ENIAC 2 (2 april 2006)
While reading the book about ENIAC (click) a little voice at the back of my mind kept repeating questions like: "Wasn't there someone by the name of Alan Turing involved in the invention of the computer?"
After I had read the book and written the last weblog, I received a message which drew my attention to the following link:
http://www.acsa.net/a_computer_saved_the_world.htm
And yes indeed there was British-made computer Colossus!
Colossus
The article describes that the hardware for this machine, which was completed in 1941 was made by Sir Tommy Flowers. Why the author of the article finds it necessary to emphasizes that Alan Turing played no part in the development of the computer is a question that may be open for discussion. Lots of Internet pages do mention the fact that Turing was a pioneer in computing before any real computers were ever made and mention the influence his ideas had on the development of computers and Colossus in particular.
Anyway, I once more got the book Eniac out of the bookcase and browsed the index. But to my great disappointment, I found no word whatsoever of either Colossus, Turing or Sir Tommy Flowers!
So I'm afraid I have to conclude Scott McCartney's book about the first computer was clearly prejudiced. Some writers seem to find it necessary to make their point by contorting the truth.
