The first digital computer was the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC), developed between 1939 and 1942 by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry at Iowa State College. It was the first automatic electronic digital computer, designed to solve systems of linear equations using binary arithmetic and electronic switching elements, though it was not programmable like modern computers. The ABC laid important groundwork for future computers but was discontinued after Atanasoff left for World War II assignments.
The first programmable, general-purpose electronic digital computer was the ENIAC, completed in 1945 by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. It was capable of being reprogrammed to solve a wide range of numerical problems, marking a significant milestone in computing history.
In summary:
- The first digital computer (electronic but not programmable) was the ABC, invented 1939-1942.
- The first programmable general-purpose digital computer was the ENIAC, completed in 1945.
