The untold story of the first computer--and the unsung lives of its two brilliant inventors.
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reviews
Jul 20, 2011
John
rated it: 
An interesting read on the early history of the computer. The main flaw as I see it is that the story of ENIAC is largely outlined in the first third of the book. The rest of the slender tome goes on to detail the extended battles over patent rights. Plenty of print is spent on the creators' battles with themselves, the marketplace, and the powers that seemed to conspire to deny them their proper place in computing history well after ENIAC was retired. I have read only a little heretofore ab
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Apr 22, 2011
Bojan
rated it: 
It is hard to imagine today, when there is literally a computer in each pocket in a form of a smartphone, that digital computers are a relatively recent development in the course of human history. They have more than anything else in the past fifty years changed the way we live and communicate with each other, the way we entertain ourselves, and have touched almost every aspect of our lives in ways that we have increasingly come to take for granted. And yet it is ironic that almost no one would
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Sep 02, 2009
Win
rated it:
A really interesting story of two guys nobody's ever heard of.
A really interesting tale about capitalism, dumb luck, personalities and the way the world sometimes works. Really felt like an insider's view into the back rooms at Penn in the 1940s.
The writing, though, is kind of flat. Almost seemed like it took a juicy story and made it drier than it had to be. (And I'm a person interested in the subject matter.)
However, loved the detail the author went into on More...
A really interesting tale about capitalism, dumb luck, personalities and the way the world sometimes works. Really felt like an insider's view into the back rooms at Penn in the 1940s.
The writing, though, is kind of flat. Almost seemed like it took a juicy story and made it drier than it had to be. (And I'm a person interested in the subject matter.)
However, loved the detail the author went into on More...
Oct 12, 2009
David
rated it:
This book presents the history behind the development of the first truly usable computer -- the Eniac. It makes a strong case that John W. Mauchly and J. A. Presper Eckert deserve the lion's share of the credit for its development, even though in many circles their names have been swept aside in favor of such notables and John von Neumann, who did much to publicize the work in academic research circles but who really did relatively little in its actual design and construction.
In gen More...
In gen More...
Jun 08, 2009
Eric_W
rated it:
I really enjoy reading books about the history of technology, and this
audio book was particularly fascinating. World War II created a demand
for lots of number crunching, especially for the development of artillery tables. Human computers — hence the origin of the word for the hardware we all use today — were women who had been math majors. They were recruited in droves to laboriously perform the intricate computations that governed the positioning of field pieces. The tables were all More...
audio book was particularly fascinating. World War II created a demand
for lots of number crunching, especially for the development of artillery tables. Human computers — hence the origin of the word for the hardware we all use today — were women who had been math majors. They were recruited in droves to laboriously perform the intricate computations that governed the positioning of field pieces. The tables were all More...
Feb 23, 2010
Paul
rated it:
I remember this being a fairly engaging book - was probably my first dive into computing history, I read it in a few sittings at the (now long gone) Crowne Books in Mountain View as a sophomore in high school.
The thing I most remember from this book is that the von Neumann archicture should not be so named, because as McCartney argues, Eckert and Mauchly contributed significantly in developing those ideas with (and perhaps even before) von Neumann.
The thing I most remember from this book is that the von Neumann archicture should not be so named, because as McCartney argues, Eckert and Mauchly contributed significantly in developing those ideas with (and perhaps even before) von Neumann.
Dec 23, 2011
David R.
rated it:
A workmanlike account of the development of the world's first successful digital computer. McCartney has an axe to grind and spends rather a great deal of time agonizing over a patent rights dispute and the squabbles among the first computer companies. Don't expect a solid understanding of how ENIAC actually worked.
May 09, 2011
Chris
rated it: 
It is interesting to see who does the work and who gets the credit. This is a good underdog story. Well the underdog does not really win but hey you win some you loose some. The story of how the computer came to be and the people involved and who stood in the way is really entertaining.
Jun 19, 2011
Chuck
rated it:
Reads like a good drama, amazing to think that one of our first true digital computers was the result of a combination of pure determination and dumb luck.
Too bad my dog just chewed the cover off of my copy, guess it's not going back into the bookshelf.
Too bad my dog just chewed the cover off of my copy, guess it's not going back into the bookshelf.
May 24, 2009
Kmfurr
rated it:
Rereading this -- first read it in Coronado in the mid 1990s I think. The first computer (depending on how you want to define that), ENIAC, was created by Eckert & Mauchly in Philadelphia. Jon von Neumann weaseled in and stole credit for their ideas.
Oct 20, 2011
J.P.
rated it:
The author wanted to make it clear who he thought invented the computer. So much so that the last 50 pages of this book dealt less with ENIAC and more with his effort to overwhelm the reader with facts supporting his case. One can get that idea across in 5 pages without getting beaten over the head with it in the remaining 45. You've made your point, move on.
The book was quite readable although in workmanlike prose and yes, the author has a valid arguement that John Mauchly and Presper Ecke More...
The book was quite readable although in workmanlike prose and yes, the author has a valid arguement that John Mauchly and Presper Ecke More...
Dec 02, 2007
Don
rated it:
I liked this book, but I felt like the author was a little eager to come to an end. He could have spend some more time on the personal biographies of the two inventors, as well as some more technical information. And where are the pictures!? Instead I felt he skimped a little on both, and before I knew it I reached the end. Left me wanting more. Don't worry--Wikipedia has the technical info behind ENIAC that's missing from the book.
Dec 08, 2009
Tim
rated it:
A bit "pop" and non-techy in its review of the history of the ENIAC. It skips over contributions from the programmers, mainly women.
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