Yes -- only just spotted it! ... "Mark IV", c/f "Luke IV"
On Mon, Aug 6, 2012 at 8:12 PM, Roger Hui <[email protected]> wrote: >> The machine computations were begun during the final testing of [the > Harvard] Mark IV ... > > The original text does not have "the Harvard" or even "the". This is one > of the amusing and endearing aspects of the text: The computer in use was > often (though not consistently) referred to as just "Mark IV" (as if it's a > living being?). I imagine that's a sentiment that can arise when > "conditions were far from ideal" and "the reliability ... has now been > greatly improved" to "operating with more than 85% good running time". > > > > On Mon, Aug 6, 2012 at 9:56 AM, Ian Clark <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Thank you Roger. Most inspiring. >> >> I love this para, which recalls the difficulties computing pioneers >> laboured under... >> >> "The machine computations were begun during the final testing of [the >> Harvard] Mark IV when the machine was first coming into operation. >> Hence conditions were far from ideal and the lack of experience in >> programming and operation combined with machine failures to cause a >> considerable loss of time. However it is under just such adverse >> conditions that the relative ease of programming reruns on Mark IV >> proves especially valuable. The reliability of the computer has now >> been greatly improved and at present writing it has been operating >> with more than 85% good running time during the month of November >> 1953." >> >> >> On Fri, Aug 3, 2012 at 11:21 PM, Roger Hui <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> > http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/MSLDE.htm >> > >> > Ken Iverson's Ph.D. thesis. I'll fill in the sections as time and energy >> > permit. >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
