Recovery of Software from the 1950 Whirlwind Computer Project

Explore the fascinating journey of recovering software from the 1950s Whirlwind computer project in this insightful conference talk. Delve into the collaborative efforts between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Computer History Museum to resurrect and analyze software developed for the groundbreaking Whirlwind computer, renowned as the first machine intentionally designed for graphical input and output and its pioneering use in real-time applications. Learn about the intricate process of converting archived media, creating a debugging and simulation environment, and discover examples of recovered code. Gain valuable insights into the historical significance of the Whirlwind project and its contributions to early computer graphics and real-time computing. This presentation complements Rainer Glaschick's work on reconstructing the Whirlwind "Light Gun," offering a comprehensive look at this pivotal moment in computing history.

Recovery of Software from the 1950 Whirlwind Computer Project