How big was the ENIAC?
The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first general purpose electronic computer. It was completed in 1945, after the World War II ended.
ENIAC was very big; it was 30 tons weight and took up 63 m2. The entire machine contained about 17000 vacuum tubes, 10000 capacitors, 70000 resistors a 6000 manual switches. To keep ENIAC running, six technicians had to work all the time.
The ENIAC was designed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert in the University of Pennsylvania. This computer was designed to calculate artillery firing tables, but it was also used in calculations for the hydrogen bomb and numerical weather prediction. Of course, these are not only applications that ENIAC served for.
Where is ENIAC today? Or, better the parts of ENIAC?
The University of Pennsylvania has four panels of the original forty and also one of the three function tables. Five panels are in the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. The University of Michigan has four panels. The U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, where ENIAC was used has one function table…
