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Computer milestones
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Doc HM
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Mar 12, 2024, 06:30 AM
 
Word up nerds!

I have a project I'm developing and as part of it I'm building a list. This list is, "A history of computing in 50 objects".

The idea of this list is to provide actual objects that can be spun off to discuss pivotal developments, themes in the history of computing. So things not ideas. The ideas come from the things.
Examples:

The UK's digital domesday book system. An early example of digital obscelence.
Tim Berners Lee's Next cube: developed the www on it
614 18th Avenue, Menlow Park: Homebrew computer clubs first meeting place.
Bahkshali manuscript: first use of zero as a 0 ( but not the invention of zero)

etc

So, I was wondering if the computer literate people here have any ideas as to what might make the list.

Recommend away (with rational would be great)
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subego
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Mar 12, 2024, 09:03 AM
 
Xerox PARC?
     
Doc HM  (op)
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Mar 12, 2024, 09:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Xerox PARC?
A good shout. Might be able to tie a specific thing from there to a story
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subego
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Mar 12, 2024, 09:31 AM
 
I was considering it a thing in itself, like 18th Avenue.

In the unambiguously “item” category, Cap’n Crunch whistle.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...crunch-whistle
     
OreoCookie
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Mar 12, 2024, 10:36 AM
 
[url= https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mother_of_All_Demos]The Mother of All Demos[\url] comes to mind. Engelbart “demoed” many technologies like the mouse, window-based GUIs and word processors that we take for granted now.
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Doc HM  (op)
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Mar 12, 2024, 10:46 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I was considering it a thing in itself, like 18th Avenue.

In the unambiguously “item” category, Cap’n Crunch whistle.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...crunch-whistle
spot on! Added.
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andi*pandi
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Mar 12, 2024, 10:59 AM
 
without the palm pilot there would be no iphone/ipad. what was before the palm pilot though? blackberry?

star trek communicator.
     
subego
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Mar 12, 2024, 11:07 AM
 
Before the Palm Pilot?

The Newton.
     
ShortcutToMoncton
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Mar 12, 2024, 11:24 AM
 
Newton! I had the last one myself…..it was kind of useless but I do regret selling it.
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Doc HM  (op)
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Mar 12, 2024, 11:33 AM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
without the palm pilot there would be no iphone/ipad. what was before the palm pilot though? blackberry?

star trek communicator.
Another good one. I like the ones that are slightly out of context but hopefully will settle on a mix. Some things such as Babbage's Difference Engine are so foundational they get a spot just as themselves, other things for the jumping off point they represent. I'm also referencing things that are in some way singular. It's hard to describe and I'm flexible but hopefully I will know them when I see/think of them.
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subego
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Mar 12, 2024, 11:37 AM
 
Antikythera mechanism?
     
subego
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Mar 12, 2024, 12:01 PM
 
The Dual Shock was a pretty big deal in terms of input devices.

It’s a good launching point into analog versus digital input, and the evolution of 3D camera control.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Mar 12, 2024, 03:42 PM
 
Zuse Z1

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reader50
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Mar 12, 2024, 04:54 PM
 
The Curta Calculator may fit in there somewhere. It was the best handheld calculator in the world for two decades, until electronics surpassed it.
     
andi*pandi
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Mar 12, 2024, 05:53 PM
 
that is super cool.
     
ghporter
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Mar 12, 2024, 08:44 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I was considering it a thing in itself, like 18th Avenue.

In the unambiguously “item” category, Cap’n Crunch whistle.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/article...crunch-whistle
Lest we forget, the (before it was a bad word) hacker’s periodical, 2600. Named after the frequency of that whistle, it was and is a journal of investigating tech that most people wouldn’t know existed.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Doc HM  (op)
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Mar 13, 2024, 05:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
The Dual Shock was a pretty big deal in terms of input devices.

It’s a good launching point into analog versus digital input, and the evolution of 3D camera control.
This is good. Yes, the item is interesting plus it has a wider context into film as well.
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