> And Real Men Used Vacuum Tubes! (can you picture a vacuum-tube processor
> with the power of a PIC?)

Yes, I can!

I just purchased a 1955 reprint of a 1953 book

            "Faster than Thought" edited by B V Bowden.

This describes the state of the art of Digital Computers as at 1953.
Some of these machines would be around PIC power.

Each chapter is written by an expert in the particular computer or aspect
discussed.

Most people would be amazed how many different types of computer and methods
of doing various tasks there were.
Memory was an amazing subject. Mercury tanks, wire delay lines, Cathod eRay
Tubes (data is stored in the phosphor and a 1 or 0 measured by how much beam
current is drawn when you write to the location of concern - dynamic memory
needing refresh and with destructive read needing suitable post read
action - you can SEE your data sitting in the memory. And much much more.

A superb book to read for those wanting a real feel for where the computing
industry has come from. Even papers (chapter) on computers playing games
such as chess and draughts. Also contains a signifcant amount of material on
Babbages difference engine and a copy of Countess Ada Lovelace's paper on an
example of programming it.

Includes:

History and theory - 5 chapters
Individual chapters on computers made at Manchester, Cambridge, Harwell,
Telecom research Estanblishment (UK), Imperial College, Royal Aircraft
establishment, Birbeck College, USA (short comments on Harvard, ENIAC, IBM,
EDSAC, ACE, Princeton, MIT, UNIVAC machines).

Applications - 12 chapters including one on games contributed to by THE
Allan Turing, Bowden himself (Ferranti), Miss Audrey Bates (Ferranti) & Mr C
Strachey (NRDC)




                Russell McMahon

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