Computer Pioneers: Pioneer Computers Part 1

[@Lady_Beth]

This documentary is so humbling. Thank you for posting this.

[@AaronMartinColby]

Timestamps 00:00 - Opening and Copyright 01:16 - Introduction with Gordon Bell 02:16 - Overview of computing in the 1930's 04:10 - George Stibitz and the BTL Mark 1 10:15 - The beginning of World War II 11:30 - Konrad Zuse and the Z3 20:51 - John V Atanasoff and the ABC 29:10 - Howard Aiken, Grace Hopper, and the IBM Harvard Mark I 42:07 - Herb Grosch and the SSEC 50:35 - Closing with Gordon Bell

[@jburron]

If only those early pioneers had access to the Internet. They could have traded notes and developed it much faster.

[@koaasst]

as a regular joe, these people make me feel so insignificant its just amusing to me. im so glad people like this are born who have ideas and make things work.

[@TheIndustrialrocker]

I love computers and everything about them. I have my own personal collection. I Collect historical computers and operating systems. I learn how to use each and everyone I get because they are what I have passion for. I remember I the first programs I wrote were to work out my math problems for me so I didn't have to fidget with a calculator or write it out. One program for one purpose and to do that purpose well. Computers are so amazing.

[@betaman2009]

Make a museum or sth

[@sBitSwapper]

19:20 "I concentrated my ideas more on the relations between man, and machine. I saw, at one time.. that there will be.. i couldn't see any border, between calculating; and thinking." This man is grasping for words to explain such an insanely deep but still simple topic. Was so far ahead of his time.

[@jeffm4284]

It's fascinating listening to Admiral, Dr. Hopper. What a treasure. And what a fantastic job narrating by the computer pioneer - Gordon Bell. Most of all - huge thanks to the Computer History Museum for making this two part historic documentary with such detail and accuracy!

[@Weltaz]

Dude, today all of our computer exist because these geniuses have hard work for this old computer.

[@bob4analog]

At 41:55 - this is what I've been telling folks today who brag about how they're ipads are a gazillion times better than what they had back then. All our computing power we have now is a result of what they did back then.

[@nonconsensualopinion]

Note that she said "many", not "all", as you have stated in your comment. While each generation stands on the shoulders of giants, it also contributes novel and original ideas. Much of the speed today is due to better material science, parallel processes, and speculative execution. A lot of that was recently developed.

[@Music-zh7fm]

@@nonconsensualopinion - Many, of course. The concepts are still the same. Many people think today's technology has nothing to do with the past. Like, the lunar landing never happened.

[@nonconsensualopinion]

@@Music-zh7fm maybe. I find it hard to believe that any significant number of people don't recognize that the present is a direct result of the past.

[@Music-zh7fm]

@@nonconsensualopinion - Granted. I'm of course referring to the number of those who are naysayers. It's troubling to see such ones in any number say such nonsense, they're own crusade of even attempting to rewrite the past is unnerving.. and yet there are increasing number of those who are somehow convinced the past never happened.

[@adammorawski6631]

A

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Nice video! Great segments of many early computer pioneers. I love seeing them talk about early computing in their own words. Sadly, many of these great pioneers are no longer with us. Glad you have preserved this fascinating film footage of their discoveries and stories of some of the first computers! Thanks very much.

[@Tocsin-Bang]

The first computer I used is in the Science Museum on London, UK. It was a Ferranti Pegasus. Originally it was supplied to Vickers Armstrong at Weybridge (now BAE), and transferred to Brooklands Technical College in about 1963.

[@GungaLaGunga]

the 80's synth music is well done. I grew up with those sounds. Incredible how far we've come since.

[@saskiavanhoutert3190]

As a Graphic Designer I am used at modern computing, the history of computers before is interesting, Thank you

[@saskiavanhoutert3190]

Now a Days I have experience with APPLE and WINDOS programms, like them both to work with and I also like both engineers Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, thanks and kind regards.

[@misterbacon4933]

A very impressive documentary! Not only US sources but also from other countries. Also impressive that the inventors are included in this documents.

