Storage
An early digital data storage method was magnetic storage, as on this UNIVAC magnetic tape. The UNIVAC could also process data from mechanical digital memories, i.e. punched cards. More recent computers use electronic storage media called semiconductor memories. The wafers on display are volatile memories, so they are not used for permanent data storage.
DRAM semiconductor wafer 200 mm / 1 megabit / 1987
DRAM semiconductor wafer 125 mm / 1 megabit / 1987
UNIVAC nickel-bronze magnetic tape / 38m / 1.4 megabit / from approx. 1960
Data entry
One of the first media of computer programming was punched cards. This involved punching code into cardboard in the form of holes. The UNIVAC was programmed with the Fortran programming language and could process this both as punched code and as text input. Since learning to program on multi-million dollar mainframe computers was impractical, small programming computers for home use were used for practice, such as the Sinclair, shown here without a case. The Arduino is shown here as an example of an open-source microcomputer that can be used for a wide variety of programming tasks, such as home automation.
Powers hand punch with punch card / ca. 1930-1935
Sinclair ZX80 / Sinclair Research Ltd. / 1980
Arduino microcontroller / www.arduino.cc / 2022
Computing
With mainframes like UNIVAC, it was possible for the first time to perform calculations that would have taken thousands of years even for a large team of human calculators. Mechanical aids for calculating more efficiently have been around since ancient times. The first "four-species calculating machines", such as the Bunzel Delton or the CURTA, which could directly perform all basic arithmetic operations, appeared in the 19th century. They worked, for example, with graduated cylinders and were used in various designs until the 1970s, but were then superseded by electronic (pocket) calculators.
Bunzel Delton No. 5 / four-species relay roller machine / 1909
CURTA Model II / smallest mechanical four-species calculator in the world / 1954-1970
Datamath calculator / ca. 1974
The UNIVAC
The Universal Automatic Computer was one of the first commercially produced computers in 1951. In 1970, the University of Göttingen and the Max Planck Society founded the GWDG with 40 staff positions and bought a UNIVAC 1108 for 7.8 million DM. This could perform one million operations per second - a current smartphone can do several trillion. Later, the "small computer" UNIVAC 1004 was also purchased, among others, whose applications were programmed with switchboards like this one.
UNIVAC 1004 programme control panel / Remington Rand / ca. 1964-1986
Computer Museum of the GWDG
The GWDG Computer Museum was founded in 1980 on the initiative of Manfred Eyßell (†). As curator, he maintained and expanded the collection with great commitment. The most important objects include components and accessories of the UNIVAC mainframe computer, which the GWDG was founded to operate. With the help of these objects, as well as other calculating machines, data carriers and electrical components, the Computer Museum traces the history of the development of computer technology and data processing worldwide and especially in Göttingen.
