Questions tagged [eniac]
For questions regarding the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) machine created in 1946.
5
questions
23
votes
4answers
4k views
What accounted for the cost of ENIAC?
I'm used to the fact that first-generation computers were very expensive, which I had always assumed was because they contained large numbers of vacuum tubes, each of which is a rather complex, high ...
4
votes
2answers
251 views
How many 6SN7 tubes did it take to store a bit?
One of the most important components of a computer is a circuit called a flip-flop, which has two stable states (that it can flip-flop between, hence the name); it is used for temporary storage of a ...
5
votes
1answer
193 views
When was term “word” first used as reference to CPU max register size
I've tried to find information when term 'word' was firstly used. And it seems that even ENIAC used this term.
Is it safe to say that term 'word' was invented with ENIAC?
4
votes
1answer
280 views
ENIAC stands for Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator; what made it particularly suitable for numerical integration?
The acronym ENIAC stands for Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator.
The fact that it was simpy a numerical computer means it probably could be used to perform numerical integration in some ...
17
votes
5answers
795 views
Did any computers use automatically-operated mechanical storage as electronically-read-addressable memory
From what I understand of ENIAC, it had a very large number of manually-operated rotary switches which behaved as ROM. While programming ENIAC in the early days required a plugboard, the machine was ...
