This unique book presents the story of the pioneering manufacturing company Ferranti Ltd. – producer of the first commercially-available computers – and of the nine end-user organisations who purchased these machines with government help in the period 1951 to 1957. The text presents personal reminiscences from many of the diverse engineers, programmers and marketing staff who contributed to this important episode in the emergence of modern computers, further illustrated by numerous historical photographs. Considerable technical details are also supplied in the appendices.

Topics and features: provides the historical background to the Ferranti Mark I, including the contributions of von Neumann and Turing, and the prototype known as The Baby; describes the transfer of technologies from academia to industry and the establishment of Ferranti’s computer production resources; reviews Ferranti’s efforts to adapt their computers for sale to business and commercial markets,and to introduce competitive new products; covers the use of early Ferranti computers for defence applications in different government establishments in the UK, including GCHQ Cheltenham; discusses the installation and applications of Ferranti computers at universities in the UK, Canada, and Italy; presents the story of the purchase of a Ferranti Mark I* machine by the Amsterdam Laboratories of the Shell company; details the use of Ferranti Mark I* computers in the UK’s aerospace industry and compares this with the American scene; relates the saga of Ferranti’s journey from its initial success as the first and largest British computer manufacturer to its decline and eventual bankruptcy.

Early Computers
British Computers
Ferranti Computers
Mark I
Mark I*

• Introduction
• Historical Background of Computing
• Pioneering Figures in British Computing
• Early British Computing Machines
• Government and Military Involvement
• Academic Contributions and Institutions
• Key Projects and Developments
• Impact of World War II on Computing
• Transition from Mechanical to Electronic Computers
• Software and Programming Innovations
• Commercialization and Industry Growth
• Challenges and Limitations
• Legacy and Influence on Modern Computing
• Conclusion
• References

School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, UK

Simon Lavington

Book Title
Early Computing in Britain

Book Subtitle
Ferranti Ltd. and Government Funding, 1948 — 1958

Authors
Simon Lavington

Series Title
History of Computing

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15103-4

eBook Packages
Computer Science, Computer Science (R0)

Hardcover ISBN
978-3-030-15102-7
Published: 16 July 2019

Softcover ISBN
978-3-030-15105-8
Published: 14 August 2020

eBook ISBN
978-3-030-15103-4
Published: 06 July 2019

Series ISSN
2190-6831

Series E-ISSN
2190-684X

Edition Number
1

Number of Pages
XV, 392

Number of Illustrations
83 b/w illustrations, 51 illustrations in colour

Topics
History of Computing, History of Technology, History of Science