From slide rules to Douglas Hartree's differential analyser and Ferranti's early computers, these objects trace the development of calculating and computing technology.
Computing & Data Processing
1993
Apple Newton MessagePad and stylus, manufactured by Sharp for Apple, Japan, 1993
1920-1930
Hollerith horizontal electrical sorting machine, no.7407, 45 column, invented by Herman Hollerith, and made by British Tabulating Machine Company Limited, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England, 1920-1930
1997
IBM ThinkPad 365e laptop computer, with Russian Cyrillic alphabet stickers on the keyboard keys, by IBM, Taiwan, 1997. This laptop computer was used in Helsinki, Finland.
2010-2013
Apple TV digital media player, made by Apple, 2010-2013
1987
Factory-sealed version of Apple's Hypercard software, made by Apple Inc, United States, 1985
1994
Cisco Catalyst 1200 switch, made by Cisco Systems, Inc., United States, 1994. Serial number: 62007011. London Internet Exchange
1997-2006
MC218 personal digital assistant (PDA) with stylus, sold by Ericsson, manufactured by Psion and also sold as a Psion Series 5. British, 1997-2006
1986
'Community' laserdisc, used as part of the BBC Domesday system, made by BBC Enterprises Limited, England, 1986.
1983
Green screen monochrome monitor Model 5151-02, made by IBM USA, Taiwan, 1983. Serial number 5500156
1946-1948
End plate assembly for a battery of mercury delay tubes from the electronic computer EDSAC 1, designed by Maurice Wilkes and made by the Cambridge University Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge, England 1946-1958
1951
Logic door from a Ferranti Mark I computer with 3 transformers and 42 valves in place, manufactured by Ferranti Limited, Moston, Manchester, England, 1951.
IBM model 5150 System Unit with integral twin 5 1/4 inch disk drives, made by IBM, Greenock, Scotland, 1983. 64K memory, single-sided double density 5 1/4 40 tpi 106K drives
1985
Gold plated BBC Micro computer with two 1-megabyte disc drives and keyboard, made by Acorn Computers Limited, Cambridge, England,1985. From 'The Micro User' competition.
1999-2001
'Message Cam' mobile phone accessory with connector cable to enable mobile internet access using WAP and digital photo sharing, manufactured by Casio, Japan, 1999-2001. Sold for use with Siemens C35i mobile phone.
1949
Main frame, for Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) pilot model, made at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, London, England, and some of the valves by Osram, Germany, 1949. The construction of the (ACE) pilot model was based on designs by Alan Turing.
c. 1870
Trial model and spare wheels for Analytical Engine, mounted on wooden base, by Charles Babbage, England, c. 1870
1972-1977
Closed Intel 8008 microprocessor chip, made by the Intel Corporation, United States, 1972-1977
Apple Newton eMate 300 laptop, made by Apple Inc, 1997.
YouView set top box for delivery of digital television services over a broadband internet connection, made by British Telecom, unknown place, 2010-2013
1958
Metal sub-unit containing valves and other electronic components mounted as presentation souvenir from LEO II, made by the English Electric Company, British, 1958
1991
Psion Series 3 personal organiser, made by Psion, British, 1991. Serial number EBA 111941
2014
72 optical fibre cable used for television transmission in the exchange, with low smoke, zero halogen materials for fire safety, manufactured by Prysmian Group, British, 2014.
1978-1980
Silicon ingot, unknown maker, 1978-1980
1871
Analytical engine constructed by the late Chas. Babbage, F.R.S., (this was not put together when received and there are still many pieces, moulds etc. received in 1878, on exhibition in the gallery) Charles Babbage's calculating engines are among the most celebrated icons in the prehistory of computing. His Difference Engine No. 1 was the first successful automatic calculator and remains one of the finest examples of precision engineering of the time. The portion shown was assembled in 1832 by Babbage's engineer, Joseph Clement. It consists of about 2000 parts and represents one-seventh of the complete engine. This 'finished portion of the unfinished engine' was demonstrated to some acclaim by Babbage, and functions impeccably to this day. The engine was never completed and most of the 12 000 parts manufactured were later melted for scrap.
2007-2010
Sony PlayStation 3, manufactured by Sony, China, 2007-2010
C. 1870
Operation punch cards for Analytical Engine, nos. 22 - 29
1996
Pilot 5000 electronic organiser, made by Palm Inc (subsidiary of US Robotics Corps), Singapore, 1996.
1982-1990
GRiD Compass laptop computer manufactured by the GRiD Systems Corporation, Fremont, California, United States, 1982-1990
1946-1958
Main portion of short mercury delay tube from the electronic computer EDSAC 1, made at the University of Cambridge Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge, England, 1946-1958.
1966-1970
Operators Console from PDP 10 (system 1050) mainframe computer, made by Digital Equipment Company Limited, Massachusetts, United States, 1966-1970
1984
Organiser 1 electronic organiser/calculator, made by Psion, British, 1984
1998-2002
ON Digital set top box decoder card, used with digital terrestrial television (DTT) system, manufactured by ONDigital, 1998-2002
1971
Intel 4004 processor (open), manufactured by the Intel Corporation, United States, 1971
1976-1979
Personal Computer, model Apple I, devised by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Ron Wayne, and made by Apple Inc, United States, 1976-1979.
1977-1982
Altair 8800b Working System, made by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), United States, 1977-1982.
1951-1960
LEO computer name plate from LEO I or II, made by J Lyons and Company Limited, England, 1951-1960
1998
Replica of the 'Baby' or SSEM computer, built by the Computer Conservation Society in 1998. The original 'Baby' was the world's first stored-program computer and ran its first program on 21 June 1948.
Phillips Economics Analog Computer, devised by Bill Phillips at the London School of Economics, 1949 known as MONIAC [Monetary National Income Analogue Computer]
2001
BSkyB 3000 Sky+ box personal television recorder and digital satellite receiver, made by Pace PLC, 2001
1989-2003
Intel 486 microprocessor, made by the Intel Corporation, 1989-2003
1979
NorthStar Horizon computer, made by North Star Computers, Berkeley, California, United States, 1979.
1947-2003
Replica model of the first transistor, made by UKAEA Harwell, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom, 1947-2003.
Intel 386 processor, made by the Intel Corporation, United States, 1985
1939-1945
4-Rotor Enigma with remote lampboard. S/n 765
Variable punch cards for Analytical Engine, nos. 1 - 118, about 1870
1943-1945
Receiver unit from the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), designed by John Mauchly and J Presper Eckert, made at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, United States 1943-1945
1995
BT Voyager 2000 interactive TV system, i-TV box used in Video on Demand (VOD) and interactive TV trials in Colchester, made by Apple, assembled in Ireland, 1995
Apple Lisa Personal Computer System, made by Apple, Cupertino, California, United States, 1983
An example of the unit known as panel 1 from the electronic computer EDSAC 1, designed by Maurice Wilkes and built at the University of Cambridge Mathematical Laboratory, Cambridge, England, 1946-1958.
IBM model 515X-55-07714 keyboard, made by IBM, British, 1983.
