-=> Kurt Weiske wrote to All <=-
KW> I took my son to the Computer History Museum this weekend, took the
KW> docent-led tour. We had a lot of fun, saw some ENIAC components, a
KW> UNIVAC console and memory, a bunch of minicomputers (a Microdata
KW> Reality mini, VAX 11/780, and PRIME 300, all systems I used in my
KW> career), a Xerox Alto, Apple 1 (signed by Woz), Apple II, Lisa, Mac,
KW> tons of DOS PCs, Grid laptops, Amigas, Compaq portables, and the
KW> highlight for my son, an IBM 1401 midrange computer set up in a
KW> computer room, with raised tile flooring, line printers, paper TTYs,
KW> tall magtape readers, and period desks and printouts. My son was amazed
KW> that computers used to be manned 24/7 and that most people's
KW> interaction with the computer was through greenbar 11x17 paper.
KW> If you're in Mountain View, CA, check it out.
Never been to tht one. But I've seen some major parts of the collection at the
Boston Computer Museum - which closed in 1999 and sent its stuff to the CHM in
Mountain View, CA.
If you really want to freak your son out remind him than in the early days
women operators of mainframes were not allowed to wear nylons in the computer
room - because the stastic electricity from their thighs rubbing together
wouls cause errors in the computations. My GF at the time came home fuming one
day because her boss at the school board had ordered her to ditch the
pantyhose. Bv)=
... Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
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