h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I do know a little about the COLOSSUS, as I did my 4th year dissertation on the history of computer science.

I have some facts you may wish to include.

The reel of paper tape (ith four tracks of holes) was the only limit on how fast the machine could run. Some of the engineers wanted to see how fast it would go, and cracked it up. The tape eventually broke at about 60MPH, but because of inertia and the lightwight paper, the room was filled with broken tape before they could stop it.

A Pentium I computer (even a top of the range P166/P200 MHz) running the same program as the COLOSSUS would take longer to compute the answers.

The COLOSSUS, becuase of its components, generated a lot if heat and most operators (who were mostly women) had to work in their underwear. (Remember this was the 1940s) Often the room was used for drying wet laundry.

More information is available at my website www.kevinsaxon.info

I have another entry at A951860 , currently pending, about Colossus and LEO. By the way, the Pentium took nearly twice as long as Colossus to come up with the same answer. So much for the advance of technology.

I did kmow about the tape speed (and the WRNS operators) but I like to keep my entries short! I believe the links should help to fill in the gaps.

Thanks for your interest and comments.

Keep browsing!

I've just glanced at your site. I did use it for compiling the entry on Colossus and Tommy Flowers.

I do have one nit-picking crit though. Colossus was used for calculating the Lorenz settings which were used to crack the teleprinter comms (strategic), NOT Enigma which was for tactical purposes.

I hpe this is of some use.