Electronic Brains: Stories from the Dawn of the Computer Age

by Mike Hally

Book Overview

We've come so far, so fast. Within a relatively short period of time, we've managed to put enormous computing power in offices and homes around the globe. But before there was an IBM computer, before there were laptops and personal PCs, there were small independent teams of pioneers working on the development of the very first computer. Scattered around the globe and ranging in temperament and talent, they forged the future in basement labs, backyard,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0309096308
• ISBN13: 9780309096300
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Joseph Henry Press
• Length: 275 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A very interesting part of the history of computing

Electronic brains really nice book about the first electronic computers that appeared in the 40's and 50's. At the time computing was already well understood (mechanical computers had been around for decades) but the hardware needed to make electronic computers was only just becoming available. This spured a spontaneous explosion in the devlopment of electronic computers. Still, these first computers were enormous technical achievements. And the author does a superb job of telling the story of these forgotten times which saw the birth of the modern computer industry.

Great snapshots of computing's beginnings

This is an easily accessible, non-technical, and very interesting look at most of computing's early history: the machines that were conceived (if not operational) from around 1950 and earlier. Although nearly every system in that category everything gets a mention here, the author concentrates on lesser-known systems, some of which are truly obscure. For example, he tells the story of the Remington 409, which has a good case for being the first mass-produced "business computer". It was programmed--like ENIAC--by plugboard rather than being a stored-program machine, but much more sophisticated than early IBM devices like the 603 Electronic Multiplier. Around 1500 of them appear to have been sold, none of which survive--the only remaining artifacts are a few components preserved by the historical society of Rowayton, a small town in Connecticut where the system was built. The story of the early Russian machines (built in a former monastery in what is now Ukraine) present a fascinating view of the intersection of technology and ideology. Something I particularly liked about this book was the descriptions of where the artifacts can be found today--indeed, I wish there were more pictures from those museums and other institutions. It seems that the only machine of that era which has been fully preserved is the first Australian computer, the CSIRO Mark I! Everything else exists only in fragments or (like the 409) just as memories--and in some cases as replicas (like the Manchester Baby) and/or emulators (ENIAC-on-a-chip). Aother great aspect of this book is that it is based on large part on new interviews (by the author) of those pioneers who are still living. This style makes for a very readable account, although it also brings the inevitable inconsistencies that creep in over 50 years of memory. These accounts put a human face on the early development teams, who were truly pioneers even though they often didn't realize it until much later (and after the machines were scrapped). This book makes a good companion to more academically-oriented texts like "The First Computers" (Rojas and Hashhagen) and Emerson Pugh's histories of IBM. Even so, there's a definite place for a truly comprehensive popular history of early computing that would pull together all the threads: the well-known machines like ENIAC, Harvard Mark I, and IBM's; the obscure machines that this book covers; the analog machines like the Differential Analyzer; and the cryptologic machines like Colossus, the Bombe, and Vannevar Bush's Rapid Analytical Machines, up through 1955 or so when the field really started to come together coherently. Authors, are you out there?

Excellent Lay History of the Early Days of Computers

I have a Computer Science degree, but you don't need one in order to appreciate this book. It is a collection of stories about different computers, companies, and people from the early days of electronic digital computers (although there is a story about an analog, hydraulic one!) in the middle 20th century. And it isn't only US computers: The UK, Australia, and the USSR are also represented. Anyone who enjoys non-fiction and has a curiosity about origins will like this book; anyone who enjoys computers and tinkering will appreciate the stories it contains. Even business people might crack a smile at some of the practices in the days before Bill Gates existed. The stories are not highly technical, but the book is not a children's book; it is definitely suitable for high school age and above. There are some pictures, but most of the enjoyment comes from the extensive quotations by people who were actually there at the time. These are so integral because, before this was a book, it was a BBC Radio production. The result is a very readable and intelligent volume that is definitely worth a read.

A useful historical narrative on computers development

This book is informative and easy to read. It reviews the history of computers development. The first attempt at developing electronic computers was carried out by John Atanasoff, a mathematics professor at Iowa State College in 1937. Atanasoff joined by Clifford Berry built a prototype in 1939, which was called the ABC machine. Atanasoff, however did not recognize the importance of his development, and moved on to other jobs. John Mauchly, a physics professor at University of Pennsylvania during World War II and Presper Eckert an electric engineer, were the first people who entertained serious thoughts about creating an electronic computer. They developed it with funding from the US Army, which wanted to speed up the calculations of ballistic tables for new weapons destined the war effort. Atanasoff and Mauchley first met at a conference on December 26, 1940. This meeting led to a discussion about mutual interests and Atanasoff `s machine, however Mauchley proved to be a lot more dedicated for the development of an electronic computer. After the war, Mauchley and Eckert left the university of Pennsylvania and set up a small company, the Electronic Control Company at Philadelphia, PA. Mauchley assisted by a team of dedicated and technically competent people continued the development for electronic computers, however many people did not see the need for computers and the company was beset financial difficulties. Ultimately they were successful in developing a Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC) for the Census Bureau, which helped speed up 1950 US census. In the eyes of the general public computers was at best a curiosity. This perception started changing after CBS used the UNIVAC services for forecasting the 1952 US Presidential elections. Resistance to change, new ideas and innovation is a well-known phenomenon. Organizations, communities and nations experience it in varying degrees at different times. The development of the computer was no exception. Mauchley was an optimistic person endowed with an entrepreneurial spirit. His perseverance, drive, and vision blazed the trail for the development of computers, but he and his company did not make it as financial successes. Remington Rand acquired his Electronic Control Company and several companies pursued further development. The British LEO development of the computers provides a great example for the importance of confidence and enlightened leadership.It opened the door for using the computers in business and systems applications, such as payroll, inventory management, and accounting. The Australian development of the computer, also steeped in the traditions of open-minded inquiry, developed the first computer-generated music and the first college courses in numerical methods. The book's narration of the history of development of computers at the former USSR is useful and in my view instructive. The USSR inherited a well-educated class, from which many scientists achieved international re

Covers the period just after World war II when modern computers were developed

Mike Hally's Electronic Brains: Stories From The Dawn Of The Computer Age covers the period just after World war II when modern computers were developed, examining some of the world's first 'techies' and projects which fostered computer discoveries. Author Mike Hally traveled around the world interviewing surviving members of early computer teams and researchers, and provides a series of rich descriptions from their experiences, paired with a lively history.