Comments on: Amatuer programmer breaks German code faster than dedicated Colossus machine http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/11/16/amatuer-programmer-breaks-german-code-faster-than-dedicated-colossus-machine/ Gadgets, gear and computer hardware. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:50:01 -0500 hourly 1 By: Brett/Geek Master http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/11/16/amatuer-programmer-breaks-german-code-faster-than-dedicated-colossus-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-526713 Brett/Geek Master Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:02:13 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/11/16/amatuer-programmer-breaks-german-code-faster-than-dedicated-colossus-machine/#comment-526713 Actually, that's Tony Snow (white shirt) in the picture. He's the last surviving member of the original Colossus team as I recall. And the picture only shows about 1/5 or less of what Colossus is - there is actually about 4 or time more rows of racks. And the row shown only has about half the number racks of tubes that the other rows have. Behind Tony is a paper loop contraption - I think the paper runs at something like 100 mph. The amazing thing is not that some amateur hacker beat at 1940's "supercomputer". The amazing thing is that 1940's computer scientists and cryptanalysts were able to put the capabilities of an amateur (c. 2007) hacker in a cathode tubes and paper tape based "computer". Actually, that’s Tony Snow (white shirt) in the picture. He’s the last surviving member of the original Colossus team as I recall. And the picture only shows about 1/5 or less of what Colossus is – there is actually about 4 or time more rows of racks. And the row shown only has about half the number racks of tubes that the other rows have. Behind Tony is a paper loop contraption – I think the paper runs at something like 100 mph.

The amazing thing is not that some amateur hacker beat at 1940’s “supercomputer”. The amazing thing is that 1940’s computer scientists and cryptanalysts were able to put the capabilities of an amateur (c. 2007) hacker in a cathode tubes and paper tape based “computer”.

]]> By: dwalk51 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/11/16/amatuer-programmer-breaks-german-code-faster-than-dedicated-colossus-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-526019 dwalk51 Sat, 17 Nov 2007 00:54:05 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2007/11/16/amatuer-programmer-breaks-german-code-faster-than-dedicated-colossus-machine/#comment-526019 it goes down because you have a bad server. Just get a new one that doesn't go down so often so that we can read you more often. *mutter-dip shit-mutter* it goes down because you have a bad server. Just get a new one that doesn’t go down so often so that we can read you more often. *mutter-dip shit-mutter*

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