John Mauchly

Our goal was to make computers as easy to use as a telephone. We're still working on that.

The only thing more powerful than a computer is a good idea.

We were so focused on the 'how,' we sometimes forgot the 'why.'

Building a computer is like building a house of cards, but with electricity.

The biggest challenge was not the technology, but the bureaucracy.

We were trying to build a brain, but sometimes it felt like we were building a very expensive heater.

The only thing predictable about innovation is its unpredictability.

We were so ahead of our time, we had to invent the time machine to get there.

The computer is a tool, not a master. Though sometimes it feels like it's trying to be both.

We didn't just push the boundaries; we redrew the map.

The early days of computing were a lot like a wild west show, but with more math and less shooting.

The only thing more frustrating than a bug in the code is a bug in the hardware.

We were building the future, one vacuum tube at a time.

The computer doesn't make mistakes, only the people who program it do. And sometimes the people who build it.

We were trying to make a machine that could solve problems, and it created a few of its own.

The best way to get something done is to start doing it, even if you don't know exactly how it will end.

We were so busy inventing the wheel, we forgot to invent the road.

The only thing more expensive than building a computer is not building one.

We were trying to make the impossible possible, and sometimes it felt like we were making the possible impossible.

The computer is a testament to human ingenuity, and human stubbornness.