- The director eliminated manual entry, making computer science more efficient and automated
- Seventy years later, the director’s legacy remains vital for the history of the operating system
- Vemolto, led to Sage, transforming the United States Air Force technology
Seventy years ago, the basis of modern computer science was established with the development of the director, the first operating system.
On March 8, 1955, its launch marked a inflection point in computer science, configuring the evolution of future operating systems such as Windows and the various Linux distributions.
Unlike the previous machines that simply replaced mechanical computing with electronic components, the whirlwind I processed data using bit-parallel calculations, significantly improving speed and efficiency. However, as computing tasks became more complex, the need for automation became evident.
Automate the calculation with the director
The director was created for the WHIRLWIND I of the MIT, a real -time real -time digital computer developed during the Cold War in the MIT Servomanism Laboratory.
Seventy years later, the director’s legacy is still undeniable. As the first attempt of an automated operating system, he revolutionized software design and prepared the stage for future innovations. Today, each modern device that is based on the software to manage tasks efficiently can track its roots in this pioneering achievement.
At that time, computers were based on perforated paper tapes to store and execute instructions, but the change between the tasks required manual intervention. To address this, the director was developed as an early work control system, allowing Whirlwind i to manage multiple computer tasks without constant operator entry.
Developed by John Frankovich and Frank Helwig, director worked to read a special director’s film, which contained predefined instructions that automated the work execution. This innovation introduced batch processing, a concept that later became a standard characteristic in operating systems.
More importantly, the director laid the foundations for automated computing, influencing the development of the OS/360 and UNIX of IBM.
The impact of Whirlwind I extended beyond automation, shaping military computer science with its role in the Sage Air Defense System for the United States Air Force. Many computers in the 1960s adopted principles seen for the first time at Whirlwind I, ensuring that both the machine and the director leave a lasting brand in the computer history.
Wiring route
