Vacuum tube computers are programmable computers using vacuum tube logic circuitry. They were preceded by systems using electromechanical relays and followed by systems built from discrete transistors. Later entries in this list may have been built using transistors in addition to vacuum tubes.
This is a list of vacuum tube computers, arranged by date put into service:
Computer | Date | Notes |
---|
Atanasoff–Berry Computer | 1942 | Not programmable |
Colossus | 1943 | First programmable computer. Special purpose: cryptanalysis. Used to break the German Lorenz cipher. Working replica domonstrated daily at TNMOC, Bletchley Park. |
ENIAC | 1946 | |
IBM SSEC | 1948 | |
IBM 604 | 1948 | |
Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine ("The Baby") | 1948 | First stored program computer. Working replica demonstrated daily in Manchester Museum of Science and Industry |
IBM CPC | 1949 | |
Manchester Mark 1 | 1949 | |
CSIRAC | 1949 | |
EDSAC | 1949 | First to provide a computing service for users. Working replica currently being built at Bletchley Park. Scheduled to go live in 2015. |
BINAC | 1949 | |
SEAC | 1950 | |
SWAC | 1950 | |
Magnetic Drum Digital Differential Analyzer | 1950 | |
Harvard Mark III | 1950 | |
Pilot ACE | 1950 | Designed by Alan Turing |
Ferranti Mark 1 | 1951 | |
EDVAC | 1951 | |
Harwell Dekatron Computer | 1951 | Now officially the oldest original working computer in the world. Demonstrated daily at TNMOC, Bletchley Park. |
Whirlwind | 1951 | |
UNIVAC I | 1951 | |
ORDVAC | 1951 | |
LEO I | 1951 | First computer for commercial applications. Built by J. Lyons and Co. restaurant and bakery chain. Based on EDSAC design. |
Remington Rand 409 | 1952 | |
Harvard Mark IV | 1952 | |
IAS machine | 1952 | |
ILLIAC I | 1952 | |
MANIAC I | 1952 | |
IBM 701 | 1952 | |
BESM-1, BESM-2 | 1952 | |
JOHNNIAC | 1953 | |
IBM 702 | 1953 | |
UNIVAC 1103 | 1953 | |
RAYDAC | 1953 | |
Strela computer | 1953 | |
IBM 650 | 1954 | |
IBM 704 | 1954 | |
IBM 705 | 1954 | |
BESK | 1954 | |
IBM NORC | 1954 | |
UNIVAC 1102 | 1954 | |
DYSEAC | 1954 | |
CALDIC | 1955 | |
English Electric DEUCE | 1955 | |
ICT 1200 series | 1955 | |
WEIZAC | 1955 | |
IBM 305 RAMAC | 1956 | |
Bull Gamma 3 | 1956 | |
Bendix G-15 | 1956 | |
LGP-30 | 1956 | |
UNIVAC 1103A | 1956 | |
FUJIC | 1956 | |
Ferranti Pegasus | 1956 | |
SILLIAC | 1956 | |
RCA BIZMAC | 1956 | |
Zuse Z22 | 1957 | |
DASK | 1957 | |
Stantec Zebra | 1957 | |
UNIVAC 1104 | 1957 | |
Ferranti Mercury | 1957 | |
IBM 610 | 1957 | |
FACIT EDB 2 | 1957 | |
MANIAC II | 1957 | |
MISTIC | 1957 | |
MUSASINO-1 | 1957 | |
EDSAC 2 | 1958 | First computer to have a microprogrammed control unit and a bit slice hardware architecture. |
IBM 709 | 1958 | |
UNIVAC II | 1958 | |
UNIVAC 1105 | 1958 | |
AN/FSQ-7 | 1958 | Largest vacuum tube computer ever built. 52 were built for Project SAGE. |
Ural series | 1959–1964 | Ural-1 to Ural-4. |
Ferranti Perseus | 1958 | |
France SEA CAB 303 | 1958 | |
TIFRAC | 1960 | |
CER-10 | 1960 | |
Philips Pascal | 1960 | |
Sumlock ANITA calculator | 1961 | Desktop calculator |
UMC-1 | 1962 | |
See also