Machines.... analytic engines and time. Our quest to build.

countryguy

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I recently came across a wonderful video I wanted to share about the advent of accurate time keepers. It also brought back my interest in the very early analytic tabulator mechanisms I did a report upon in my high school years.

First, A two-part series call "Longitude" which chronicles the Act of Queen Ann and the the calculations needed for plotting of our ships at sea. The Movie is first rate and I'll go 4.25 out of 5. The machines and history lesson are really fascinating and the story of the work supurb for a budding Mech head! As time is but too short when you need it and simply abundant when we do not. I hope you can squeeze it in someplace? a 1.99 on Prime if you belong? http://www.amazon.com/Longitude-Michael-Gambon/dp/B00004U2K1

As for Analytic engines and the advanced machines and how they build them... All I can say is "Wow". I have a book called "bit by bit" about the history of computing machines. While no longer in print you can find the nearly identical online version here. http://ds.haverford.edu/bitbybit/ I believe this all stems from the same original author. Take a look at some of the amazing working engines and the men who forged and crafted these.

thought I would pass on some fun stuff reading.
Best,
CG / Jeff.
 
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I had the pleasure of maintaining a pair of Univac II's at Ontario Hydro in Toronto in the late 1960's. An before that some tab pre-war equivalent, all mechanical.
Amazing amount of engineering and manufacturing effort to build one.

Gerrit
 
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