Computer Museum Kiel, Germany (8 MB of photos)

Halvar · 28 Aug 2015, 00:38

The Kiel Fachhochschule founded its own computer museum a few year ago, and I went there last winter. It's a splendid overview of computing history from the viewpoint of a German college/university. They start with desk adding and calculating machines, have quite a bit about the first Zuse computers, then the age of mainframes, and up to the PCs and home computers of the 80 and 90s. If you're nearby, it's worth a visit. Unfortunately, they're only open on weekends, and I think that they don't get the number of visitors they'd deserve.

https://www.fh-kiel.de/index.php?id=computermuseum&L=1

Here are some random phone photos with a focus on keyboards.

: Olivetti's distinct design in desk calculators; IMG_20141227_154753 (Large).jpg (281.88 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: IBM terminal; IMG_20141227_155211 (Large).jpg (224.98 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: ... and its beam spring keyboard; IMG_20141227_155147 (Large).jpg (288.53 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: Card puncher with cardboard operator; IMG_20141227_155503 (Large).jpg (234.82 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: ... and its very mechanical keyboard (not a beam spring board); IMG_20141227_155248 (Large).jpg (230.94 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: Dashing ...; IMG_20141227_155645 (Large).jpg (236.9 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: Data General machine; IMG_20141227_155651 (Large).jpg (289.48 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: ... and keyboard; IMG_20141227_155744 (Large).jpg (227.07 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: More data input without a screen ...; IMG_20141227_155929 (Large).jpg (221.26 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: ... by Nixdorf; IMG_20141227_155937 (Large).jpg (282.51 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: ... and Olivetti; IMG_20141227_155943 (Large).jpg (294.84 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

: The beamspring-in-a-desk 8'' floppy station. You know this if you follow DT.; IMG_20141227_160029 (Large).jpg (219.74 KiB) Viewed 2697 times

Halvar · 28 Aug 2015, 00:38

: Random ...; IMG_20141227_160122 (Large).jpg (212.8 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: ... terminals.; IMG_20141227_160131 (Large).jpg (237.91 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: Digital VTO5 ...; IMG_20141227_160146 (Large).jpg (241.7 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: .. the sportscar of terminals.; IMG_20141227_160200 (Large).jpg (328 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: The IBM bigfoot in its natural habitat.; IMG_20141227_160545 (Large).jpg (251.48 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: Cheap transistor computer from 1965; IMG_20141227_160625 (Large).jpg (239.42 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: 1978: IBM 5110 small computer, 1.9 MHz, 16 to 64 MB RAM. Price: $18,000. Unsuccessful, but IBM did make "personal" computers as early as that.; IMG_20141227_162620 (Large).jpg (305.58 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: APL and other strange symbols on the keyboard.; IMG_20141227_162643 (Large).jpg (308.54 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: Commodore PET. The matrix keyboard you don't want.; IMG_20141227_163004 (Large).jpg (288.15 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: TRS-80 from Radio Shack.; IMG_20141227_163049 (Large).jpg (308.28 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: Homebuilt (?) computer with a Cherry keyboard and Fischertechnik.; IMG_20141227_164113 (Large).jpg (296.31 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: Uh, what's this?; IMG_20141227_164300 (Large).jpg (301.63 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: ... and this ...; IMG_20141227_164336 (Large).jpg (319.28 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

: The portable I still want (for its keyboard).; IMG_20141227_164508 (Large).jpg (307.98 KiB) Viewed 2672 times

Halvar · 28 Aug 2015, 00:38

: Amiga 1000, non-Cherry variant.; IMG_20141227_164555 (Large).jpg (344.43 KiB) Viewed 2630 times

: It wasn't me!; IMG_20141227_164747 (Large).jpg (299.83 KiB) Viewed 2630 times

Muirium · 28 Aug 2015, 00:57

BeamspringDesk: when your switches aren't low profile, lower something else.

This museum just needs some retro gaming in it to juice the visitor numbers a bit. A good aisle of wall to wall arcade cabinets…

Halvar · 28 Aug 2015, 01:31

Yup, that would help. They should also ask keyboard enthusiasts to give talks about switch technology and the Alps vortex. Uh, wait...

macmakkara · 28 Aug 2015, 19:24

I fucking hate that i missed one of those desks... It went for 100€ here at finland...

zslane · 28 Aug 2015, 19:45

Two things I really love about all those old boards: the dominance of sphericals, and the white-on-grey alphas everywhere. Delicious!

And then history had to be ruined with cylindricals (thanks, IBM...grumble)...

terrycherry · 28 Aug 2015, 19:53

Awesome museum. There have so much rare old keyboard.
Thanks for share. If have times, take much more picture on focus.

seebart · 28 Aug 2015, 20:08

Wow, I need to check that out next time I'm there. Thanks for sharing.