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Bits: Charles Babbage’s Proto-Brain Comes To AmericaBack to front page » May 1, 2008, 12:59 pm Charles Babbage’s Proto-Brain Comes to AmericaThe oldest computer has landed in Silicon Valley, where they design the newest computers. Donna Dubinsky, co-founder of Palm and Handspring and one of the backers of the Computer History Museum, compares her Treo handheld computer to Charles Babbage’s pre-portable calculator. (Photo: John Markoff)The Science Museum in London has built two replica’s of Charles Babbage’s original design for the Difference Engine No. 2. Originally planned between 1847 and 1849, the five-ton, 8,000- part system for calculating polynomials was finally completed in 2002 by a team of engineers who took 17 years to complete the entire project. Difference Engine No. 2 includes a remarkable printing component that is almost certainly would have been the world’s first automated typesetter, had Babbage completed his original design during his lifetime. The all-mechanical Difference Engine adds with numbers that are 31 digits long and it can calculate polynomials up to the seventh order. However, it is the printer that appears to be even more strikingly modern. It will produce an ink printout, but also has the capability of producing a mold for a printing plate. It automatically typesets results in columns as well as employing two separate font sizes. Video
The 11-feet-long by 7-feet-high machine will be on display at the Computer History Museum here until May 2009, and then moved to the former Microsoft executive Nathan Myhrvold’s home in the Seattle area. Mr. Myhrvold, who led the creation of Microsoft Research, was a benefactor of the Science Museum project and purchased a working replica for himself. The Difference Engine was given a trial run on Tuesday evening at a private reception for a group of Silicon Valley engineers and executives. After a brief introduction by Leonard Shustek, chairman of the Computer History Museum, Doron Swade, the former Science Museum curator of computing and the researcher who oversaw the reconstruction, turned the crank to run a ceremonial calculation. The machine, which had been shaken up severely during its transatlantic flight to the Valley, appeared to perform well. It will be in operation again on Thursday evening during a sold-out public lecture about the machine that will be given at the museum. On Saturday afternoon, Mr. Swade will give a second public lecture planned during an open house. Add a Comment E-mail this Share Del.icio.us Digg Facebook Newsvine Permalink Innovations and Ideas, Charles Babbage, Computer History Museum Related No Related Posts Add your comments... Name Required E-mail Required (will not be published) CommentComments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ. 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Something’s Missing From the Picture (66 comments) Microsoft’s Vista Problem (379 comments) How Apple Is Preparing for an iPod Slump (195 comments) HDTVs Shrink (68 comments) How Much Should Microsoft Charge for Its Home Software Subscription? (72 comments) Comment of the MomentThe basic problem in data centers is that we dont deal effectively with the concentrated heat loads found in todays server environment. Virtually all of McKinseys recommendations can be traced back to that, but there is nothing in their recommendations that address the underlying cause: we havent developed strategies to minimize the waste involved in flooding huge data center spaces with cold air, in hopes that well deliver adequate amounts of sufficiently conditioned air to the chip. ”— Data Center ProData Centers Are Becoming Big Polluters, Study FindsCompanies Amazon Apple eBay Facebook Google Microsoft MySpace Yahoo Topics Consumer Electronics Hardware Innovations and Ideas Internet Music and Video Nanotechnology Online Marketing People Policy and Law Silicon Valley Software Technology and Society Telecommunications Venture Capital and Finance Recent Posts May 10 commentsKleiner Perkins Goes Late on Energy Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers announced a $500 million fund to invest in so-called greentech companies. The money will be focused on later-stage companies — ones that have proven technology and may well have established streams of revenue. May 10 commentsCharles Babbage’s Proto-Brain Comes to America The oldest computer has landed in Silicon Valley, where they design the newest computers. May 11 commentsDon’t Count Plasma Out — Yet The majority of plasma’s growth is occurring in regions where smaller, less expensive, sets are sold. Because of L.C.D. panel supply constraints in the 32-inch size, many more people are turning to plasma displays, according to Paul Gagnon, director of the company’s North America TV research. May 16 commentsStudios Selling Movie Downloads and DVDs at the Same Time The studios will now let Apple and other online stores sell movies as downloads on the same day as they are released as DVDs. Many studios had required a delay of as much as 30 days. May 18 commentsData Centers Are Becoming Big Polluters, Study Finds The world’s data centers are projected to surpass the airline industry as a greenhouse gas polluter by 2020, according to a new study by McKinsey & Company. About BitsBits offers news and analysis on the technology industry throughout the day with posts about the inventors and dealmakers trying to master and profit from the digital age. We cover start-ups, giant enterprises, government policies and the way technology is used around the world. FeedbackTell us what you like, dont like and want to read more about. Send us e-mail with your comments
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