It
was at this point, 1834, that Babbage had an idea for
a completely different machine -- one that would operate
more rapidly and have far more extensive powers than
the Difference Engine. He asked the government whether
he should continue with the Difference Engine or proceed
with the new machine. It was eight years before the
government advised him that regretfully they must abandon
the project. They had spent 17,000 pounds with nothing
to show, and Babbage had spent a comparable amount of
his own.
Unable to wait for the government decision, Babbage
started work on the Analytical Engine, as the new engine
was later named. He did not expect to build this machine
nor did he expect government support. But, he did believe
that a machine with its capabilities would become a
reality at a later date, perhaps based on his completed
drawings. The Analytical Engine was really the GRAND
VISION.