Centre for Computing History

MacRS4 · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:07

Had a spare Saturday today so wandered along to Centre for Computing History - thought some of you may find it interesting. It's not huge, but it has some properly cool stuff if you're into the history of such things. The Archimedes for me was a complete highlight - so wanted one of these!

A lot of the stuff turned on so you can get some hands on too.

Some photos here. Some are not quite in focus as I'd stupidly left my camera on manual focus...but fortunately nearly at the right place. Derp.

Highly recommended if you're in the area. Not sure how far I'd travel for it given its size - it's about an hour from the London end of the M11.

BUDFORCE · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:13

MacRS4 said:
- it's about an hour from the London end of the M11.

Called Cambridge.

ffs.........

gpuerrilla · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:16

Where is this C-cambr-idg.. you speak of?

BUDFORCE · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:17

gpuerrilla said:
Where is this C-cambr-idg.. you speak of?

It's a bit like London only people speak English.

gpuerrilla · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:20

And.. are bicycles welcome there?

MacRS4 · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:21

BUDFORCE said:
Called Cambridge.

ffs.........

Correct. It's still about an hour from the bottom of the M11, even if you called it David.

MacRS4 · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:22

BUDFORCE said:
It's a bit like London only people speak English.

Ooo. Edgy.

BUDFORCE · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:24

MacRS4 said:
Correct. It's still about an hour from the bottom of the M11, even if you called it David.

Typical, nothing exists out of London right?

Living in London is like drinking a £2000 bottle of wine, even if it tastes like battery acid you'll never admit it.

Anyway, I'm sure the place in... Cambridge...is actually a good visit.

So thank you for sharing.

MacRS4 · 1 Oct 2022 at 21:26

Cool, yes, you're absolutely right. That's why I went there, as it was in London.

Feek · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:18

Great photos from the north London suburbs there.

The Commodore PET was the first VDU based computer I ever used, before that it was thing in the physics lab that took up half a cupboard and had a mechanical terminal as the i/o device. I’d love to know what that was.

Efour · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:29

No speccy 128k+2¿

Hades · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:30

Thanks for the memories. That took me right back and the PET's reminded me of Computer Science at school.

I might have to pop up there seeing as it's just shy of London. Shame there are no other big cities nearby that area.

Hagar · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:36

Feek said:
Great photos from the north London suburbs there.

The Commodore PET was the first VDU based computer I ever used, before that it was thing in the physics lab that took up half a cupboard and had a mechanical terminal as the i/o device. I’d love to know what that was.

We had a room sized one at Wigan Mining and Technical College in the 1970's. Used for coding basic and probably other languages.

Hagar · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:38

Hades said:
Thanks for the memories. That took me right back and the PET's reminded me of Computer Science at school.

I might have to pop up there seeing as it's just shy of London. Shame there are no other big cities nearby that area.

Didn't Henry VIII open a college nearby?

Edit Henry VI

Feek · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:39

Hagar said:
We had a room sized one at Wigan Mining and Technical College in the 1970's. Used for coding basic and probably other languages.

That’s the sort of thing, it was just used for basic.

Hades · 2 Oct 2022 at 08:40

Hagar said:
Didn't Henry VIII open a college nearby?

Possibly. Or am I getting confused with that other London suburb called Oxford?

picnic · 2 Oct 2022 at 09:08

We had a teletype connected to a modem to Medway when I was at school. It just ran BASIC and we never got visit to see the other end

Diddums · 2 Oct 2022 at 13:03

Everyone knows there are only two places in England - London, and NotLondon.

GGizmo · 2 Oct 2022 at 21:18

I remember the Archimedes did some of the demos for the Amiga.

Looks like a good place.

It brings back memories of a younger day *waves the white cane around*

ShiWarrior · 2 Oct 2022 at 21:21

MacRS4 said:
Had a spare Saturday today so wandered along to Centre for Computing History - thought some of you may find it interesting. It's not huge, but it has some properly cool stuff if you're into the history of such things. The Archimedes for me was a complete highlight - so wanted one of these!

A lot of the stuff turned on so you can get some hands on too.

Some photos here. Some are not quite in focus as I'd stupidly left my camera on manual focus...but fortunately nearly at the right place. Derp.

Highly recommended if you're in the area. Not sure how far I'd travel for it given its size - it's about an hour from the London end of the M11.

small yes lol

i got 10 of those

(or did have at one point!)