There seems to some interest in the first computer. I refer you to the book
"The First Electronic Computer : The Atanasoff Story" by Alice R. Burks,
Arthur W. Burks still available on amazon.com.
Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff (a Bulgarian name; Dr. Atanasoff was native born
in Hamilton, New York, 1903) is credited by court decision in 1973 with the
invention of the computer. The case in dispute was between Honeywell and
Sperry Rand for claims of the computer invention. If either party have
prevailed, the winner might have had patent rights. IBM was worried and
introduced JV (as he was called) who showed that he had invented the
computer at Iowa State in 1938 when he was in the mathematics department (JV
was a 1930 PhD in physics from the University of Wisconsin). The computer
invented belonged to JV and his assistant, Charles Berry (hence the name ABC
= Atanasoff Berry Computer). There were several versions built, some in
1939 and in 1940.
The court decision was that as there was a prior invention (the ABC) which
had not been patented by anyone, no one could patent the computer comcept.
I am delighted that that was the decision and told JV that several times (I
lived near him, his home was New Market Maryland and I was in Frederick
Maryland) until he died about 10 years. He was always grouchy about my view
but did concede (mostly by remaining silent) that the speed of computer
advances was because there was no patent restriction in effect.
ENIAC owed much to Dr. Atanasoff as Mauchly saw the ABC in visits to Iowa
State. Some visits were for several days ("for the better part of a week"
was JV's court testimony). Programming and program languages were not part
of JV contribution. Dr. Mauchly's own testimony as reproduced in the book
shows he grudgedly agreed that he owed ideas and examples to others.
The original case was filed in 1968 as Honeywell v. Sperry Rand and Illinois
Scientific Developments. Among the almost 100 issues pushed by Honeywell
and the ENIAC, the judge, Earl R. Larsen, ruled "Eckert and Mauchly did not
themselves first invent the automatic electronic digital computer, but
instead derived that subject matter from one Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff".
Other equally strong language was used to assert that JV and Berry held
nothing back concerning the machine's theory, design, construction, use or
operation; that Mauchly went to Ames Iowa and had correspondence with Atanasoff.
Judge Larsen's decision was not appealed by anyone. A blessing to us all.
Dr. Atanasoff did not realize until late in life that he had done something
tremedous. He retired wealthy but not from his computer invention.
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