A computer museum is devoted to the study of historic computer hardware and software, where a "museum" is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study, and enjoyment", as defined by the International Council of Museums.
Some computer museums exist within larger institutions, such as the Science Museum in London and the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Others are dedicated specifically to computing, such as the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, the American Computer & Robotics Museum in Bozeman, Montana, The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge and the Nexon Computer Museum in Jeju Province. Some specialize in the early history of computing, others in the era that started with the first personal computers such as the Apple I and Altair 8800, Apple IIs, older Apple Macintoshes, Commodore Internationals, Amigas, IBM PCs and more rare computers such as the Osborne 1. Some concentrate more on research and conservation, others more on education and entertainment. There are also private collections, most of which can be visited by appointment.
See also
Early PCs at the National Museum of Computing - Commodore, Apple, Sinclair, IBM and other early personal computers at the National Museum of Computing. Including a look at the Altair 8800b, Apple IIe, Timex Sinclair 1000, Commodore PET 2001,...
- List of computer museums
- List of science museums
- Computer Conservation Society (UK)
- History of computer hardware
- IT History Society
- KansasFest annual event for Apple II computer enthusiasts. Held every July at Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Missouri.
- Retrocomputing
- Vintage Computer Festival held annually in Mountain View, California, and elsewhere
Further reading
- Bell, Gordon (2011). Out of a Closet: The Early Years of the Computer Museums. Microsoft Technical Report MSR-TR-2011-44.
- Bruemmer, Bruce H. (1987). Resources for the History of Computing: A Guide to U.S. & Canadian Records. Charles Babbage Institute.
- Cortada, James W. (1990). Archives of Data-Processing History: A Guide to Major U.S. Collections. Greenwood
References
