The Biggest Computer Ever Built

The most massive computer system ever created was without question, the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE), conceived and built in the cold war for national defense. The expense was massive, as was the computer system itself. The cost was triple that of the Manhattan Project, for comparison. https://tinyurl.com/tymb4

SAGE effectiveness in a warfare scenario is debatable, but there is belief that it was a first-strike deterrent. Critics argue that SAGE merely enriched the military-industrial complex at the expense of the taxpayers. There is no question that it did that. Benefits beyond said enrichment are challenging to quantify, albeit there have been useful spinoffs. SAGE arguably was the first time-sharing, real-time operating system and incorporated the first network and influenced ARPA network research. It also led directly to ERMA and ERMA led directly to the formation of Tymshare. https://tinyurl.com/tymb4

Computers have always been an enterprise of questionable profitability; We doubt anyone lost money on SAGE. https://tinyurl.com/tymb4