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There's also a Difference Engine at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. A block or two down from Google. The interesting thing about the Difference E

There's also a Difference Engine at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. A block or two down from Google. The interesting thing about the Difference Engine was that it was Babbage's unrealized design. It wasn't built until the early 2000s, funded by HN favourite Nathan Myhrvold. He funded one for the British Museum, another one for himself. The one at the Computer History Museum is Myhrvold's own, on loan.

jefurii 12y ago
They also have a number of early analog computers which looked to my musician's eye like modular synthesizers. Yes I know it's the other way around.
rootbear 12y ago
Almost. Myhrvold provided funds for the British Museum to complete their copy, and build him a complete machine. From Wikipedia: "After the Science Museum in London successfully built the computing section of Charles Babbage's Difference Engine #2 in 1991, Myhrvold funded the construction of the output section, which performs both printing and stereotyping of calculated results. He also commissioned the construction of a second complete Difference Engine #2 for himself, which has been on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, since May 10, 2008." I've seen both machines and they are marvels. I was especially excited to finally see the second machine in operation last fall. It is mechanical poetry in motion.