Talk:Timeline of computing 1950–1979

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) development started by John Backus and his team at IBM - continuing until 1957. FORTRAN was the first high-level programming language, still in use for scientific programming. Before being run, a FORTRAN program needs to be converted into a machine program by a compiler, itself a program." In another section it claims in 1945, Zuse created Plankalkül, the first high-level programming language. So, what the hell? I am using this as a reference for an essay, so flaws like this can't be ignored. 69.131.8.148 (talk) 03:39, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

The page is getting large, presumably a split into decades would be suitable. Egil 12:57 Mar 10, 2003 (UTC)

"High level language compiler invented by Grace Murray Hopper." Surely not, unless you tautologously define what she did as the first high level language? She was basically a bureaucrat and consolidator .PML.

Why is there no reference to the Micral-N, considered the first home computer ever made (France, 1973)?

Is this information correct?:

1951 EDVAC (electronic discrete variable computer) - First computer to use Magnetic Tape. EDVAC could have new programs loaded off of the tape. Proposed by John von Neumann, it was installed at the Institute for Advance Study, Princeton, USA.

As far as I know it was a different computer which was built at IAS; its design was based on the EDVAC. Tsf 13:11, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

Two machines are listed as 1951, both purporting to have been first to use magnetic tape....only one claim can be valid, any takers?

Why no mention of the UNIVAC LARC system such as the one installed at David Taylor Naval Research?

If I remember my history right, the EDVAC was proposed, discussed in class, and one of the inventors students beat the professor to making the first computer to use magnetic tape. So, the EDVAC was the first proposed to use magnetic tape, but not the first completed. Sean.Roach 02:32, 22 October 2007 (UTC)