文件名称：The_Computer_from_Pascal_to_von_Neumann.pdf
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更新时间：2022-05-30 02:37:47
comput histor von Ne
Readers interested in Computer History should not skip this book of Herman Goldstine. It is full of fascinating details and praise for people who contributed to the innovations and developments in the area of computer technology. Goldstine, a fine scientist and technology manager in his field starts with historic contributions of Wilhelm Schickard, Blaise Pascal and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, then he explains the contributions of scientists and early computer technology experts in the 19th century, e.g. Maxwell and Boole, Charles Babbage combined with critical remarks about his performance, analog computing instruments - forerunners of digital computers - etc. etc. In chapter 8 he explains the fruitful cooperation of Herman Hollerith with Dr. Billings to automate the USA census in 1890, the beginning of Hollerith's success with his Tabulating Machine Company (TMC) which was merged into Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation on June 16th, 1911, the forerunner of IBM under the leadership of Thomas Watson Sr. Chapter 10 is dedicated to Bush's Differential Analyzer and Other Analog Devices. In Part Two we read about the very important Wartime Developments: ENIAC and EDVAC when John von Neumann contributed significantly to the development of the EDVAC by Eckert and Mauchly. In Part Three Goldstine describes "The von Neumann Machine" and the development work at the Institute for Advanced Study and "The Early Industrial Scene" with focus on UNIVAC, IBM, Burroughs, etc. He emphasizes "In my opinion it was Thomas Watson, Jr. who played the key role in moving IBM into the electronic computer field." Despite the fact that there are excellent books available describing the time "Before the Computer" by Cortada, and the Computer History by Ceruzzi, Campbell-Kelly and Aspray, Alfred D. Chandler, Emerson Pugh etc. etc. it his highly recommendable to study this work of the computer expert Goldstine who provides an authoritative insight into the field of computer developments with focus on the scientific fundamentals and the early computers of the first generation.