Other Artifacts in the Collection

Litton ABS 1230

Here is a strange one, and the only computer I have that Gwen Bell never heard of. Its a Litton Automated Business Systems model 1230, with 1231 printer and 1232 paper tape reader/punch. Its a 40-bit serial machine with magnetic drum main memory, not an uncommon architecture in the 50's. But this one is implemented with SSI TTL integrated circuits, which puts the design in the late 60's or early 70's. Its very slow, and the software is crude to the point of being silly. The programming language is an interpreted, simplified machine language not very different from its native machine language. It came with a fun blackjack program. Here is a closeup of the front panel. more...

Osborne I

Here is a famous early portable computer. Its a micro that runs the CP/M operating system. more...

Intel iPSC/1

This is the first commercial parallel computer, the first product of the Intel division where I once worked. It has 32 processor nodes, each with an Intel 286 processor and 512KB of memory. They are interconnected as a hypercube using Ethernet chips. I wrote the NX operating system for it. more...

Intel developed the first microprocessor, the 4004.

Teletype Model 14

The collection includes many peripheral devices, especially hard-copy terminals which were used before video displays became popular. One of the most famous is the Teletype Model 33. I don't have a picture of one now, but here is a picture of one of the many much earlier Teletypes in the collection. more...

Centronics 101

What we now call simply a parallel port for a printer was once commonly called a Centronics interface. This is the original Centronics 101 printer (this one has a Harris label) which first used that interface. Bigger pictures. more...

Tektronix Oscilloscope

The collection also includes test equipment. The most important instrument used in computer development and maintenance is the oscilloscope. The collection includes several Tektronix oscilloscopes, including several versions of the widely used model 545. Here is a model 536, which looks somewhat similar. Beaverton, Oregon is the home of Tektronix and there are much larger collections of Tek scopes in town. more...

Teletype Test Set

Here is a test instrument that predates computers. It is a test set for polar relays used with the early teletypes such as the Model 14 above.

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