A Computer Story

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ENIAC


U.S. Army Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Type: General-purpose digital electronic computer

Presentation and Sale Period: Presented on February 16, 1946; not commercially sold (only one unit produced)

Dimensions and Weight: 180 m², 30 tons

Processor: none

Memory: Vacuum tube-based flip-flops with 20 accumulators and 10 registers, each accumulator capable of holding a decimal number up to 10 digits long

Storage Media: Punched card reader

Operating System: none

Notes: ENIAC stands for "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer". It is considered to be the first general-purpose computer.


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