletchely Park devised for breaking th 'Fish' code and Zuse's Z3 developed for the Luftwaffe, > these models were secret and had virtually no influence on comercially developed > computers. Hi Paul C: Z3 led to Z4 and _that_ was commercially adopted. ENIAC, arguably the "first general-purpose electronic computer", was "designed and built to calculate artillery firing tables for the U.S. Army's Ballistic Research Laboratory" (wikipedia). > The first working programmable computer, the Manchester Mark 1 or 1948 > was developed by an academic group without military funding. The British government, in October, 1948, was instrumental in the _innovation_ of the Manchester Mark 1. > The best selling IBM computers of the 1950s the 700 series were an > outgrowth of their business tabulator> line, the 7000 series developed for the NSA had little commercial > impact, though it is> arguable that a couple of the top of the range 1960s machines produced > by IBM used technologies> protoyped on 'Stretch' a machine developed for the NSA. Recall that the electrical tabulating machines were designed by Herman Hollerith for use in the 1890 US Census and were built under contract with the US government. > The microprocessor was developed by Intel in response to the request of > a Japanese desktop calculator company. Garrett Air Research, at about the same time, was "invited" to produce this for use in the US Navy's F-14 Tomcat. > The most rapid development today comes from the needs, ironically, of the> home entertainment industry. Hmmm. What is the source for video games? Wasn't this related to technologies like military flight simulators? Certainly, developments in communications have spurred the home entertainment industry. But, that can be traced back to satellite communications - a technology that owes its origins and development primarily to military R&D. > It is at least arguable, that the sucesses of US and UK industry in > mobilising> for war in WWII rested on the prior development of consumer mass production> industries -- car production, radio production and television production. There's some truth to that. In the US during WWII most of the tanks and small planes were built in what had been GM, Ford, and Chrysler auto plants. In solidarity, Jerry _______________________________________________ ope mailing list ope@lists.csuchico.edu https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
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