Boston CM (was Re: Computer Museum of America ...

From: Derek Peschel <dpeschel_at_eskimo.com>
Date: Fri Feb 1 22:30:54 2002

> Derek Peschel wrote:
> > Several years ago it was very good. Then it slipped.
>
> Bryan Pope
> > I first came to Boston. It was only ..._okay_...
>
> Bob Shannon
> > The Boston computer museum was a total joke.

John Allain wrote
> When did you go and what was wrong?

Are you asking me or Bryan or Bob? Anyway, I first went about ten or
fifteen years ago. I remember a magnificently huge keypunch, bits of
old machines (Whirlwind, UNIVAC, etc.) with video clips, and a non-
working PDP-1 graphics display. There were two joysticks too, so I
guess it was set up for Spacewar, but I don't remember actually seeing
the computer. I also remember an exhibit demonstrating one-dimensional
cellular automata (though that might have been on another trip).

My most recent trip was maybe five years ago and was very disappointing.
Intel's "giant computer" exhibit didn't teach me anything and was
somewhat of an advertisement for Intel products. The museum did have
other exhibits that were more interactive (natural language understanding
systems, etc.). They impressed me but I didn't feel I knew more than
before about the essence of the subject.

You guys have to see the collection in California. They have all the
cool hardware that the BCM stopped exhibiting and they are pretty
serious about presenting depth.

-- Derek
Received on Fri Feb 01 2002 - 22:30:54 GMT