1997
February
February, 1997
The ABC played well in Pittsburgh
he Atanasoff-Berry Computer, invented nearly 60 years ago, gained
some long-deserved recognition recently. A full-scale replica of
the ABC computer was unveiled Nov. 18 at Supercomputing '96, a
trade show for highend computer enthusiasts in Pittsburgh.
Joel Snow, director of Iowa State's Institute for Physical Research and Technology, presided over the unveiling, stopping only once during his remarks to remove his sport coat and don an ISU sweatshirt for the ceremonies.
The original ABC was built at Iowa State from 1939 to 1942. The computer, like its inventors professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry, did not receive the recognition it deserved. In fact, the ABC was denied its place in computing history until a 1973 court decision involving a patent dispute. The court ruled the ABC was the first electronic digital computer and the work of Atanasoff was the basis for all subsequent computers. But recognition of the role the ABC played in computer history still has lagged.
All of which made unveiling the replica at Supercomputing '96 special.
A highlight of the conference was the History of Supercomputing exhibit, which traced the evolution of computers back to Atanasoff and ABC. The ABC replica was the showcase piece in the exhibit.
-- Skip Derra, News Service
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Revised: February 1997