Half a century since first computer was made in Timişoara
The computer made in Timişoara about 50 years ago had 2000 electronic tubes and 30 km of wires, but with its help the dam in Vidraru was projected.
Articol de Bogdan Mihai, 25 Martie 2011, 11:34
On Thursday and Friday, in Timişoara, there are marked 50 years since the first electronic computer was brought into function, which was developed in a Romanian academic environment and which is known by the name of MECIPT- 1.
The computer was designed in Timişoara and it was commissioned in 1961, by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Polytechnic Institute, being the first in the Romanian academic environment and the second after the one developed by the Nuclear Physics Institute of Bucharest.
According to Radio Timişoara news, the computer developed in Timişoara 50 years ago had 2000 electronic tubes, 30 km of wire, it performed 50 operations per second, it had a four Kbyte memory on a magnetic tambour.
MECIPT-1 represents an important step in the history of computers in Romania, given the fact that through it many generations of students and even professors learnt to work on an electronic computer and to do programmes.
Using this computer, calculations were made for Vidraru dam and also the first translation from English into Romania, under the direction of academician professor Grigore Moisil.
Translated by: Cătălina Virvescu
MA Student, MTTLC, Buchatest University
