[inforoots] Eckert ENIAC Interview

[Bob Zeidman]

Hi Hans,
 
I don't have specific answers to your questions, but I suggest you read
"Atanasoff: Forgotten Father of the Computer" by Clark Mollenhoff. The book
was recommended to me by Gordon Bell and I've also met and had discussions
with Atanasoff's son and granddaughter. Turns out that Mauchly stole the
basic concepts of digital computing from Atanasoff whom he visited at Iowa
State in 1940. Mauchly studied the detailed specs of the digital computer
Atanasoff designed with Cliff Berry, then joined up with Eckert to design
ENIAC. It's not clear if Eckert knew the concepts were stolen. Eckert and
Mauchly added many key inventions but in their greed tried to patent the
basic concept. In one of the biggest patent cases of the last century,
between Sperry and Honeywell, it was proven, through Mauchly's signed
letters to Atanasoff and eyewitness testimony, that the concepts were
stolen. The patent was invalidated. Really fascinating story.
 
-Bob Zeidman
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