Stephen schrieb:
> On Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:38:02 -0700, Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> 
>> andrel wrote:
>>> another example of how the Americans have destroyed a culture.
>> Hey, you want to be able to spell properly, *you* invent computers. ;-)
> 
> Now here's me thinking that it was the Brits who invented the first modern
> (programmable) computer. With the Bombe being built at Bletchley Park.

Ahem...

- The "Turing-Bombe" was a primarily /mechanical/ device.
- It was, despite its name, not Turing-complete.
- It was not even programmable; rather, it was designed /exclusively/ to 
break the Enigma cipher.
- Even its 1943 successor, "Colossus", was not Turing-complete, and 
programmable only by re-wiring.


Konrad Zuse, anyone?

- Filed two important patents in 1937, already describing all elements 
of the Von-Neumann architecture.
- Built a mechanical computer prototype (Zuse Z1) in 1938
- Finished an electric binary computer in May 1941, which was 
programmable via punch tape, and Turing-complete.

The only thing about "modern" computers Zuse cannot claim to have 
invented is the /electronic/ computer, as his Zuse Z3 used relays and is 
therefore consodered electromechanic. And multiple of his inventions 
appear to have been made independently(?) by others - but still the Z3 
was the only one to have them /all/.


Programmable computers? A German invention.

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