[@douglaskay9959]

The first ELECTRONIC computer was built in England at Bletchley park to help crack the Anigma code used by the Germans. A man called Flowers who worked at the GPO research facility in London used relays used in telephone exchanges valves were also used in a flip flop circuit. I worked on that computer in 1952, it was called Colosses.

[@chrisroberts3870]

Colossus was not used for decoding Enigma messages. It was used to decode the "Fish" / "Tunny" radio teleprinter messages used by the German High Command. A much more complicated automatic encoding device than Enigma.

[@casparharte]

Wasn't it still classified until 2003?

[@jaut-76]

The Americans have to be first so they say they made the first digital computer. No matter how hard we try the uk is always seen as a second in computing.

[@iliapopovich]

@@jaut-76 2nd? It's 15th.

[@WynnFX]

Atanasoff-Berry Computer / First Electronic Digital Computer/ 1937 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atanasoff%E2%80%93Berry_computer

[@etshArk87]

computers back then didn't even had a screen to output all the information, it required a lot of CPU power so people used to print on papers all the info. Smart move. For every task you wanted to perform you had to build your own binary code (program) Nowadays, the computer just does everything for you and there are millions of softwares out there. In mere 50 years, we did such an advancement in technology that it scares the crap out of me. I'm 29 years old, i will wait (hopefully) another 50 years and see how far we've come with processing power. Hardware components are manufacted in smaller architecture while increasing performance and reducing heat. We had 3D TVs, we have virtual reality which is a surpringly good technolgy. We already have flagship smarphones in example a snadragon 820 with the adreno 530 rating at 498Gflops, which is higher an more powerfull than a PS3/xbox 360. The snapdragon 820 inside a smartphone is faster than an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.5Ghz released Late 2008. What will the future be if this continues? What if electronics will fail or what if there's no matter anymore to manufacter more electronic devices? What if we get too dependent of technology creating an illusion that virtually is real? Will technology overpower mankind? Is Skynet real? Is this real life?

[@LeaoDN]

This is gold. Nice Job preserving it!

[@TerryMcKean]

This is an awesome series, Computer History Museum... thanks for sharing :-)

[@devrim-oguz]

These people were walking legends. Thank you for this video.

[@johanneskarlsson6535]

31:00 Don't make the mistake of missing out on Grace Hopper. She's hilarious.

[@MikeAustin2012]

I just saw this. The 1st computer bug almost cost me a trip to the Dr. Turns out tuna, mayo and relish passing through sinuses causes big problems. Very interesting story.

[@chuckcornelius194]

she referred to the Mark 1 as "she", but referred to the Eniac as "he". not sure how one assigns gender to a computing machine, but it sounded like a dig at the Eniac, as if women are better at computation than men.

[@hurri7720]

Well the wheel was invented long ago too like the numbers but it is refreshing to find Zuse mentioned, the British tend to omit him completely.

[@philrod1]

Well, actually, the Z3 wasn't really Turing complete so, technically, doesn't count, don't you know. Technically, it was Turing complete. But only technically.

[@jameslatham2655]

Grace Hopper, what a jewel she was. I got a feeling she was as tough and brilliant as she was funny. Could listen to her all day.

[@Jimfoxyboy]

This is a pretty good video series. Straight to the point. Neat to hear from the people that had done some actual work in computing history itself. The way that Grace Hopper told the story of how they found the first actual 'bug' gave me a pretty good chuckle.

[@sclabhailordofnoplot2430]

I like how she stated "she was a wirey tuff scot"

[@zilliard1352]

Watching this , helped me understand where we stand today.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Nice video production of the early days and early computer pioneers. Great footage of Konrad Zuse and others. Rare material. Thanks for sharing this. ~ Computer History Archives Project

[@barriewright2857]

Brilent historical program that lets you apreciate the computers we have today.

[@martinmalloy8119]

I feel so dumb listening to those bright humble minds very few people know the name of nowadays.....

[@junestorm]

I've great respect for those pioneers who entered a realm where they didn't know what could come out.

