Plato History
← Back to ResourcesPLATO History is a blog run by author Brian Dear, documenting the PLATO computer-based education system developed at the University of Illinois beginning in 1960. It features posts on PLATO's history, oral histories, related book promotion for "The Friendly Orange Glow," and connections between PLATO and figures like Roger Ebert and Richard Powers. The site serves as a personal research and promotional outlet rather than a formal archival institution.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection, Research |
|---|---|
| Website | http://platohistory.org/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | US |
Vintage Calculators Web Museum
← Back to ResourcesVintage Calculators Web Museum is a personal website documenting the evolution of calculators from mechanical devices to pocket electronics, featuring mechanical, early electronic desktop, and hand-held calculators. It includes a photo library of over 1000 calculator images, articles drawing on archives of the International Association of Calculator Collectors, company histories, and a section on British/sterling currency calculators. The site emphasizes representative examples illustrating key technological milestones rather than an exhaustive catalog.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | http://vintagecalculators.com/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | GB |
Personal Computer Museum
← Back to ResourcesPersonal Computer Museum in Brantford, Ontario, Canada - housing one of Canada's largest collections of vintage personal computers and gaming systems.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | http://pcmuseum.ca/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | CA |
Computer Collector
← Back to ResourcesComputer Collector is a hobbyist site providing a searchable list of computer and calculator collections and museums, plus a document archive of high-resolution images of manuals, diagrams, and brochures for items like Geniac kits, mechanical calculators, HP Series 80 computers, IBM punched card machines, and IBM 5100/5110 systems. It also links to eBay search tools for finding collectible computers and parts.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | https://computercollector.com/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | US |
Retro Calculators
← Back to ResourcesRetro Calculators is a personal website (self-described as a 'webzeum') showcasing an individual collector's holdings of mechanical calculators, adders, and slide rules, with photos and occasional videos of items like the Curta, abacus, and various addiators. The site catalogs dozens of specific devices with brief descriptions and links to related collector sites and museums, focusing especially on smaller mechanical calculators and unusually shaped slide rules.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | http://retrocalculators.com/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | US |
Technical History of Acorn Computers
← Back to ResourcesA personal website by Robert McMordie providing a detailed timeline and technical history of Acorn Computers, covering its hardware and software releases from the company's founding in 1978 through the late 1990s. The site focuses on technical milestones such as the BBC Micro, Archimedes, RISC OS, and ARM processor developments, and is explicitly unofficial and unaffiliated with Acorn Computers.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | http://mcmordie.co.uk/acornhistory/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | GB |
Emidec 1100
← Back to ResourcesThis website is a personal nostalgic recollection by a former member of EMI Computing Services Division who worked on the Emidec 1100 computer (later badged as the ICT 1101) in the late 1960s. It preserves memories and information about the machine and its development, including mention of Godfrey Hounsfield's role.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | http://emidec.org.uk/emih0hom.htm |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | GB |
Home of SADIE, SUSIE and the Molecular 18
← Back to ResourcesA personal enthusiast website documenting the history of BCL (Business Computers Ltd) and its Molecular 18 minicomputer, covering the company's origins, hardware, firmware, operating systems, and customer sites from the 1970s to the 1990s. It includes technical reference material, sales brochures, user stories, an emulator project, and requests for further artifacts or information from former users. The site is maintained by an individual with personal ties to BCL, seeking community contributions to fill gaps in the history.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | https://bcl-computers.org.uk/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | GB |
Home Computer Museum
← Back to ResourcesHome Computer Museum (HCM), a German-language resource documenting the history of home computers from the late 1970s through the early 1990s.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | http://homecomputer.de/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | DE |
Supercomputing Technology Historical Museum
← Back to ResourcesThe Supercomputing Technology Historical Museum is a collection dedicated to preserving supercomputing technology and its history from the mid-1970s to the present, featuring machines from manufacturers such as Cray, Connection Machines, and Silicon Graphics. The collection includes systems donated outright as well as items on loan from private collectors. It also maintains a marketing archive of promotional items like brochures, posters, and other manufacturer memorabilia from the supercomputer industry.
| Resource Type | Personal Collection |
|---|---|
| Website | https://sthmuseum.org/ |
| Access Policy | public |
| Cost | Free |
| Address | US |