yeah yeah...  I knew I could count on somebody to notice the mistake!
Thanks for pointing it out Andrew.

Sorry about that... What I meant to say, and I forgot to mention, was
Von Neumann took credit for PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS to future ENIAC-like
machines that Mauchley and Eckert were going to build.  It is quite
obvious that the original ENIAC was a precursor to the Harvard
architecture...  It also interesting to note that it was also an early
parallel processing machine (each math decade unit was in essence a
wholly independent number cruncher, along with the separate Master
Programmer).

I went home last night realizing that I had forgotten to mention the
improved generation of ENIAC, and not the original machine.  My
apologies.  Of course, we all know the basic difference between the
architectures.  Sorry for the confusion... :)

BTW: Better be careful casting disparaging comments about those "Little
Old Ladies"!  They were (are) all degreed professional mathematicians,
and then some.  Some are still vital members of the computer industry
(they were all in their early twenties when the ENIAC was built), and
Betty was just remarried last year.  Not so old after all, eh?  I hope
I'm still writing code and engineering circuits - and getting paid for
it - when I'm in my early to mid seventies!

Thanks again, Andrew, I'll recheck my facts twice before sending out
future responses in the hopes of avoiding more bonehead statements.

Cheers! ;)

Chuck

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Warren [SMTP:fastfwd@IX.NETCOM.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 1998 4:47 PM
> To:   PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject:      Re: [OT] RE: Mark1 programming challenge
>
> Mauro, Chuck <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> wrote:
>
> > Von Neuman noticed that data and program in the ENIAC were in
> > separate storage from each other (the now famous Von Neuman
> > architecture!).  Betty and Frances both contend that Von Neuman
> > appropriated the concept for his own design notes and claimed it
> > was his original idea!  (Ain't history interesting?)
>
>     Chuck:
>
>     I'm sure Betty and Frances are delightful little old ladies,
>     but...
>
>     Separate data and program spaces is the now-famous HARVARD
>     architecture.
>
>     The "now famous Von Neumann architecture" (note the correct
>     spelling) is the OTHER one... The one with data and program in
>     the SAME memory space.
>
>     -Andy
>
> === Andrew Warren - fastfwd@ix.netcom.com
> === Fast Forward Engineering - Vista, California
> === http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2499