[@yank3970]

thanks for sharing Computer History Museum

[@kinmanyuen]

that navy woman talking about mark1 is epic

[@ignaciojavierkairuzeguia599]

Sweet! Great way to explain basic concepts of what computing is

[@evmanbutts]

Grep, a commonly used search/querying command in Unix and Linux dates all the way back to the early days of BASIC. It was written overnight to solve a problem the developers friend was having with searching through files. I still use it basically daily, as it is extremely useful

[@americanspirit8932]

Unix was developed by AT&T Bell labs

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

grep stands for "GlobalRegularExpressionPrint"...

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

@@americanspirit8932 Good ol' Denis Ritchie and Ken Thompson, and their PDP-7...

[@GeoNeilUK]

Grace Hopper, pioneering the No Execute bit 60 years before it ended up in home PCs (there were no buffer overflows in the olden days)

[@SO_DIGITAL]

Grace had a very sharp sense of humour. Bless her.

[@florocasta]

Very important video. Thank you Computer History Museum.

[@peachcloverlauper]

Some of the segments were recorded in the 80s. Are we to believe they were really filmed in black and white?

[@MQnoob]

@neverrime Quite right. Computers are a tool, not a replacement for good ole fashioned logic. What computers do however, is that they enable boring, repetitive, and otherwise time wasting tasks to be done in seconds. Make no mistake, computers are a not a necessity, but they are a darn useful tool. The abacus was the "computer" of it's day, so was the calculator, and now the computer is where it is at. Question is, where shall it go next?

[@szymonsadkowski3278]

Honestly appreciate all of your lovely time on university you have taken so much time of pain and struggle to converse that knowledge into nowadays times where I am watching this documentary especially the debugging issue which if i may say even in those times is a big struggle for certain people who do not appreciate hard work of scientists who enveloped whole of their time to proceed towards nowadays world and please if i may warn you a "Foresight" is still operational please save your time with explaining it towards community who wishes to fall a sleep and rest afterwards. Thank you Szymon

[@MQnoob]

Wow, we have come a long way. Just imagine computers in 50 years.

[@saukraya3254]

Chinese scientists claim quantum computer breakthrough. www.irishtimes.com/news/world/chinese-scientists-claim-quantum-computer-breakthrough-1.4428992

[@freaker126]

for some reason, i love computers since I was a boy and the first one I ever touch was in the 80s at a military show. black screen with green letters. They had a question-and-answer kinda game and you answer with the keyboard. I was hogging at it till someone complain behind me. Every other kid was playing with the tank I was more interested in the computer. Later on, got to work and learn to use a computer at a govt civil service job after my military service. Finally, got my own desktop computer with windows 3.1 in the mid-90s which I upgraded to Windows 94, or was it 95?

[@IntyMichael]

I've seen the Zuse Z3 replica in action on a visit to the Deutsche Museum back in the 90s.

[@Larry21924]

This content glows with clarity and depth. I encountered a book with parallel themes that deeply influenced me. "Game Theory and the Pursuit of Algorithmic Fairness" by Jack Frostwell

[@user-yw8sr3uj1w]

Remember computer museum, this video still falls under fair use... so it can be reproduced in sections for various purposes

[@stanrogers5613]

...but only for those uses that fall under the Fair Use or Fair Dealing doctrines, which are a whole lot more restrictive than most people understand. And both Fair Use and Fair Dealing are positive defences of acknowledged copyright violation, not a license for use.

[@abranchesf]

Zuse's Dr. Strangelove-y "Logarrithmus - logaRRRisms" at 14:44 is hilarious!

[@scowell]

+Fernando Abranches Check out the automatic subtitling... you'll rofl.

[@bcoogler]

@kinmanyuen That woman is Admiral Grace Hopper, who is credited with the invention of COBOL programming language -- still used in some places today.

[@Jdutch08]

Awesome video, thank you.

