[jambutty]

Originally Posted by MikeSz

That machine was called colossus. And it was a computer. There is much debate on this issue and its unclear as to what people want to term as a computer, i.e. independent operation, the ability to run software, re-programming etc. The first widely accepted instance of a computer which can run software and be a "true" computer in its sense was the "Baby" which was assembled in Manchester for the University and ran its first "Program" in 1948.

Of course there have been machines to carry out tasks since long before that, but the difference here was that Baby could accept different programs. It wasnt designed to do just one thing and could be hailed as the start of computers and computer programming as we know it.

So could the Jacquard loom. You just loaded a different set of punched cards.

I suppose that people could argue that a musical box is programmable by changing the drum to give a different tune. In fact the forerunner of a Juke Box was a device in which you loaded a huge metal disk that had holes punched in it and as the disk was rotated the holes triggered a note. To make the machine work you inserted an old penny.

However I think that the true definition of a computer is as you stated.

Have some Karma.