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Discovering
Lost
Silicon Treasures
The
Joy of Classic
Home Computers
Home Computer
Restoration Guide
Home Computer
Collectors Code
Introduction to the Museum
Question: Why is there an official museum to preserve old
home computers?
Answer: Because these machines represent a special moment in the
history of computing. A time when the idea of actually having a computer at home
was radical. Back then nobody really knew how computers were going to be
used in the home.
It all started in the late seventies and early eighties when several companies formed
to take advantage of new advances in inexpensive microprocessors to make computers for the home consumer. These computers were designed to connect to a
home TV for their display, use software on cartridges and often save data on audio
cassette tapes. They all had different operating systems, and (by today's standards) a
very small amount of RAM, typically 4K to 64K. Their operating systems were stored in ROM
chips so the computers booted up instantly. By modern measure their graphics were
primitive but at the time they were amazing. There is great joy in discovering, restoring
and sharing these computers. You can read some of the reasons why
here.
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We preserve these old computers because the people that made them were each expressing a different vision of the future of computing. In a time before the invasion of beige box PC clones, these were the first computers designed for everyone to use. What's more they were the first computer that a hobbyist could afford and not have to build himself from a mail-order kit. The companies that made them promoted their vision of the brave new world of home computing with pictures of housewives in the kitchen saving family recipes to cassette tape and dad teaching the kids to program in BASIC.
Question: How is a home computer different from other computers?
Answer: Home computers are all in one piece with the CPU
inside the keyboard.
They have no internal display and hook up to a standard external television for output.
Back in the days of the original home computers no one knew where to buy computers because computer stores were just starting to exist. So these pioneering computers were sold in TV stores, department stores and even super markets! Another charming feature of the computers from this era is that, unlike today, they all looked different and they ran totally different software, much of it written by other users. In fact a lot of the software was actually distributed by users who started garage businesses to sell their home written software. Many of today's most successful companies and computer wizards got their start on these now extinct computers. It was a magic time... a time when just the thought of actually having a real computer in your own house filled us with wonder!
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While there are many museums and collectors of
historic mainframe, mini and desktop computers, there are very few people
working to preserve the home microcomputers that came after them. Perhaps
this is because a few home microcomputers such as some popular Commodore and
Atari models are so common that it leads historians and archivists to neglect
the entire category. However, beyond the few models that were very
popular, there were over 200 other types of home microcomputers that are in
desperate need of restoration, preservation and documentation. Among these
rare and uncommon models are some of the most unique and ground-breaking
computers ever made, particularly some of those never seen in North
America.
The sad news is that these treasures are rapidly disappearing. Since most
home computers weren't
compatible with each other and don't run today's software, many are just just thrown
away. That's why we must act quickly to locate, restore and preserve them. If you have or
know of any existing home computers we encourage you to contact
us so that they can retire to a good home, where they will be lovingly cared for and
appreciated by thousands of people who will be discovering them for the first time. Even
if it's a computer model that is already in the museum's collection we can still find a
good home for it in a collection somewhere else in the world.
visitors to the museum since 1/17/99