Monday, February 4, 2008

The World War II Computer


When I first saw this cartoon, drawn by a Navy member, I did a double-take as the word "computer" jumped into my field of view. After all, this (a small part of a much bigger drawing) was accomplished in the year 1943!

However, a little research showed that there was indeed an early computer used in ballistic calculations amongst the military services in the early forties. Obviously, they were heavy and cumbersome, with a definite thirst for electrical power. Their limited use arose from computer experimentation dating back to the 1930s.

No Microsoft, no Yahoo! and no Google -- yet the darned things worked. Who would have thought?