Tour of the Living Computer Museum

I finally got to the Living Computer Museum, and has made a few photos. The museum is located here in a nondescript gray building with no windows is not in the popular district of Seattle.

The Museum consists of two halls. In the first exhibited mini-computers (mostly DEC production), personal computers from the '80s and has Microsoft area. The xx: 15 every hour starts a half-hour tour of the museum.

Mini computers are so called because they can be accommodated in one room and there still have room for operators. This, for example, DEC PDP-7, by the way, is the only computer that can not be touched visitors: it started some experiments with a radioactive sample.

It appeared in 1964, used a 18-bit machine word and memory on ferrite cores in volume from 4K to 32K words (the data on the plate, Wikipedia states that expanded memory up to 64K words), 285 KIPS. This instance is used in the University of Oregon in the nuclear physics laboratory and maintained in working condition before being sent to a museum.

And here is the radioactive sample:

DEC PDP-8. The first computer that was possible to take home. The process of transporting home can be seen in the photo on the left. There was performed for placement in the rack and in the desktop. Actually the computer is located in the right rack section with orange and yellow switches on the teletype level - this is it. Everything else - the periphery.

Presented in 1970, the 12-bit words, the amount of memory from 4K to 32K words of 385 KIPS.

Next is the Data General Nova.

was developed as an engineer Edson de Castro, who retired from the DEC after his computer project was rejected in favor of the PDP-11. The computer uses a 16-bit word, and has a memory from 4K to 32K words of 160 KIPS. This computer supported IBM started the fashion of the size of the words, equal power of two multiple of 8. Presented in 1969. Chair standing near a computer offers its visitors to play with buttons and dials. I, unfortunately, came shortly before closing time, and to understand how it works has not had time. But someone until the time I had had enough:

DEC PDP-11/70:

The computer appeared at the time of transition to semiconductor technology. Initially Distributed memory on ferrite cores, but later a variant of the semiconductor memory capacity of 2M words which all placed inside the processor unit, and did not require placement on the rack. 16-bit words, 2.5 MIPS. Note also the VT100 terminal located on the left.

IBM System / 360 model 91 console:

computers themselves did not survive due to the generous use of gold in the structure. Museum staff are working on a hardware emulator, which at the time of my visit was off.

32-bit word, from 2 to 6 megabytes (memory count in bytes, not words went from IBM), 16.7 MIPS, presented in 1967 year. It was programmed using punch cards, stood beside the machine functioning to their packing, but I managed not to take his picture.

DEC PDP-12:

The mutant combines the functionality of PDP-8 and a LINC, the operating mode switched a special pen on the keyboard. It allows you to connect a large number of laboratory equipment. Possessed by the vector display to display the information.

12-bit word, from 4K to 32K words of memory, 300 KIPS, presented in 1969.

Interdean 7/32:

computer, proved the usefulness of writing operating systems are not in assembly language, and indeed the separation of programs from iron, on which they run. This is the first of a series of computer is not the PDP, which has been ported to Unix. Presented in 1974, 32-bit words, the memory of 8K to 256K words, 280 KIPS. A poster with the story:

move into the hall with the mainframe. There's "a little bit" noisy:

Xerox Sigma 9:

Xerox made good computers, but failed with marketing, as a result was pushed out from the mainframe market.

32-bit word, from 64K to 512K words of memory, 600 KIPS.

Disk array. All off, that is. To. It was found that in contact with dust in the working device balancing disk drives could be broken and naturally explode. Blue cylinders - containers for storage of hard drives, one drive weighs 5 kilograms.

DEC PDP-10: KI-10:

Information about the car and the instruction to launch:

This computer is in the recovery process. He was kept in the flooded basement, which is not a positive impact on its performance.

Polurazobrannom IBM System / 360.

an eight-inch floppy, long time since I did not see them.

DEC PDP-10: KS-10:

36-bit words, the amount of memory from 256K to 512K words, 300 KIPS. This computer was bought by Microsoft after moving from Albuquerque.

XKL TOAD-1:

The developer of the computer wanted to make a clone of KL-10, which could be placed on the table. The development took 15 years and the time-to-market (1995), referring to IBM PC-compatible computers, he was no use to anyone dominance. And on the table was placed with difficulty.

36-bit word, from 32M to 128M memory words, 2.5 MIPS.

DEC VAX-11 / 780-5:

Presented in 1982. 32-bit words, from 1 to 64 megabytes of memory, 750 KIPS.

Data General Eclipse / MV 8000:

Presented in 1980, the 32-bit words, from 256 KB to 2 MB of memory, 250 KIPS.

Vozrvraschaemsya computers smaller. Great-grandfather of all modern desktops Xerox Alto:

The first computer with a graphical interface, WYSIWIG editor, Ethernet and mouse. It is because Microsoft and Apple has borrowed many features for their computers and operating systems.

16-bit word, from 64 to 256 kilobytes of memory.

AT & T BLIT:

The terminal c own memory and processor that received the executable code for the network and executed locally, in a certain way you untying of network bandwidth. On the monitor, see the prototype of X Window System.

Without a mouse already do:

Start programming manual'a:

Mid. How to work with the mouse:

The legendary MITS Altair 8800:

A computer that Microsoft has actually become a parent. It was for him, Bill Gates, Paul Allen wrote in the shortest possible time and with no access to the computer itself (in their possession was the Intel 8080 emulator on the PDP-10, which are adapted according to the instructions on Altair) the same interpertator BASIC that started Microsoft.

For $ 400 you receive the item bag. In the presence of a soldering iron and a direct hand you could get a working computer, which is programmed toggle switches on the front panel. On entering the program, down 2 and 2, it will take a few minutes and then you can see the answer in binary form on the LEDs line: "100", widely known among the population as a "4". Despite all the difficulties, people bought the Altair simply because finally able to have your own computer.