Computer History Museum

For people in IT, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View is a holy place, where the ceremonial objects of bygone times still seethe with power. I've been there many times, even years ago when it was in Boston. But the rituals must be observed, chief among which is the obeisance to ENIAC: the One, the All! So I got on yet another train (Caltrain) from San Francisco to Mountain View to fulfill my sacred duty.

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I knelt before ENIAC and bowed my head. I am not worthy to replace His smallest vacuum tube!

One of ENIAC's function tables.

I believe this is one of ENIAC's tube racks.

SAGE, one of the machines that watched the skies during the Cold War. Note the built-in ashtray.

A memory unit from the ILLIAC IV. An earlier ILLIAC created the first computer-generated music.

One of the first Google search servers (1999). Note the plywood and cardboard separating components.

This is the SOL-20, one of the earliest personal computers.

A Honeywell 316, a special version of which was known as the "Kitchen Computer".

A Symbolics Lisp machine.

The Symbolics' famous "Space Cadet" keyboard.

A DEC PDP-1. I've seem the machine demoed before, but today the lab wasn't manned.

This is a pin I got to commemorate my visit. As soon as I got home, it found a place of honor on my denim jacket!

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