Computers & Business Machines
Imagine the loss, 100 years from now, if museums hadn't begun preserving the artifacts of the computer age. The last few decades offer proof positive of why museums must collect continuously—to document technological and social transformations already underway.
The museum's collections contain mainframes, minicomputers, microcomputers, and handheld devices. Computers range from the pioneering ENIAC to microcomputers like the Altair and the Apple I. A Cray2 supercomputer is part of the collections, along with one of the towers of IBM's Deep Blue, the computer that defeated reigning champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match in 1997. Computer components and peripherals, games, software, manuals, and other documents are part of the collections. Some of the instruments of business include adding machines, calculators, typewriters, dictating machines, fax machines, cash registers, and photocopiers
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Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have some of the data for one of these programs. The cards are white with a pink border on the top.
- Groups of cards are numbered from 46 through 63. The program has non-accession number 1990.3046.10. A mark on the top card reads: DATE GENERATED 4-11-68.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.01
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.01
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards Used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have some of the data for one of these programs. The cards are white with a pink border on the top.
- Groups of cards are numbered from 31 through 45. The program has non-accession number 1990.3046.10. A mark on the top card reads: DATE GENERATED 4-11-68.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.02
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.02
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards Used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have some of the data for one of these programs. The cards are white with a pink border on the top.
- Groups of cards are numbered from 16 through 30. A mark on the top card reads: DATE GENERATED 4-11-68.The program has non-accession number 1990.3046.10.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.03
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.03
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have some of the data for one of these programs. The cards are white with a pink border on the top (occasional cards have a green border). A mark on the first card reads: 7 3000 500.
- A related program has non-accession number 1990.3046.10.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.04
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.04
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have some of the data for one of these programs. The cards are white with a pink border on the top (occasional cards have a green border). Groups of cards are not numbered but groups of data are designated by black marks on the edge. A mark on the first card reads: 3000 500. A printout of a related program has non-accession number 1990.3046.10.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.05
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.05
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map.
- Groups of the punch cards are not numbered but some are grouped by black marks on the edge. The cards have the data for a FORTRAN program with non-accession number 1990.3046.10. The cards are white with a pink, green or no border on the top. A mark on the first card reads: 8258, CLAF6, D7300, 04M, 100CD, 150P, C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.06
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.06
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map.
- This group of cards is labeled: Last version using SC4020 plot routine. The cards have the data for a FORTRAN program with non-accession number 1990.3046.10. Theys are white with a green border along the top. A mark on the first card reads: $IBFTC CLAQR REF.
- The SC4020 was a computer-controlled microfilm printer and plotter produced by the Stromberg-Carlson Corporation. It was one of the first devices sold specifically to visualize computer calculations.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.07
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.07
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map.
- These punch cards have the data for a FORTRAN program with non-accession number 1990.3046.10. The cards are white with a green, pink, red, blue, or yellow border on the top. A mark on the first card reads: $ JOB 8258, BICAD,D7300, 03M,1600CD,150P, C. A gold-colored EDP Procedure card also is part of the group.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.08
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.08
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Punch Cards used with a PDP-9 Minicomputer
- Description
- In the mid-1960s, the Computer Science Department at RAND Corporation turned its attention to developing computer graphics. A set of programs written in the programming language FORTRAN for the PDP-9 minicomputer were used to plot contour lines useful in determining the line of sight for microwave radiation emitted from a given point on a map. These cards have the program for a FORTRAN program with non-accession number 1990.3046.10.
- The cards are white with a green, gray or no border on the top. A mark on the first card reads: $1BFTC DPLT. Text in ink on this card reads: Used to plot Fig2.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1968
- maker
- IBM
- ID Number
- 1990.3046.09
- catalog number
- 1990.3046.09
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3046
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