[@cptfries5857]

Have to watch this in class

[@david203]

Konrad Zuse's early floating-point computers (at least the early ones) used some sort of devices made of strips of metal from (I think) tin cans, cut out (if I recall correctly) by his friends in his apartment. I think these functioned as relays, but all the descriptions of them on the Web are different. Some descriptions say they included metal or glass rods. They looked like rectangles, and they were crossed with each other to make three dimensional stacks. There are stories about their accuracy and also about their lack of accuracy (influenced by nearby trolley cars?). In any case, as Zuse says here, they were replaced by commercial relays in the Z4. But one reference says that his own devices made a comeback in at least one system after the Z4. Zuse's computers may not have had true Von Neumann architecture; it is difficult to tell. They appear not even to have branching logic, according to this video.

[@herrfriberger5]

Who cares about "Von Neumann" architecture, as long as it works. It's true that the first Zuse computers did not have a conditional jump, but Zuse's computers had binary based floating point (exponent+mantissa) in the late 1930s, implemented in hardware, just as in "today's Pentiums" :)

[@JetScreamer_YT]

That museum kicks ass!

[@JohnnyRebKy]

My first computer was a MICRON with a P90. Anybody remember Micron?? In early 90s they were rated #1 but faded away with time. It was a big step up from the legendary 486 though. But just like today it wasn’t long before the Pentium 100 came along and knocked us off our pedestal lol.

[@tigerchillyable]

The need for a calculator started the information age... Wow

[@GH-oi2jf]

The Atanasoff-Berry Computer was probably the first to use electronic tubes for computation, but Atanasoff had this to say about priority: “I have always taken the position that there is enough credit for everyone in the invention and development of the electronic computer" - John Vincent Atanasoff

[@xenon53827]

Tommy Flowers from the GPO Dollis hill research station built colossus. It predates all of these.

[@stanrogers5613]

Um, no. That's not to put Tommy Flowers down or anything, but several of the machines discussed predate Colossus (ABC, Zuse's Z1 to Z3, etc.). And keep in mind that much about Colossus was still classified when this was made.

[@xenon53827]

@@stanrogers5613 ok, but the rebuild of a colossus was finished a year before this vid was made so I doubt it was classified then and I got this from wicked pedia… " Colossus was a set of computers developed by British codebreakers in the years 1943-1945 to help in the cryptanalysis of the Lorenz cipher. Colossus used thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) to perform Boolean and counting operations. Colossus is thus regarded as the world's first programmable, electronic, digital computer, although it was programmed by switches and plugs and not by a stored program."

[@stanrogers5613]

@@xenon53827 Again: um, no. This doco was made in 1996; Tony Sale's Colossus wasn't finished until 2008 - and exactly what Colossus _was_ wasn't well-known, even to Sale, when this documentary was made. Brian Randell had managed to squeeze out the existence of Colossus in the late '80s, and Sale had begun his quest for technical information held in various private collections, garages and junk drawers by 1993, but when this was made, it still wasn't clear what Colossus actually did outside of the heads of people still subject to the Official Secrets Act.

[@xenon53827]

​@@stanrogers5613 My error, I took the upload date to be the date of creation, that would explain it then. It seems that the Americans held on to some of the drawings from what I remember, which I assume Tony Sale was given access to for the re-build. Documentary aside, my hats off to the team for actually going ahed and recreating an important piece of history, not only for the completed machine but also as an item of extreme interest as I have many of the same type parts here (Ex-GPO engineer). Are you in the THG by any chance?

[@BADSHAHKHAN-hg1bi]

Wow! This is very nice video

[@americanspirit8932]

I work for the Bell System sewing with West electric all the name changes AT&T to nakoa I work primarily in electronic switching and fiber-optic switching number one ESS tsps ETS tsps number one ESS number for ESS and number five ESS which was fiber optic switching. I am also a member of the telephone Pioneers I started working February 6th 1963 then retired after 36 years service. If I had my life to do over again I would do it exactly the same way.

[@user-kl1rx9ul3e]

And u use youtube??

[@user-kl1rx9ul3e]

How old are you grandpa??

[@fritagogo1]

Very interesting the story of computer...

[@RinksRides]

35:40 "First computer bug found!" LMAO

[@surefmeurope5766]

LOL!!!!!!!!

