The Winds of Winter is a novel in the epic fantasy genre.
The Manchester computers were an innovative series of stored-program electronic computers developed during the 30-year period between 1947 and 1977 by a small team at the University of Manchester , under the leadership of Tom Kilburn .. stored-program. Von Neumann architecture. electronic computers. Computer. University of Manchester. University of Manchester. Tom Kilburn. Tom Kilburn. They included the world 's first stored-program computer , the world 's first transistorised computer , and what was the world 's fastest computer at the time of its inauguration in 1962 .. stored-program. Von Neumann architecture. stored-program computer. stored-program computer. The project began with two aims  : to prove the practicality of the Williams tube , an early form of computer memory based on standard cathode ray tubes -LRB- CRTs -RRB- ; and to construct a machine that could be used to investigate how computers might be able to assist in the solution of mathematical problems .. Williams tube. Williams tube. computer memory. Computer storage. The first of the series , the Small-Scale Experimental Machine -LRB- SSEM -RRB- , ran its first program on 21 June 1948 .. Small-Scale Experimental Machine. Small-Scale Experimental Machine. As the world 's first stored-program computer , the SSEM , and the Manchester Mark 1 developed from it , quickly attracted the attention of the United Kingdom government , who contracted the electrical engineering firm of Ferranti to produce a commercial version .. stored-program. Von Neumann architecture. stored-program computer. stored-program computer. Manchester Mark 1. Manchester Mark 1. Ferranti. Ferranti. The resulting machine , the Ferranti Mark 1 , was the world 's first commercially available general-purpose computer .. Ferranti. Ferranti. Ferranti Mark 1. Ferranti Mark 1. The collaboration with Ferranti eventually led to an industrial partnership with the computer company ICL , who made use of many of the ideas developed at the university , particularly in the design of their 2900 series of computers during the 1970s .. Ferranti. Ferranti. ICL. International Computers Limited. 2900 series. ICL 2900 Series