(1) But the most unusual section in the museum is "History of Computer Development". There is a mechanical calculating device, which was used for the census1 of the population in the USA in 1890. One can also find NEC electronic computer that controlled the Moon expedition of the American astronauts, and the first commercial computer UNIVAC (1951) that predicted an election2 victory for president Eisenhower.
(2) Not long ago, Oliver Streampel, one of the museum research workers, proposed to build up such a computer that one could walk inside of it. It took a group of enthusiasts a year to construct this museum exhibit. Its keyboard is about 7.5 meters long, and diskettes are 1.8 meter in diameter. All visitors can have a look at the opposite side of the screen and make sense how the computer operates.
(3) The oldest electronic machines of the Boston computer museum were designed soon after World War II. The first IBM personal computer appeared in 1981, but 5-10 years in the computer world seem to be a century.
Notes: 1census – ïåðåïèñü;
2election – âûáîðû.