ENIAC vs the Intel Core Duo, 60 Years of Computer Evolution
ENIAC, arguably the first electronic computer, was built at the University of Pennsylvania 60 years ago this month according to a CNet article. Here are the ENIAC specs versus those of the Intel Core Duo, the CPU being used in the new MacIntels:
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ENIAC
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Intel Core Duo CPU
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| Year Debuted | 1946 | 2006 |
| Performance | 5K additions/sec | 21.6B operations/sec |
| Power Usage | 170K watts | 31 watts (peak) |
| Weight | 28 tons | negligible |
| Size | 80'x8' | 90.3 sq. mm |
| Insides | 17,840 vacuum tubes | 152M transistors |
| Cost | $487,000 | $637 |
ENIAC ran for 80,223 hours because of an electronic testing process used on the vacuum tubes called "burn in." They were burned in for 100 hours before installing them to weed out the bad ones, a process still used to ensure longevity in electronic parts. More... [Dana Baggett]
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