World's Oldest Digital Computer Gets a Reboot

[koeniginator]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/EnuP7.jpg[/img]

[quote]The National Museum of Computing is welcoming a new, two-ton computer to its collection — the world’s oldest. Named “The Witch” for Wolverhampton Instrument for Teaching Computation from Harwell, the supercomputer was used to aid scientists in the 1950s who were crunching large numbers — though it took a while. For every two digits, the computer took 10 seconds to calculate.

After 15 years being out of commission, the computer has been restored. Three painstaking years thanks to a team of computer conversationists and ‘The Witch” is back to the way it operated in its heyday.[/quote]

[url=http://mashable.com/2012/11/20/oldest-computer/]SOURCE & VIDEO[/url]

[Zombie]

[QUOTE=koeniginator;38533628]For every two digits, the computer took 10 seconds to calculate.[/QUOTE]

We sure have come far...

[🅱️🅰️LLS. ➿]

Far out that's amazing.

[Blazyd]

Look at what a ways we've come

That's a big ass computer too compared to what we have now.

[Computermaster]

[QUOTE=koeniginator;38533628][img]http://i.imgur.com/EnuP7.jpg[/img]

[url=http://mashable.com/2012/11/20/oldest-computer/]SOURCE & VIDEO[/url][/QUOTE]

You mean to tell me it took this thing 10 seconds to calculate 2 + 2?

And we considered that incredible?

What I'm saying is, we look at it and see how outdated and ridiculously slow it is. People 60 years from now are going to be doing the exact same thing with our technology.

[gnomical]

[QUOTE=Forumaster;38533690]You mean to tell me it took this thing 10 seconds to calculate 2 + 2?

And we considered that incredible?

Fuck nature, damn technology, you scary![/QUOTE]

Back in the fucking 1950s it was.

[fruxodaily]

[QUOTE=Forumaster;38533690]You mean to tell me it took this thing 10 seconds to calculate 2 + 2?

And we considered that incredible?

Fuck nature, damn technology, you scary![/QUOTE]
we're talking roughly 62 years ago, people back then found this an incredible discovery and we kept working higher and higher to decrease the times

so tbh this is an amazing feat in technology and we should all appreciate peoples efforts back then

[MightyMax]

what an incredible looking piece of tech

[junker|154]

[QUOTE=Forumaster;38533690]You mean to tell me it took this thing 10 seconds to calculate 2 + 2?

And we considered that incredible?

Fuck nature, damn technology, you scary![/QUOTE]

That is a very dumb thing to say.

Gutenberg invented the first press, you had to manuall change every letter, which is after all highly ineffective. Yet it is one of the most amazing inventions in history of men.

[mark6789]

Thats pretty awesome and impressive. Technology sure has come a long way. I mean now we have smartphones that can do anything.

But do i dare say it....

fuck it.

[B][I]But can it run Crysis?![/I][/B]

[Sharkcheater]

will it run Crysis

[[EG] Pepper]

[QUOTE=koeniginator;38533628][img]http://i.imgur.com/EnuP7.jpg[/img]

[url=http://mashable.com/2012/11/20/oldest-computer/]SOURCE & VIDEO[/url][/QUOTE]

Kinda blows your mind that this is less powerful than a digital watch, or a calculator.

It really does show how far we have come.

[MightyMax]

[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;38533897']Kinda blows your mind that this is less powerful than a digital watch, or a calculator.

It really does show how far we have come.[/QUOTE]
we put men on the moon with less calculating power than a calculator, so.

[Computermaster]

[QUOTE=junker|154;38533841]That is a very dumb thing to say.

Gutenberg invented the first press, you had to manuall change every letter, which is after all highly ineffective. Yet it is one of the most amazing inventions in history of men.[/QUOTE]

What I'm saying is, we look at it and see how outdated and ridiculously slow it is. People 60 years from now are going to be doing the exact same thing with our technology.

[Merv]

[QUOTE=MightyMax;38533919]we put men on the moon with less calculating power than a calculator, so.[/QUOTE]

All the computers in 1960 combined have less processing power than a year 2000 Gameboy.

