ENIAC, which stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, was one of the earliest electronic general-purpose computers. It was designed and built during World War II by engineers John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania. Here are key details about ENIAC:

1. Development and Construction:
   • ENIAC’s construction began in 1943 and was completed in 1945. It was funded by the United States Army during World War II for artillery trajectory calculations.
2. Size and Structure:
   • ENIAC was a massive machine, consisting of 17,468 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 1,500 relays, and miles of wiring.
   • It occupied a large room in the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
3. Purpose:
   • ENIAC was designed for a variety of calculations, including artillery trajectory tables for the U.S. Army during the war.
   • It was a general-purpose computer that could be programmed to solve different types of numerical problems.
4. Programmability:
   • ENIAC was not programmable in the way modern computers are. It was programmed by physically setting switches and connecting cables to configure its operations.
5. Speed and Performance:
   • ENIAC was incredibly fast for its time. It could perform about 5,000 additions per second and was orders of magnitude faster than previous electromechanical computers.
6. Parallel Processing:
   • ENIAC employed parallel processing, meaning it could perform multiple calculations simultaneously, which contributed to its impressive speed.
7. Application to Science and Industry:
   • After the war, ENIAC was used for scientific and engineering calculations, including work in nuclear physics, weather prediction, and cryptography.
8. Limitations:
   • Despite its capabilities, ENIAC had some limitations, including the time-consuming process of setting switches and cables to change its programming and the need for extensive maintenance due to the reliability issues of vacuum tubes.
9. Recognition and Impact:
   • ENIAC is considered one of the first true electronic computers and had a significant impact on the development of computing technology.
   • It was a precursor to subsequent generations of computers and laid the groundwork for the development of stored-program computers.
10. Decommissioning:
    • ENIAC was decommissioned in 1955 after more than a decade of service. Some of its components were donated to educational institutions.

ENIAC marked a crucial step forward in the evolution of computing, showcasing the potential of electronic digital computers. Its impressive speed and versatility paved the way for further advancements in the field, leading to the development of modern computing devices.