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A working replica of the Small Scale Experimental Machine, AKA Baby, the first computer with a memory-stored program. The Baby was constructed at the University of Manchester and ran its first program on 21 June 1948. This is the first computer that created the concept of software, as previous ones were entirely programmed in hardware. It contained a RAM of 1024 bits (128 bytes) where both program and data had to reside. The first program was written by Tom Kilburn and would find the highest proper factor of any number.
The replica seen here is at the Museum of Science and Technology in Manchester, and it was built in 1998 entirely based on the original electrical diagrams from 1948.
Computer History Museum in Mountain View California
1401 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA
(650) 810-1010
The world's largest history museum for the preservation and presentation of artifacts and stories of the Information Age located in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Picture Taken by Michael Kappel (Me)
View the high resolution Image on my photography website
Follow Me on my Tumblr.com Photo Blog
other photos:
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3571615133/
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3571620911/
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3623895843/
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3623896183/
SAGE, USAF/IBM, c. 1954
Memory: magnetic core 69,632 (33-bit) words
Speed: 80,000 Add/s
Cost: $8-12 billion (entire system)
“SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) was a large computerized air defense system built in response to the Cold War threat of Soviet bombers. By analyzing radar data in real-time, SAGE provided the Air Force with a picture of the North American airspace and could relay targeting information to fighter planes. In practice, it is doubtful that SAGE could have effectively responded to an invasion. IBM built SAGE hardware based on the Whirlwind computer design at MIT. The many technical advances include modems for communication between sites over telephone lines, networking, light guns, graphical displays, and reliable magnetic core memory.
Each of the 27 SAGE installations had two separate computers, the second serving as a “hot standby” in case the active computer failed. With this backup, availability was unprecedented 99.6%, when many other computers from that era would fail every few hours. The computer weighed 300 tons and typically occupied one floor of a huge windowless 4-story concrete blockhouse. On another floor, dozens of Air Force operators watched their display screens and waited for signs of enemy activity.
The software was written by The Rand Corporation and the System Development Corporation (SDC) and employed about 20% of the world’s programmers at the peak of the project. When it was complete, the 250,000 lines of code was the most complex piece of software in existence. Some SAGE centers continued to operate until 1983, more than 20 years after its technology was obsolete and its mission rendered militarily insignificant by the ICBM. As a final irony, in the last years of its use, replacement vacuum tubes had to be purchased from Soviet-bloc countries where they were still widely being manufactured.”
Computer History Museum
Mountain View, CA
(7136)
This IBM 1620 Data Processing System, was Baylor University's first computer. It was part of the Hankamer School of Business, and located in the Casey Computer Lab, named in honor of the machine's donor, Carl Casey. This IBM was used by the institution from 1962-1974 (above photo taken September 13, 1967). Its replacement was an IBM Systems 3 Computer.
This image is from a digital scan of a photo negative (E-17) located in the BU Records: Marketing and Communications: Baylor Photography section of the vast photographic holdings of the The Texas Collection, Baylor University. Rights: Some rights reserved. E-mail txcoll@baylor.edu for information about obtaining a high-resolution file of this image.Visit www.baylor.edu/lib/texas/ for more information about our collections.
Old Xerox workstations from the PARC lab that basically invented the modern computer user experience (i.e. the Graphic User Interface)
another photo: www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3565294369/
Computer Space, Nutting Associates Inc., 1971.
“In 1971, Nolan Bushnell developed a commercial version of the classic video game, Space War!, originally developed on the PDP-1 in 1962. Bushnell called his invention Computer Space and it became the first commercial arcade video game. Computer Space pitted solo players against alien spaceships or two competing players against each other. Although Computer Space did not sell well, it was noted for both its game design and futuristic cabinet. Bushnell later founded Atari Computer Corporation.”
Computer History Museum
Mountain View, CA
(7027)
other photos:
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3571615133/
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3571617055/
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3623895843/
www.flickr.com/photos/cshym74/3623896183/
SAGE, USAF/IBM, c. 1954
Memory: magnetic core 69,632 (33-bit) words
Speed: 80,000 Add/s
Cost: $8-12 billion (entire system)
“SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) was a large computerized air defense system built in response to the Cold War threat of Soviet bombers. By analyzing radar data in real-time, SAGE provided the Air Force with a picture of the North American airspace and could relay targeting information to fighter planes. In practice, it is doubtful that SAGE could have effectively responded to an invasion. IBM built SAGE hardware based on the Whirlwind computer design at MIT. The many technical advances include modems for communication between sites over telephone lines, networking, light guns, graphical displays, and reliable magnetic core memory.
Each of the 27 SAGE installations had two separate computers, the second serving as a “hot standby” in case the active computer failed. With this backup, availability was unprecedented 99.6%, when many other computers from that era would fail every few hours. The computer weighed 300 tons and typically occupied one floor of a huge windowless 4-story concrete blockhouse. On another floor, dozens of Air Force operators watched their display screens and waited for signs of enemy activity.
The software was written by The Rand Corporation and the System Development Corporation (SDC) and employed about 20% of the world’s programmers at the peak of the project. When it was complete, the 250,000 lines of code was the most complex piece of software in existence. Some SAGE centers continued to operate until 1983, more than 20 years after its technology was obsolete and its mission rendered militarily insignificant by the ICBM. As a final irony, in the last years of its use, replacement vacuum tubes had to be purchased from Soviet-bloc countries where they were still widely being manufactured.”
Computer History Museum
Mountain View, CA
(7139)
KSR Model ? Teletype TTY at Planes of Fame, Chino, CA. Seen better days. These were used as consoles for many types of minicomputers.
Computer History Museum in Mountain View California
1401 N Shoreline Blvd
Mountain View, CA
(650) 810-1010
The world's largest history museum for the preservation and presentation of artifacts and stories of the Information Age located in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Picture Taken by Michael Kappel (Me)
View the high resolution Image on my photography website
Follow Me on my Tumblr.com Photo Blog
Personal computers, c. 1970-80s
“In the mid-1970s, the increased availability of inexpensive microprocessors had to the development of “personal computers”—affordable computers intended for a single user. Typically, the first systems were available only as kits and required technical knowledge to build and operate. Clubs, newsletters, and magazines arose to facilitate an exchange of information between enthusiasts. By 1977, Commodore, Tandy Radio Shack and Apple were producing personal computers in large numbers. Most corporate managers hesitated to embrace the concept until ISM validated the market with its entry in 1981. The ISM Personal Computer (PC) caused an explosion of IBM-compatible hardware and software and sparked a new industry based on Intel microprocessors and Microsoft operating systems.”
Computer History Museum
Mountain View, CA
(6960)