[@Charlotte-fv6uu]

XD

[@surefmeurope5766]

1:46 Damn, where did we put that SHIFT key??????!!!!!!!! 😂

[@wanderingsstray7487]

*me only needing to see this to do work* *me realizing this was 10 years ago*

[@charlesdelta615]

Came here for the basics and was immediately thrust into a collegiate class lol

[@Caldermologist]

Since this was made we have learned that Tommy Flowers Colossus predates all of these.

[@FijneWIET]

I hate how Alan Turing is being mostly ignored..The man cracked Enigma, was essential in the evolution of computers and wartime intelligence.. Yet the British govenment punished him for being gay, they chemically castrated him and he committed suicide. He was never allowed to talk about his inventions. Compare his fate with the post-war icon Wernher von Braun who created the V2 rocket... No justice.

[@Westkane11]

+FijneWIET I completely agree with you. Alan Turing laid the foundation of what a computer should be able to, which is called a Turing complete machine.

[@AndroidBoy420]

Maybe he would have been better off if he had been carted off with all the other Operation Paperclip scientists.

[@adriannaandwhip]

+FijneWIET www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/gchq-apology-horrifying-treatment-alan-turing-lgbt-people-a6987021.html

[@herrfriberger5]

+Westkane11: Still many people built fully functional computers completely unaware of Alan Turing's "typwriter tape philosophy" (not only Konrad Zuse).

[@ibXCVs-Mom]

His crime was having sex with a minor. The kid was 17. Now the laws may be different in the UK, but today in the US that will get you a "sexual predator" label and you will end up with your picture on the national sex offenders database. You can argue about the punishment being too severe, but what he did was a crime, even by today's standards. There has been some debate that his death was accidental rather than suicide, too much detail to go in here but you can look it up on the web. With today's political correctness climate I worry that Turing's achievements in computers is being overshadowed by his being a gay martyr.

[@thracianTV]

Fabulous content but shameful not mentioning the Colossus - maybe it was still secret when this was made

[@habtamumengistu2837]

If it was not pioneer s who paved the way to develop modern computers, we wouldn't have seen computer revolution.

[@yasiralghamdi8539]

I think a lot of people like the speech of Konrad Zuse (Zusa), or are already a fan.

[@lancelotxavier9084]

In history, extremely smart people got paid barely livable salaries. Heck, being a bakerwas far more lucrative. Still now most scientists and engineers just make it by. Being a sales person has better financial rewards.

[@dunnudoit]

Thank you.

[@marklandrebe3521]

". . .either an engineer or a girl".

[@benyomovod6904]

The good old days, women knew how to cook, were friendly and helpful.

[@Citrusautomaton]

@@benyomovod6904 Oh, but much like commercial LLM’s, they were stripped of personality! I’ll gladly take a girl that can’t cook over one that can, but is extremely bland and uninteresting.

[@slappy_chimp]

when misogyny was a norm ✨🌟🤩

[@jerrenbutler5341]

Imagine having to watch this for school

[@lucasdejesus6992]

Jerren Butler I have to watch this for school because of computer class

[@gregdee9085]

At Least you mention Konrad Zuse.. dude had major systems running when everyone else was still dreaming. dev'd it all from scratch , both theory and practice ... by himself.

[@ufoengines]

If you Google patent 3107850 a Mr. Mitchumsson came up with a digital computer that ran on compressed air. ( fluidic logic gates / memory) With some Nano tech. and a 3D printer and using helium instead of air, well who knows!

[@TheZindarod]

In 50 years the computer as we know it today will probably be obsolete, instead the age of quantum computing will have arrived.

[@douglaskay9959]

The first computer used valves in the form of triodes which were connected to form a flip flop to form a square wave.

[@yaglourt]

02:01 a Mersenne prime :-) the largest prime ever discovered by hand calculations, before calculators times...

[@hewey999]

Interesting, TY for uploading :-)

[@paulclalchungnunga2052]

Very informative , whole lotta thanks for the post tbh

[@ruudmobile6726]

Alas highly incomplete and US biased... they lack everything from the UK or Japan. Colossus for instance outperformed all until 1957 but was conceived in 1943 way ahead of its time and ran with 1,500 tubes

[@solzarcat555]

Harvard Mark 1 seems to be a giant room sized calculator from my observaton of it, I find that really interesting. surprising everyone now days has one in their pockets.

