Computer History
July 22nd, 2007 by timbotronA friend of mine is a curator at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA; yesterday I got a cool private tour. Here are some of the highlights (click on photo to enlarge):
A - The IBM “Deep Blue” supercomputer; defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997.
B - The Apple 1 personal computer (the first Apple product), for sale in 1976 for the price of $666.66.
C - Douglas Engelbart’s 1967 mouse prototype (no joke, it’s made of wood).
D - Herman Hollerith’s 1889 tabulation/census machine; it electronically “read” punch-cards; in 1911 he sold the patent to a small company known as the International Business Machines corporation (IBM).
E - Data cards from J. M. Jacquard’s 1804 programmable textile loom.
F - An example of the detailed “printing” of Jacquard’s loom (you’re looking at a woven image).
G - A WWII Enigma code machine.
H - The 1949 IBM 604 Calculator; IBM’s first mass-produced computer.
I - The Rand JOHNNIAC computer, used for scientific computing in 1954.
J - Detail of the stylish 50’s JOHNNIAC nameplate (looks like a car or a fridge).
K - IBM core memory for the 1954 SAGE air defense system computer used by NORAD.
L - The first Google Production Server, 1999.
M - The 1954 SAGE air defense system computer used by NORAD.
N - Detail of SAGE’s built-in cigarette lighter and ashtray (you gotta love the 50’s).
O - The guidance computer for a 1962 Minuteman I intercontinental ballistic (nuclear) missile.
P - The MIT 1965 Apollo spacecraft guidance computer.
Q - University of Tokyo’s Biper-4 bipedal robotic legs, 1983.
R - The 1976 Cray-1 supercomputer.
S - The 1985 Cray-2 supercomputer, with stylish fluid cooling tower.
T - The 1971 Computer Space arcade game; the first commercially available video game.
U - The Apple 1 personal computer, autographed by Steve Wozniak.
V - Detail of “Woz” autograph.
W - A pre-1956 RAMAC prototype; the world’s first disc-drive.
