According to Relph-Knight, the predecessor of Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine was a secret Colossus machine used during the war for decoding German messages. It was a pre-programmed heavily wired computer, which was able to deal with a small number of predefined tasks.
The Baby – Computer with the First Random Access Memory
Unlike Colossus, The Baby had the main memory of 32 words of 32 bits. In addition, it was equipped with a 32-bit Accumulator, a program counter, and an instruction register. As a result, the technologies implemented in it became a prototype for those used in contemporary machines. Though it took nearly all the space of the University’s laboratory, The Baby had less calculating power than nowadays’ ordinary calculator.
One of the properties of the machine was serial binary arithmetic that used 2's complement integers. The code was that of single address format order. The calculating speed of the ‘computer’ made about 1.2 milliseconds per command.
Functions Performed by Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine
Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine was not able to add or multiply. It could perform subtracting only. The divisions were done by means of performing repeated subtractions of the divisor. At the same time, it was possible to do addition by means of performing two subtractions. Later this feature allowed The Baby to conduct multiplication as well.
Though scientists all around the world worked on developing similar machines, their creations were not as efficient and, in most cases, were able to perform one function only, while required rewiring in order perform another calculation. On the contrary, The Baby was ready for another operation just after changing a program in the machine’s memory by means of a simple keyboard instead of modifying the circuits as it was done in other designed at that time machines.
Mark – the Next Step in the History of Computer Development
Nevertheless, the technology and principles the scientists put into The Baby proved to be working successfully. Therefore, the scientists started working on a more usable machine, later introduced as Mark 1, and, afterwards, Ferranti Mark 1. It became the third general-purpose computer in the word.
A working copy of SSEM was created in 1998 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Baby’s creation. It can be found at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
Sources:
- Relph-Knight, T., 2008. “60th anniversary of the world's first programmable computer - "Baby". Heise-Online.co.uk.
- The University of Manchester, 1998, 1999. “The Manchester Small Scale Experimental Machine - "The Baby". Computer50.org.
- Lavington, S. H., 1975. History of Manchester Computers. Manchester: NCC Publications.
- Andrhanews, 2008. “Predecessor of modern day computer celebrates 60th anniversary.” Andrhanews.net.
Alla Kondrat - Alla Kondrat+ is a Feng Shui topic editor at Suite101.com, as well as a full time freelance writer and translator (Russian and Ukrainian). ...
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