Timeline for What made the ENIAC "programmable"?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
12 events
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| Sep 26, 2023 at 7:57 | comment | added | Raffzahn | @JD Steile Theorie. Would also hep to read what you reply to -Turing completeness is not highlighted in your answer. Not sure why adding the topic of an FPGA, but it is a good equivalent of ENIAC as its CMOS switches also do only make electrical connection, much the same way ENIAC setting was done using tables of 10 way switches after 1948. Without wiring ENIAC is as well only a bunch of logic blocks. Turing completeness exists only when wired the correct way. Last but not least, usage of tools, independent of complexity does not change the principle. ENIAC also was programmed using languages. | |
| Sep 26, 2023 at 4:56 | comment | added | J D | An FPGA programs hardware by reconfiguring logic gates, whereas ENIAC programs hardware by providing inputs to gates which can't be reconfigured. I didn't see that information clearly written in your response, and so I find your comment to be an exercise in Gefühl der Macht more than constructive criticism. | |
| Sep 26, 2023 at 4:53 | comment | added | J D | @Raffzahn Your predecessor already pointed out the analytical engine was Turing Complete, so your comment adds not explanatory nor clarificatory value; nor have I made the claim that ENIAC was the first Turing complete machine so your comment seems to have missed the substance of both the question and answer. An FPGA is programmed with a design language like VHDL using a microprocessor and keyboard and is generally done so not to be Turing-complete (although one could). ENIAC is programmed with electricity and wires and is Turing complete (sequence, iteration, condition)... | |
| Sep 25, 2023 at 23:23 | comment | added | Raffzahn | Al of the highlightend points (sequence, iteration, condition) can as well be observed at a 1936 Dehomag D11. | |
| Sep 25, 2023 at 22:30 | comment | added | J D | English debugged for accuracy. | |
| Sep 25, 2023 at 22:28 | history | edited | J D | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Sep 25, 2023 at 22:27 | comment | added | J D | @another-dave. True enough. I'll qualify as intended to the reference in question with 'such'. | |
| Sep 25, 2023 at 22:26 | comment | added | dave | re when you build a mechanical computer (...) the behavior of the system, the nature or range of the output never really changes. Analytical Engine. Mechanical. Turing complete (with the usual finite-memory caveat). Programmable from Jacquard cards. Never completed, but that's not a requirement. | |
| Sep 25, 2023 at 22:23 | history | edited | J D | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Sep 25, 2023 at 22:17 | history | edited | J D | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| S Sep 25, 2023 at 22:12 | review | First answers | |||
| Sep 26, 2023 at 8:23 | |||||
| S Sep 25, 2023 at 22:12 | history | answered | J D | CC BY-SA 4.0 |