(Drivebycuriosity) - On the second day of our San Francisco vacation we drove some miles south to Silicon Valley, an area with a lot of towns where Google, Apple and other high tech companies have their headquarters. There we visited the Computer History Museum in Mountain View (computerhistory).
As the name suggests you can see there the developments of calculating machines over the last 2000 years. For instance they show centuries old calculators like Chinese & Arabian abacuses and English sectors from the 17th century. You also can see how microprocessor and computers evolved in the 20th century.
We watched a demonstration of the Babbage Engine. This device was designed, but never realized, by the English mathematican and engineer Charles Babbage in the 19th century (calculators). This is an early version of the computer, consisting of a complex cluster of wheels, gears and other mechanical part. The museums owns a model, build some years ago by scientists.
Above this paragraph you can see an UNIVAC I memory tank from Remington Rand, build 1951.
Above a SAGE installation from IBM, made 1958, witch allowed switching between 2 computers.
Above a Laboratory Instrument Computer, called LINC, created by the MIT.
We learned a lot there. Thanks to founders, organizers & staff.
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