Mar 2, 2012

ENIAC Facts

 In February 1946, the first ever general purpose digital electronic computer was dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania.  The machine was called the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer).  It cost over $500,000 ($6 million today), weighed about 57,000 pounds and took up 1800 square feet.  It had 17,468 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 7,200 diodes, 10,000 capacitors, and 5 million hand soldered joints. It used enough electricity to power 114 homes. The longest time between vacuum tube failures was 4 days and 20

The first task it was to perform calculations pertaining to the development of the hydrogen bomb. It stayed in service for nine years.