ther was some competition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z4_%28computer%29
The *Z4* was the world's first commercial digital computer <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer>, designed by German <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany> engineer Konrad Zuse <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Zuse> and built by his company /Zuse Apparatebau <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zuse_Apparatebau&action=edit&redlink=1>/ between 1942 and 1945.^[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z4_%28computer%29#cite_note-1> The Z4 was Zuse's final target for the Z3 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z3_%28computer%29> design, and like it, was an electromechanical <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromechanics>, not an electronic <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics> machine.^[2] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z4_%28computer%29#cite_note-2>
The Z4 was very similar to the Z3 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z3_%28computer%29> in its design but was significantly enhanced in a number of respects. The memory consisted of 32 bit rather than 22 bit floating point words. A special unit called the /Planfertigungsteil/ (program construction unit), which punched the program tapes made programming and correcting programs for the machine much easier by the use of symbolic operations and memory cells. Numbers were entered and output as decimal floating point even though the internal working was in binary. The machine had a large repertoire of instructions including square root, MAX, MIN and sign. Conditional tests included tests for infinity. When delivered to ETH Zurich <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETH_Zurich> the machine had a conditional branch facility added and could print on a Mercedes typewriter. There were two program tapes where the second could be used to hold a subroutine (originally six were planned).^[3] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z4_%28computer%29#cite_note-3>
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