[RIPBILLYMAYS]

[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;38533897']Kinda blows your mind that this is less powerful than a digital watch, or a calculator.

It really does show how far we have come.[/QUOTE]

What blows my mind is that we can implement a comepletely mental concept such as math into a physical piece of machinery.

[Andokool12]

Had no idea we had a digital computer in the 50s, that's wicked.

[TheTalon]

[QUOTE=ZombieWaffle;38533943]All the computers in 1960 combined have less processing power than a year 2000 Gameboy.[/QUOTE]

Can't wait to see what computers can do in 40 years. I hope I don't get cancer and die before then

[Bumbanut]

[QUOTE=Forumaster;38533930]What I'm saying is, we look at it and see how outdated and ridiculously slow it is. People 60 years from now are going to be doing the exact same thing with our technology.[/QUOTE]Can't say that for sure; who knows when we will hit a (hopefully) temporary limit to technological advancement?

[Captain_Crazy]

Beautiful piece of technology, glad to see she's been restored. Interesting piece of technology!

[MIPS]

No love for the Atanasoff-Berry Computer?
It's the oldest known digital computer to exist and it was made in 1937. In coparison that computer is newer and SLOWER.
[img]http://s7.computerhistory.org/is/image/CHM/500002003p-03-01?$re-story-hero$[/img]

:C

[Madman_Andre]

[QUOTE=mark6789;38533893][B][I]But can it run Crysis?![/I][/B][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Sharkcheater;38533895]will it run Crysis[/QUOTE]

It took only 10-11 posts for this joke to be made...

But can it run Metro 2033 on Max settings? :v:

[[EG] Pepper]

Can it run pong?

[Erector Beast]

the guys who restored it found several hundred kilobytes of porn on there

took them eight hours to load the images only to be greeted by 1950s bush

[icemaz]

[QUOTE=MIPS;38534175]No love for the Atanasoff-Berry Computer?
It's the oldest known digital computer to exist and it was made in 1937. In coparison that computer is newer and SLOWER.
[img]http://s7.computerhistory.org/is/image/CHM/500002003p-03-01?$re-story-hero$[/img]

:C[/QUOTE]

This is the oldest stored program computer which still works apparently. Not the oldest digital computer as the title suggests.

[paramud]

[QUOTE=MIPS;38534175]No love for the Atanasoff-Berry Computer?
It's the oldest known digital computer to exist and it was made in 1937. In coparison that computer is newer and SLOWER.
[img]http://s7.computerhistory.org/is/image/CHM/500002003p-03-01?$re-story-hero$[/img]

:C[/QUOTE]

I honestly thought you posted a picture of a barbecue for a second.

[Tyanet]

[QUOTE=Paramud;38534570]I honestly thought you posted a picture of a barbecue for a second.[/QUOTE]

I thought it was a generator.

[Overwatch 7]

Computers have certainly grown more powerful and less spacious throughout their history. For instance, this large object Adam Savage is holding here?

[IMG]http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/08/Adam_Savage_Gigabyte.jpg[/IMG]

That could hold gigabyte of data. Now imagine a 1024 of those, but able to fit in the palm of your hand.

[A B.A. Survivor]

[QUOTE=Paramud;38534570]I honestly thought you posted a picture of a barbecue for a second.[/QUOTE]
Input: 100101101001010101001010100101010100101100110000101010101010101
Output: 1 grilled hamburger patty.

[koeniginator]

[QUOTE=Overwatch 7;38534655]Computers have certainly grown more powerful and less spacious throughout their history. For instance, this large object Adam Savage is holding here?

[IMG]http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/08/Adam_Savage_Gigabyte.jpg[/IMG]

That could hold gigabyte of data. Now imagine a 1024 of those, but able to fit in the palm of your hand.[/QUOTE]

What's even more impressive is that we can fit 128GB on this bad boy
[img]http://i.imgur.com/oTGhs.jpg[/img]