[@RMJ1984]

Its gonna be real funny when someone in 60 years, wants to do the same thing. sad to think about that what we considers so amazing now, people will someday laugh about, how we were in the stone age with our primative technologies.

[@kfl611]

before they go to relax on the holo-deck

[@kennethflorek8532]

As some one always says when this story comes up, it was just the first bug they found in that computer. The word bug had been in use for problems found in machines at least since 1900, and refers to an older use of the word bug as a malevolent ghost or gremlin.

[@leogama3422]

Sure it wasn't the first bug, but was the first *arthropod* bug

[@MasterMindmars]

It is woderful to understand how works an AND mechanical logic gate at 12:00.

[@fubarme]

talking about Zuse even mention the Z1 that was finished 1936/37 but the USA BTL1 was first funny .

[@tekarts]

What a tool! And the computers were cool too!

[@davidpowell3347]

Did the builders of the British "Colossus" more or less independently invent and build the same sort of integrated group of systems that functioned as the first true electronic digital computers ? Including Input and Output systems and devices ? Registers,Memory (random access?) and storage ?

[@MarkTitus420]

All of this technicality of computers back in the day was amazing. We now take for granted the ease and commonality of computer use as we do starting up and driving our cars. I'm so glad I was born when I was. I would have hated living in these primitive times.

[@GH-oi2jf]

F. Crazybone - In those days, kids could read and play baseball.

[@ComptecSystems]

A computer is an electronic device for storing and processing data. Colossus is recognised as the first computer, and Wikipedia states "first electronic, digital, computer that was at all programmable". Once the information comes out history books get rewritten, if this was not the case the earth would still be classed as the center of the solar system. The point i was making is that this was recorded in 1996 when the Colossus was known about.

[@GH-oi2jf]

Comptec Systems - No, a computer need not be electronic. An electronic computer is electronic.

[@StereoBucket]

for some reason watching those videos on my computer is like watching normal youtube videos. When i watch it on laptop WHOLE DIFFERENT THING

[@yasiralghamdi8539]

The idea of memory and computation. I cannot imagine it they think about before they make the device. What they meant by memory when they said it? Are they devices that have memory before computers?

[@maxheadrom3088]

Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace are already plotting revenge!

[@earthstewardude]

I'm snoring again... wake me up when someone exciting begins to speak...

[@ZpOLIariumZ42]

i imagine i have a time machine and go to 40`s and show them our gadgets in our time today... :3

[@cherubimX]

Great video

[@tremorist]

Zuse - EngineerArtist

[@Mashyny]

Over 9000 relays.. sorry, couldn't resist.

[@macca8562]

How can you talk about computers and ignore Alan Turing & Tommy Flowers ?

[@PADARM]

Turing is at 3:20

[@Taumich]

Games these days havn't changed mush when i look what was made some years ago. Bf 1942 still looks modern compared to some of the current games. Half life is 5 years old and has the same result. I am so exited for SOURCE ENGINE 2! On LINUX!

[@colinrickels201]

Love atanasoffs speech. Reminds us that we al put our pants on the same. Irresponsibly drove a car full throttle 180 miles to tie one off before he could make do a solution.

[@12me91]

They cost so much back then, and now you can spend $300 and get something better than all of the oooold ones combined.

[@silverdemon5322]

Thanks Mr. Craft.

[@Tehownilator]

Shit they just pulled the Stellaris soundtrack from this doc.

[@LordXelous]

He did hand it over, this is stated in numerous texts, notably the pamphlet about the Colossus computer by the late Tony Sale - check it out. There is also evidence that Colossi computers were moved from Bletchley to GCHQ (Gloucester) to continue cracking codes - which the Russians captured from the Germans and started using - so whilst the US were "inventing" programmable computing the Brits already had such machines running complex tasks - in both programmable and dedicated modes.

[@PR0Z0MBIE9877]

this put me to sleep and its not even night.