Computer networks criss-cross the planet, transmitting vast amounts of data at high speed. Explore the objects that have revolutionised the flow of information on display in the Information Age Gallery.
Temporary Exhibitions
1990
"NeXTcube," a NeXT computer, including screen, keyboard and mouse, made by NeXT, Redwood CIty, California, United States, 1990. Used by Tim Berners-Lee to design the World Wide Web, at CERN, 1990.
Computing & Data Processing
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.
1987
Factory-sealed version of Apple's Hypercard software, made by Apple Inc, United States, 1985
1947-2003
Replica model of the first transistor, made by UKAEA Harwell, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom, 1947-2003.
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.
1983
Green screen monochrome monitor Model 5151-02, made by IBM USA, Taiwan, 1983. Serial number 5500156
1968-1987
BESM-6 Supercomputer: Registers Cabinet type BRUS with two glass doors, control panel and desk; Control Unit type UU with two glass doors, control panel and desk; Arithmetic Unit type AU with two glass doors, control panel and desk; Peripheral Control Cabinet, type UVU with two glass doors, control panel and desk; possibly manufactured by Moscow Calculating Analytical Plant Machines, Russia, 1968-1987
1984
Oric Atmos computer, manufactured by Oric (previously Tangerine), Cambridgeshire, England, 1984
2011
Replica of original computer mouse prototype designed by Douglas Englebert in 1963 and patented in 1970, made by the Stanford Research Institute, California, United States, 2011.
1994
Cisco Catalyst 1200 switch, made by Cisco Systems, Inc., United States, 1994. Serial number: 62007011. London Internet Exchange
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
1950
Slow-speed relay operated simulator of the National Physical Laboratory's automatic computing engine (ACE), by the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, England and components by Bosch, Germany, 1950
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
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
1977-1982
Altair 8800b Working System, made by Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), United States, 1977-1982.
IBM model 515X-55-07714 keyboard, made by IBM, British, 1983.
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
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
1966-1970
Operators Console from PDP 10 (system 1050) mainframe computer, made by Digital Equipment Company Limited, Massachusetts, United States, 1966-1970
Telecommunications
1960-1980
Westrex teletype terminal, Type ASR/KSR33, made by the Westrex Company Limited, London, England, 1960-1980.
1979-1994
Deccafax Viewdata Terminal Model VP1, Serial No 170948, manufactured by Decca Radio and Television, London, England, 1979-1994
1979
NorthStar Horizon computer, made by North Star Computers, Berkeley, California, United States, 1979.
Alcatel Minitel communications terminal, made by Alcatel Business Systems, France, 1983. Communications terminal distributed by the French Telecom system as part of their attempt at an internet, 1983.
1983-1991
Keyboard amd mouse for Apple Lisa computer, Apple, United States, 1983-1991. Keyboard model no.A6MB101, serial no. 1007252
Apple Lisa Processor Unit, with integral twin disk drives and monitor, Apple, Cupertino, California, 1983. Model no.A6SB100P, Memory option A6SB108, Serial no. B08B831240025, Applenet no. 00102025, Manufactured: 83124.
1982-1985
Spectrum microcomputer with 48K RAM , serial number 148-455954, manufactured by Sinclair Research Limited, assembled in Portugal, 1982-1985
Control unit for Honeywell DDP 516 computer, designed by the Computer Control Company Inc and manufactured by Honeywell Computer Control Division, United States, 1966-1970
1986
'National' laserdisc, used as part of the BBC Domesday system, made by BBC Enterprises Limited, England, 1986.
1963-1984
Module from SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment), the United States airforce early warning system computer, containing 5 valves and 7 printed circuit boards (P.C.B.s), and numbered 87583, made by IBM, United States, 1963-1984
1982-1984
BBC model B microcomputer, designed by Acorn Computers Limited and manufactured by ASTEC Components Limited, British, 1982-1984. Serial number 1,000,000
Editing Keyboard Type UB80-0023, by Cherry GmbH, possibly Germany, 1979-1994. Serial No 4486.
'Community' laserdisc, used as part of the BBC Domesday system, made by BBC Enterprises Limited, England, 1986.
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.
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.
1951-1960
LEO computer name plate from LEO I or II, made by J Lyons and Company Limited, England, 1951-1960
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.
1977
Coil of 7 mm fibre optic cable, wound on to a cable drum, as used on the Hitchin-Stevenage fibre optic telephone link, made by Standard Telephones and Cables Limited, Harlow, Essex, England, 1977
Lisa Profile 5Mb hard disk unit for Apple Lisa computer, Apple, United States, 1983-1991. Model no. A9M100S, serial no. 127936
1980-1985
Commodore VC20 microcomputer, manufactured by Commodore Business Machines (UK) Limited, British, 1980-1985
Second processor for BBC model B microcomputer, designed by Acorn Computers Limited and manufactured by ASTEC Components Limited, British, 1982-1984.
1998
Apple Inc. iMac G3 'Bondi Blue' personal computer, manufactured by Apple Inc., probably United States, 1998. Serial Number CK3441WBEUL.
1981-1985
ZX81 microcomputer, manufactured by Sinclair Research Limited, British, 1981
2011-2012
Apple iPad 2, Black, 16GB, Wi-Fi, Model A1395, designed by Apple in California, assembled in China, 2011-2012
2007-2011
'One Laptop per Child' Computer, manufactured by Quanta Computer, China, 2007-2012
Paper tray for Westrex teletype terminal, Type ASR/KSR33, made by the Westrex Company Limited, London, England, 1960-1980.
The first Cisco AGS Router, made by Cisco Systems Inc, Palo Alto, California, United States, 1986
1940-1945
Valve in holder, from Colossus project, designed by Tommy Flowers, made at the Post Office Research Station and used at the Government Code and Ciphers School at Bletchley Park, 1940-1945
Mathematics
1934; 1947
Main part of a working model of a differential analyser constructed from the construction toy, Meccano, made by Professor Douglas Hartree and Arthur Porter at University of Manchester, England, 1934. Reconstructed by Prof. Douglas Hartree at University of Cambridge, England, 1947
1999
Google Corkboard Server, made by King Star Computers Inc, California, United States, 1999
1980-1990
White Sinclair Spectrum Clone with Russian characters, unknown maker, Russia, 1980-1990