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[–] 43 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

The Bombe machines used to decipher Enigma are usually described as being electro-mechanical devices. Perhaps you could argue they were special-purpose computers of a sort, but definitely not the programmable, general-purpose machines most people think of when they hear the word "computer".

The first programmable electronic computer was developed at Bletchley Park, but it wasn't used to decipher Enigma.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Damn fancy Babbage contraptions all look the same to me.

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Really? One relies on rotors and the other one relies on rope memory and vacuum tubes.

    It's like comparing a sparkplug with a motor controller in my mind

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