The computer as von Neumann planned it

John von Neumann made a key contribution to the understanding and development of computer architecture and design in his unpublished report titled ´First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC´. The architecture given in the von Neumann report is presented in a form that is accessible to a wider audience. This definition is compared with the definition of the constructed EDVAC system. In doing this, the authors hope to clarify important but previously unrecognized features of the von Neumann design and to clarify a number of the confusions that have arisen over the years.<>