Re:There were no ancient computers and it's fine
by HarHarVeryFunny on Monday April 01, 2024 @09:19AM
(#39893881)
Seems like a bit of a silly debate, but I'll play along ...
It mostly comes down to definitions. Being general purpose and programmable do seem like they should be part of the definition, but where do we set the bar for programmability? Should ENIAC really be considered as programmable, or merely configurable (via patch panel wiring)?
Things like the Jacquard loom, programmable/configurable via punched cards, or automatic "player pianos", programmable/configurable via changeable disks/barrels, really introduced the idea of a stored "program", although no-one would consider them as computers. On the other hand it'd seem odd not to consider something like the Antikythera mechanism (which calculated future positions of the planets) from over 2000 years ago as a computer, albeit an analog one, even though it was fixed function.
Apart from functional definitions, perhaps the most compelling reason to consider machines like ENIAC as the origin of digital computers is that this was the start of using signal switching as the basis of computation, initially in the form of relays and vacuum tubes, then transistors leading to integrated circuits, with this being a continuous line of development.
Still, even if not part of this line of development, maybe we should at least give a nod to earlier computation and programmable machines as part of the inspiration for modern computers, even if only as part of our collective intelligence/memory and engineering progress in terms of conceiving and building ever more complex automated machines.
It mostly comes down to definitions. Being general purpose and programmable do seem like they should be part of the definition, but where do we set the bar for programmability? Should ENIAC really be considered as programmable, or merely configurable (via patch panel wiring)?
Things like the Jacquard loom, programmable/configurable via punched cards, or automatic "player pianos", programmable/configurable via changeable disks/barrels, really introduced the idea of a stored "program", although no-one would consider them as computers. On the other hand it'd seem odd not to consider something like the Antikythera mechanism (which calculated future positions of the planets) from over 2000 years ago as a computer, albeit an analog one, even though it was fixed function.
Apart from functional definitions, perhaps the most compelling reason to consider machines like ENIAC as the origin of digital computers is that this was the start of using signal switching as the basis of computation, initially in the form of relays and vacuum tubes, then transistors leading to integrated circuits, with this being a continuous line of development.
Still, even if not part of this line of development, maybe we should at least give a nod to earlier computation and programmable machines as part of the inspiration for modern computers, even if only as part of our collective intelligence/memory and engineering progress in terms of conceiving and building ever more complex automated machines.