Computer History Museum - San Francisco
Trip Details
So I recently went on a trip to San Francisco around late January. This was a spontaneous trip where my buddy was able to go for a work conference and everything else was paid for, so I thought why not just tag along.
I had the first 2 days to just do my own work and chill. I was pretty close to the Computer History Museum so I went inside.
I have to say, this Museum was the most insprational moment in my tech career so far. I always loved tech as a kid and I got to see the old floppy discs that I got to play with and see what those originated from.
I’ve attached a bynch of photos from my time at the Museum and I hope that anyone who gets a chance can go and really experience how the technology they are using today came to be!
Pictures
Some highlights, I’ll figure out how to put a nice grid later on.
 |
|---|
| Entrance |
 |
|---|
| IBM Key Punch |
 |
|---|
| IBM Tube Computer |
This machine is so big, that it takes up a bedroom and with multiple comptuers it will take up a whole computer lab.
 |
|---|
| Optical Storage |
Who here rememebers the CD, I used to use these all the time. Infact who even remembers the Floppy Disc. I feel pretty lucky to have been able to use one. I think if I had the Space I would be hoarding all of this, alas we don’t have infinte storage space……..correction physical storage space ….. see what I did there?
 |
|---|
| Japanese Chip Dumping |
If you have the time, then you should loko into the chip dumping and into “Fujio Masuoka”, who invented Flash Memory. Basically why we now don’t have to carry around a whole hard drive everywhere
 |
|---|
| Software&IBM |
Look at the article in the back right, looks familiar to what we have been seeing in the news a lot right? Keep your data safe kids.
 |
|---|
| War and Rockets |
Ever Wondered how rockets knew how to find their trajectory and well… hit the target. Computers that’s how and lots of math
 |
|---|
| Super Computer |
The first super computer looked like this…. Pretty cool right? Its called the CRAY-1, unveiled by seymour Cray in 1976
Now its time for some nostalgia
 |
|---|
| Robots |
Compare these robots of the AI that you have today.
 |
|---|
| Pet Dog AIBO, Sony |
Ever wanted a pet dog, well you could have one in 1999 for $2000
 |
|---|
| Robot Term |
Tilt your Head to read where the term “robot” originated from
 |
|---|
| IBM Computer |
Take at look at one of IBM’s first family computers
 |
|---|
| Pixar Machine |
Ever wondered how your favorite, Pixar movies were made, they used this machine to do all of the computation.
 |
|---|
| Playstation 1 |
I loved Playing on the PS1 as a kid, we hacked the system and were able to play a bunch of normal games on CD’s.
At the time of writing this, I have the latest PS5. Its been a long time eh…
 |
|---|
| PlayStation Creation |
Read this cool fact, I bet you didn’t know that.
 |
|---|
| Web |
Some web history
 |
|---|
| MRI |
I have a background in Medical Physics, so seeing what we learned in school and how to turn magnetic waves into images has been a great inspiration to me.
 |
|---|
| MP3 |
Ever wondered how MP3’s work, take a look.
I highly recommend anyone who’s interested in tech to visit the museum.
Also a little hint, as of 2023 they close at 5PM so if you go at 3 PM the entrace fee is discounted to $11.