Visible Storage

I recently saw an exhibit at the Computer History Museum in Mt. View, California ( http://www.computerhistory.org/). What a delightful experience! The exhibit called, Mastering The Game, is a collection of computer chess sets showing the history and development of electronic chess boards ( http://www.computerhistory.org/chess/).

As an avid chess player, (learner status only), I enjoyed watching the film of the famous match between IBM’s Deep Blue and Kasparov, the highest rated player in the world. A portion of Deep Blue, in fact half of the actual computer, has been donated to the museum and stands near the collection of chess sets which includes the signed board used to play the match.

The first electronic chess boards were quite primitive compared to the constant innovations and ever changing developments in computer technology. The chess exhibition is only a part of the museum which gives tours by volunteer docents who explain in detail the history of computer invention and design.

After browsing the chess exhibit I joined a group tour that encompassed the Jacquard weaving looms, a precursor to electronic computing. The exhibit houses actual computers from the most primitive to the modern micro devices. With the advent of the transistor, massive machines with tubes requiring huge areas of floor space could be replaced by smaller machines which in turn led to innovations in design and materials. I suspect my new laptop with wifi connections is already obsolete as I recommend a visit to this remarkable museum.