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Pilot ACE

Early Computer

The Pilot ACE was one of the first computers built in the United Kingdom. Built at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the early 1950s, it was one of the earliest general-purpose, stored-program computers, joining other UK designs like the Manchester Mark 1 and EDSAC of the same era. It was a preliminary version of the full ACE, which was designed by Alan Turing, who left NPL before construction of the Pilot ACE was completed. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Year
1950 1
Infobox release_date field gives 1950; the lead names only the early 1950s in prose.
Significance
A preliminary version of the full Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) designed by Alan Turing, who left the National Physical Laboratory before construction of the Pilot ACE itself was completed, so the machine actually built was not Turing's own final design. 1
Connections

Associated With

Alan Turing, Pioneers

Pilot ACE was a cut-down build of the full Automatic Computing Engine Turing designed at NPL; he left the laboratory, disillusioned by the pace of the project, before Pilot ACE itself was completed, and James Wilkinson's team carried the build forward.

Source Wikipedia: Pilot ACE
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Pilot ACE
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    It was a preliminary version of the full ACE, which was designed by Alan Turing, who left NPL before construction of the Pilot ACE was completed.
  • Infobox, release date
    1950
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