EDSAC
| EDSAC | |
| |
| Character Information | |
|---|---|
| Common Names | EDSAC |
| Other Names | Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator |
| Appearance | |
| Height | Mid 5' range |
| Hair Color | Silver and red |
| Eye Color | Hazel/olive |
| Design | |
| First Appearance | Aug 2025[1] |
| Technical Information | |
| System Personified | EDSAC and EDSAC 2 |
| Developer(s) | University of Cambridge |
| Debut | 1949 |
| Latest release | 1958 |
Technical details
Based on the First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC, EDSAC was one of the earliest stored program electronic computers. It was superseded by the EDSAC II in 1958.
Character details
Physical
EDSAC-tan is visually similar to ENIAC-tan and the twin image of EDVAC-tan, but a living girl.[2] She has medium skintone, curly, shoulder-length silver hair with red streaks, hazel-olive eyes, and wears red plastic rimmed glasses. She is of average build with a slightly larger chest than her "sister".
She wears a button up shirt in white, cable knit sweater typically in red or marled multicolor, and a gray plaid skirt, unraveling at edges,[3] and a tweed blazer with elbow patches as the situation calls for it, as well as multicolored, multi-strand yarn hair bows.
She is soft-spoken with a "classic" British accent.
Personality
Has the poise and propriety of ENIAC and EDVAC, balanced by the humility and open-mindedness of a career academic. She is patient and gracious. High degree of scientific knowledge, happiest when she has something to study or an experiment to run. Carries a joking reputation for being a mad scientist given her working location & interests, but no one really believes it. Extremely affable and approachable, gets along with most everyone. Proud of her impact on and well-regarded by later generations of computers.
She has good hearing[4] and talks through problems while working.[5] She is an avid reader who owns many books & reference manuals,[6] and a jack-of-all-trades with interest in radio, chemistry, biology and oceanography. She is prone to electrical discharge.[7]
EDSAC-tan has a macabre sense of humor & interests,[8] and carries around a casket.[9] Despite this "creepy" reputation she loves working with people and vice-versa,[10] and is good at communicating ideas.[11]
Relationships and Family
EDSAC-tan is the half-sister to EDVAC-tan, as well as IAS-tan and Manchester Mark I-tan. She likes IAS-tan and EDVAC-tan, a feeling reciprocated by IAS-tan,[12] while EDVAC-tan tends to ignore her. She doesn't go out of her way to associate with, but is on good terms with Manchester Mark I-tan. Avoids family drama.[13]
She wants to know ENIAC-tan better.
She studied abroad with MIT computers, especially CTSS & Whirlwind-tan,[14] and is regarded as a mysterious distant "aunt" by the DECs.[15] She is the founder of the LEO faction.
History and Background
 | This article is a work in progress. …well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editors’ notes. |
References
- ↑ Concept sketch
- ↑ Fully realized ideas laid out in the First Draft Report on EDVAC.
- ↑ Poor cable management.
- ↑ Mercury delay line memory based on sound waves.
- ↑ Speaker allowed programmers to listen to the progress of their program.
- ↑ Early software subroutine library.
- ↑ User stories about electrocutions.
- ↑ Built in the old dissection room of the anatomical lab.
- ↑ Mercury delay lines held in "coffins".
- ↑ University system with wide impact on subsequent generations.
- ↑ Early implementation of assemblers & symbolic programming.
- ↑ "First Draft Report" directly influenced EDSAC.
- ↑ Less of a lightning rod than ENIAC, EDVAC, IAS or MADM.
- ↑ Wilkes spent time at the MIT computer laboratory.
- ↑ The creator worked consultant for DEC.
