The origins, uses, and fate of the EDVAC

It is well known that the EDVAC was the first general-purpose electronic digital stored-program computer to be designed. What is not so well known is that the EDVAC was nowhere near the first computer to be operational, was not actually constructed according to the initial design, was not reliable when constructed, and was eventually so heavily modified that it would have been almost unrecognizable to the original design team. The origins, designs, and construction of EDVAC are discussed. EDVAC's software and later modifications are reviewed.<>