I should add, the paperclip computer was a mechanical computer, not an analog computer in the 50-60's sense of the term. b
On Sat, Jul 20, 2024 at 2:05 AM Bill Degnan <billdeg...@gmail.com> wrote: > Steve > You ask a lot of good questions. > The story is pretty well documented. There was a company that made a > commercial version of the computer described in the book > > https://blog.adafruit.com/2013/05/08/how-to-build-a-working-digital-computer-out-of-paperclips/ > There is a nice paperclip computer at the System Source museum in Hunt > Valley, MD. > I am sure there are people who actually built homebrew versions by > following the book but I have never seen one. > > Analog computers are not like quantum computers enough for a valid > comparison. Different era, different uses. Quantum computers are still > digital computers and they're really nothing like analog computers of the > 50's-late 60's. > > Analog computers were wired to complete a circuit that performs a > mathematical function circuit. The inputs and outputs are voltages or > other electronically-measurable forces such as vibration. When an analog > computer program runs the output is sent to a voltmeter, oscilloscope, > plotter or counter, or custom device. A person would take the plot (waves, > plotted points, etc.) and measure the slope or wave frequency manually by > performing additional calculations with a slide rule or feeding the data > into a digital computer for analysis. Think smart programmable thermostat. > > Analog computers are more like open-use peripherals that can be programmed > to do one thing at a time over and over. Analog computers often > had amplifier tubes which were used to generate input voltage pulses to be > fed into the program circuitry. I am just touching the surface, but hope > that explains what they did. They're no longer used for general computing > because now we have USB devices that do analog to digital conversion > > 50's-60s' analog computer programming is done by patch panel. > > BIll > > > On Fri, Jul 19, 2024 at 10:58 PM Steve Lewis via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > >> Last month, I got to speak at VCF SW on aspects about the history of >> personal computers. >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpF6Ofrr6_0 >> (I botched a couple things, a link to corrections is in the Description) >> >> I brought up the 1968 book "How to build a working digital >> computer"(Alcosser). I was wondering about opinions here on that book - >> was it at all influential at the time? Or is anyone aware of actually >> building the system it describes? >> >> And - any thoughts on "digital computer" vs analog? I'm aware of early >> Heathkit analog computers. Is it fair to say quantum computing is sort of >> a return back to analog computing? >> >> I recently heard someone make a comment that we're near the end of the >> "3.3V era" (maybe this was in the recent X16 talk, where some of the >> challenges of the recent retro-remakes is exploring back to the 5V era and >> how it's getting more difficult to find modern-make components that >> support >> that). >> >> Has no one explored a "tri-state" system? (discrete regions across 5V?) >> >> - Steve >> >> (v* voidstar tech, not to be confused with voidstar labs) >> >
