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The guided tour of this machine is amazing. If you can make it over to see this beauty before she departs I strongly encourage you to do so!

by pkwood 11y ago

linker3000 11y ago
Seconded. I was lucky enough to be involved in a demo of the machine at the museum during a visit just over a year ago. I am based in the UK and was in San Jose visiting our company HQ for a couple of weeks. I went to the museum one weekend and was chatting to the two gentlemen who were due to run the demo; when I told them I'd seen the other machine in the Science Museum in London, they asked if I would discuss the differences (pun not intended) between the two during their presentation. I was happy to oblige and spent a minute or so explaining how much better the one in Mountain View was because it wasn't behind glass and it could be seen in action. I went back to the museum during another visit last October and saw the machine again. I guess there's now going to be a void to fill next to the Cray, but even without the Babbage Engine, the museum is really worth a visit. Happy travels crazy computer.
- russdill 11y ago
  Yes, while the crowd is large, the demonstration is lengthy so people do mill around the machine. You can get quite close and get pretty much any view of the machine you want while it is in operation. Totally brings this to life: http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2247 http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2247
carapace 11y ago
Demo today at 1:00pm (about two hours from now...)
bdamm 11y ago
Also agree; looking at the machine is one thing, but actually seeing it in use, working through calculations, is a little bit breathtaking. There's never been a machine I felt was alive, but watching the difference engine (which is the size of a small locomotive!) move its thousands of parts in one smooth sequence, was stunning.
- rbanffy 11y ago
  Not only seeing it. Hearing it is impressive. The various shafts and lever rotating and pushing each other, the main drive rotation changes as its load increases or decreases according to where in the "clock cycle" the machine is, the rhythm of the various pieces clicking, pushing and missing each other... It's really something.

The guided tour of this machine is amazing. If you can make it over to see this beauty before she departs I strongly encourage you to do so!

by pkwood 11y ago

The guided tour of this machine is amazing. If you can make it over to see this beauty before she departs I strongly encourage you to do so!

linker3000 11y ago

Seconded. I was lucky enough to be involved in a demo of the machine at the museum during a visit just over a year ago. I am based in the UK and was in San Jose visiting our company HQ for a couple of weeks. I went to the museum one weekend and was chatting to the two gentlemen who were due to run the demo; when I told them I'd seen the other machine in the Science Museum in London, they asked if I would discuss the differences (pun not intended) between the two during their presentation. I was happy to oblige and spent a minute or so explaining how much better the one in Mountain View was because it wasn't behind glass and it could be seen in action. I went back to the museum during another visit last October and saw the machine again. I guess there's now going to be a void to fill next to the Cray, but even without the Babbage Engine, the museum is really worth a visit. Happy travels crazy computer.

russdill 11y ago
Yes, while the crowd is large, the demonstration is lengthy so people do mill around the machine. You can get quite close and get pretty much any view of the machine you want while it is in operation. Totally brings this to life: http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2247 http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2247

carapace 11y ago

Demo today at 1:00pm (about two hours from now...)

bdamm 11y ago

Also agree; looking at the machine is one thing, but actually seeing it in use, working through calculations, is a little bit breathtaking. There's never been a machine I felt was alive, but watching the difference engine (which is the size of a small locomotive!) move its thousands of parts in one smooth sequence, was stunning.

rbanffy 11y ago
Not only seeing it. Hearing it is impressive. The various shafts and lever rotating and pushing each other, the main drive rotation changes as its load increases or decreases according to where in the "clock cycle" the machine is, the rhythm of the various pieces clicking, pushing and missing each other... It's really something.