Date

Subject

Item

Importance

Commentary

1951

Programming

Book

First book on programming

The Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer by Maurice Wilkes, David Wheeler, and Stanley Gill;

1951

Manchester Baby

Original Paper :
F. C. Williams, T. Kilburn and G. C. Toothill, "Universal High-Speed Digital Computers: a Small-Scale Experimental Machine", Proceedings IEEE, 98, 107-120 (1951).

The original paper on the Manchester baby. Recognized as the first modern computer. The paper was submitted in 1948 for publication before the first program was run and published after.

This could be seen as the most important paper in Computing. As it describes the first modern computer. As the original machine no longer exists the paper represents the only remaining artifact of the original machine.

1956

FORTRAN

Book

First book on FORTRAN

The Fortran Automatic Coding System for the IBM 704 (15 October 1956), the first Programmer's Reference Manual for Fortran

1960’s

BASIC

Book

First book on basic

1964

Frieden

Calculator, EC-132

First transistorized calculator with sq root

1972

Texet

Calculator

Contains the world first computer on a chip – TI TMS 0100NC

April 1972

Magnavox

Odyssey computer game

First Home games machine

Very sophisticated, but not a computer!

1974

MITs

Altair 8800 with Microsoft BASIC on paper tape

First mass produced home computer. Ran Microsoft founding product, Altair BASIC.

Yes – even notes on programming by Bill Gates in the notes.

1976

scrumpi

Computer

The first UK made home computer kit -based on a sc/mp microprocessor

Prof austin built this when he was a teenager.

1976

Altair 8k BASIC

Software

First product from Bill Gates

On paper tape in un opened bag.

1980

Depraz

The mouse

One of the first mice – Logitech’s first mouse

Very odd looking.

1981

IBM

5150  IBM PC

First standard PC

The IBM PC set the standard for the modern personal computer.

1981

Osborne

Osborne 1 portable computer

First portable computer

Its big – for a portable!

1981

Sinclair

ZX80

First low cost home computer

A classic most people will recognize.

1982

IBM 3084

Mainframe

Cambridge Universities last mainframe

1982 was the original 3081D then upgraded to 3084Q in 1989.
The largest machine in the collection (by weight and size), only about 14 mips and cost 24Million Dollars in 2017 money.

1982

Cadlinc

Development machine for the Sun-1, SGI IRIS and CISCO AGS Router

The very earliest existing Sun computer.
The very earliest SGI computer
The earliest example of the main processor card that the first CISCO product was built on.
The earliest commercial mouse made by the Mike Hawley who built the first widely used mouse.

This is the top hardware item in the  collection

1982

Cadlinc/Sun/Mike Hawley

Earliest prototype of the Worlds first mass produced Commercial Mouse

It’s the first mouse design to be made and sold in large numbers in the world – the prototype.

Came from the Cadlinc

1983

HP

HP 150 Computer

First computer with touch screen

Uses light beams to work!

1983

Mouse Systems

The M1 mouse

First optical mouse as we know it now

1985

Xerox

First Xerox Star mouse

The first mouse to be on the Xerox star, the first widely available mouse for sale.

This pre-dates the optical version and might be the oldest commercial mass produced mouse in the world.

1985

Xerox

6085 computer system

The first graphical windowing system

Complete with a number of stations

1985

Apollo

Domain DN330

First self-contained graphics workstation.

It came with the cadlinc.

1986

Cisco

AGS+ router.

The first network router and CISCOs first product.

This is the upgraded version,  to a 68010. It was designed around the board in the Cadlinc.

2006

IBM BlueGene/L

Supercomputer

The first physical blue/gene machine into Europe.

The first machine to reach a petaflop computation.

1963

NASA

Apollo Guidance Computer module

Contains chips from the first chips made, Used in the first computer to use microchips

This is a module that has the sequencer – or clock divider in the computer. It is from Block 1.

1963

NASA

Apollo Guidance Computer module

“Rope Memory Jumper”, an unusual block from the AGC – used when the memory was removed to fill the slot

Also have 2 individual ics that were used in the modules

1952

A0 Compiler document

Unpublished, original 1952 copy of A0 Compiler description and listing

This is an internal Sperry-Rand Document describing the very first implementation of a compiler by Grace Hopper and her team

The document is protected by copy right for 150 years as its unpublished. One of maybe 2 or 3 copies, we know of one in Smithsonian and one in Babbage institute

1979

Early 68000 microprocessor

A development board from Motorola for the XC68000 processor. Contains a 1979 engineering sample (pre-production) 68000, with an individual serial number 1174.

The 68000 was one of the most widely used microprocessors and is still in widespread use today. You can still buy versions of this processor.

2011

Hawking SGI

Stephen Hawking’s last supercomputer

From Cambridge University a few weeks before he passed away. The first SGI ultra-violet 2000 machine to be sold. Fully working.

Has over 700 processors and 2Tb system memory (RAM)

2016

SGI UV2000

Leeds supercomputer

The most powerful computer in the collection, with over 700 cores, 4Tb of RAM and 140Tb RAID disk