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| Saturday, September 13, 2008 |
|  | | | MOBIDIC and Fieldata | | | MOBIDIC was a computer designed by Sylvania in 1956 for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, for which much of the engineering was performed at the Evans Signal Laboratory -- the same lab which now houses the VCF venue! The computer fit into the back of a truck and its design anticipated many later developments in computing and communications. Mr. Humphrey, working for Sylvania, wrote the original proposal and led the design of its logic. He then spent 27 years at IBM. |
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|  | | | Memories of the Computer Industry at Western Electric / Bell Labs, 1950 - 1970s | | Claude will discuss his career in the early days of the computer industry with a focus on lessons for today. For example, his research in the 1950s found the "hanging chad" problem that happened in the 2000 election. After the lecture Claude will display -- for the first time ever -- J. Presper Eckert's 1942 engineering notebook.
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|  | | | MARCH - Grabbe Computer Museum "Beta" Opening | | | Several years ago, an ex-AMP engineer, Dimitry Grabbe, donated a large collection of vintage computers and microchips to the InfoAge Science Center. In 2006, a user group called MARCH (Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists) took over the curatorship of Grabbe's collection, adding much of their own equipment along the way. Now, MARCH is opening its computer museum in "beta" mode -- meaning that the museum is functional but still needs your feedback! A brief talk by MARCH president Evan Koblentz will officially mark the opening of the first museum wing, which will be open for visits at the VCF all weekend long. See our brief video tour on YouTube. (Note: this is only a small part of the unfinished museum, you'll see a lot more in person and most systems will be running!) |
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| | Sunday, September 14, 2008 |
|  | | | What's up with the InfoAge Science Center? | | | InfoAge CEO/founder Fred Carl, at the VCF East 4.0 in 2007, explained what our museum's history and mission. This year, he will recap the history for our first-time visitors and will provide updates about our renovation and historical status. You're sure to learn something new and and interesting! |
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|  | | | ENIAC: the World’s Heaviest Personal Computer | | | When John Mauchly designed the ENIAC with Pres Eckert, he wasn’t just helping the Army get a job done. He wanted that machine to use for his own scientific pursuits. I’ll tell the story of Mauchly’s lifelong pursuit of a “personal” computer starting with the ENIAC, weighing in at 30 tons, all the way to his beloved TRS-80. Along the way, we’ll have to straighten out some history, find out where the ENIAC is now, and recount some of the amusing and twisted tales from the era of “one-of-a-kind” computers. |
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