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CSIRAC

Early Computer

CSIRAC, originally known as CSIR Mk 1, was Australias first digital computer, and is the fifth stored-program computer in the world. It is the oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer; the Zuse Z4 at the Deutsches Museum is older, but was electro-mechanical rather than electronic. CSIRAC was also the first computer to play digital music. 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
1949 1
Infobox gives the release date as circa 1949 (c. 1949); the article's own lead names no specific year, only that CSIRAC is the fifth stored-program computer in the world.
Significance
The oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer, and the first computer known to have played digital music; distinguished from the older but electromechanical Zuse Z4, which is not counted as an electronic machine. 1
Sources
1. Wikipedia: CSIRAC
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    It is the oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer (the Zuse Z4 at the Deutsches Museum is older, but was electro-mechanical, not electronic). It was the first computer to play digital music.
  • Infobox, release date
    c. 1949
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is CSIRAC the oldest computer in the world?

No. CSIRAC is the oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer; the older Zuse Z4 was electro-mechanical, not electronic.

CSIRAC is not the oldest computer in the world, but it is the oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer. The Zuse Z4, held at the Deutsches Museum, is older than CSIRAC, but the Z4 was electro-mechanical rather than electronic, which is why CSIRAC holds the electronic distinction instead.
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