A Frankly Magnificent Machine
Organizational Memory, Notes, Insights & Answers Computer
"It knows. It simply knows."
Since the dawn of the electronic age, mankind has named its thinking machines with a proud suffix: ENIAC. UNIVAC. EDVAC. ILLIAC. Even MANIAC — a real machine, built by real scientists, at Los Alamos, on purpose.
OMNIAC completes the family. Omni — all. -AC — automatic computer. Assembled from the finest vacuum tubes, punched cards, and unwavering confidence, OMNIAC answers any question put to it. Are the answers correct? OMNIAC has never once been asked twice.
| Weight | 31 tons (without opinions) |
|---|---|
| Vacuum tubes | 17,469 — one more than ENIAC* |
| Power draw | 174 kW, dims the county |
| Memory | Organizational; also grudges |
| Input | Punched cards, polite questions |
| Output | Answers, ozone, gentle hum |
| Uptime | Continuous since morning |
* The extra tube is for luck. It has never been needed. It will never be removed.
ENIAC 1945→ EDVAC 1949→ UNIVAC 1951→ ILLIAC 1952→ MANIAC 1952→ OMNIAC — now