The Atanasoff–Berry Computer is first conceived
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1937 In 1937, physics professor John Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry first conceived of the machine that would become the Atanasoff–Berry Computer. The Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the first electronic digital computer. The device was designed to address a specific purpose: to solve systems of simultaneous linear equations. Because it had a fixed function, without a changeable program, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer was not a general-purpose computer. However, it did introduce several ideas that are fundamental to modern computers, notably using binary to perform arithmetic, and the use of electronic rather than mechanical switching elements. The Atanasoff–Berry Computer was completed in 1942. In its day, work on the Atanasoff–Berry Computer was not widely recognised. However, it was rediscovered in the 1960s when conflicting claims arose to determine who first invented the computer. At that point in time, the ENIAC was widely considered to be the first computer. However, in 1973 a U.S. District Court invalidated the ENIAC patent, and judged that the Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) was the first computer. Related information:
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