Computer History Museum unboxes a Babbage difference engine

Not too many people go to science museums and place orders, but former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold was apparently so impressed with the London Science Museum's replica of Charles Babbage's difference engine he commissioned a $1M duplicate, which was just recently delivered to California's Computer History Museum for a six-month stay. The nine-foot-tall machine has nearly 8,000 parts, many of which were hand-filed, and suffered months of delays while under construction due to the tight tolerances required to make it work -- but it's here now, and it's ready to start cranking out polynomials at the rate of one per six seconds. Bring it on, IBM. Check the read link for way more pics of the unboxing, which took hours and ended in applause.

[Nule @ Apr 21st 2008 6:39PM]

Newegg certainly has these in stock. What's the big deal?

[Aguiluz @ Apr 21st 2008 7:09PM]

Hmmm... I can't see it on Newegg, lol.


But I can just...

*checks airfare prices to California*

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:12AM]

It won't play doom but it may overclock.

[OneLove @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:02AM]

Its the next gen heat sink for intel 1000 core cpu!

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 6:40PM]

How far technology has come.... also how small it has become...

But I have to admit, that looks awesome in an OTT crazy evil genius machine sort of way.

I'll take 3.

[rv @ Apr 21st 2008 7:12PM]

Im waiting for the 8800GT upgrade kit.

[drew @ Apr 21st 2008 6:44PM]

Hacking into this computer involves an axe

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 6:50PM]

Definately giving you my +1 for that.

Prepare to go from neutral ------> Highly Ranked

:)

[Aguiluz @ Apr 21st 2008 7:02PM]

Oddly enough, we can see him Highest Ranked here:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/21/computer-history-museum-unboxes-a-babbage-difference-engine/comments/11741569/

But heck, I'll give my +1 for that.

[Jherez @ Apr 21st 2008 8:39PM]

Overclocking this rig involves installing a farm of dedicated hamsters...

[fanman @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:39AM]

...and syncing involves water.

[carbonrain @ Apr 21st 2008 6:51PM]

yes, but can it play doom?

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Apr 21st 2008 6:53PM]

*crosses fingers*

hopes this goes from Neutral -----------> banned.

[ethana2 @ Apr 21st 2008 7:54PM]

If you can find a suitable display, this thing could probably almost manage---

...If you're an ent from fangorn forest....

[Bryan Thornsberry @ Apr 21st 2008 6:52PM]

i want to see the steampunk version.

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 6:55PM]

Me too, but lets be honest, how much more steampunked can this thing get?

Powered by a coal furnace?

[Wolfticket @ Apr 21st 2008 8:04PM]

I would say that some guy with a moustache and a top hat turning a big wheel is easily as steampunk as that.

[Kique @ Apr 21st 2008 6:57PM]

Does it play Doom..., sorry, I mean Crysis?

[Aguiluz @ Apr 21st 2008 7:03PM]

Oh, I'm so sorry, can't you see it does not have a freaking monitor to play Crysis!? Not even Doom!

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 7:10PM]

Silence...

[Kique @ Apr 21st 2008 6:57PM]

Does it play Doom..., sorry, I mean Crysis?

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 21st 2008 7:10PM]

... yourself.

[John @ Apr 21st 2008 7:02PM]

Did it come with a "Vista Ready" sticker?

[Kique @ Apr 21st 2008 7:13PM]

I hope so....

[Zach @ Apr 21st 2008 7:33PM]

no, "vista capable"

[ethana2 @ Apr 21st 2008 7:56PM]

Actually, the OS of choice here is DSL or Slackware ^_^

[Wwhat @ Apr 21st 2008 10:34PM]

I don't know what you are talking about, I have a Babbage difference machine and vista runs flawless on it, you people probably never tried vista on it and are just hating MS.

[aaoaoo @ Apr 21st 2008 7:04PM]

Ben Heck has already posted pics of his laptop mod.

[Aguiluz @ Apr 21st 2008 7:16PM]

Can solve polynomials in a rate of 1 per 6 seconds? Got to have that for my homework!

[etmthree @ Apr 21st 2008 7:21PM]

My favorite thing about the machine is that it has a printer (actually a typesetter, but WTF). Unfortunately, the drivers are not yet available.

[Dennis @ Apr 21st 2008 7:29PM]

The drivers died a long time ago.

[mabhatter @ Apr 21st 2008 11:56PM]

RMS is complaining because they're not GPL!

[Darkest Daze @ Apr 21st 2008 7:42PM]

Thank God! I have 10 polynomials I need solved within the next minute, or else.

[beamerboy625 @ Apr 21st 2008 8:28PM]

This puts new meaning to the term "hardware". Not many people can measure their computer in tons.

[Student Driver @ Apr 21st 2008 9:01PM]

That's sweet.

[YoMomma @ Apr 21st 2008 9:07PM]

will it play Crysis? Or doom?
Maybe will it blend? Linux?

[techFTW @ Apr 22nd 2008 5:15AM]

Aww c'mon really?

Don't you think it's getting a little old now? :D

At least be original like er.... "Will it play dead?"

[Brian @ Apr 21st 2008 9:13PM]

Very, very cool.

Can we find any super high resolution pictures of this? It's not like there is a shortage of 12+ megapixel cameras out there.

C'mon, I want to inspect this thing!

[Abuzar @ Apr 21st 2008 9:20PM]

Wonder what kind of heat sink we need to keep this cool.

[Phour ZwanZig @ Apr 21st 2008 10:22PM]

Of course it would be water cooled. Your favorite spray bottle will do just fine..

[Richard Lai @ Apr 21st 2008 10:01PM]

I'm just down the road from the Science Museum in London. All London visitors should check it out. It's free entry as well.

[Son of MagicFact @ Apr 21st 2008 11:03PM]

AAAAAAH!!!! The Computer Museum used to be in Boston. Now it's in California. Why is life so unfair???

[oly va ha @ Apr 24th 2008 2:44PM]

maybe because california has silicon valley...

[Brad H. @ Apr 21st 2008 11:17PM]

His last name is Myhrvold, not Mhyrvold (as it is spelled in the article).

[ajay @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:41AM]

hey its very beutiful

[Thomas @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:14AM]

The mother and holy grail of all gadget unboxing picture.

[robothouse @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:32AM]

Haha old computers are old!

[Rodrigo @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:06AM]

I want to see this on "Will it blend?"

[CybrMatt @ Apr 23rd 2008 8:49PM]

While museums are certainly cool, am I the only one whose at least slightly annoyed that rather than put $1m to useful work... say a charity for the environment, or humanitarian issues, or medical research... we've got a giant block of useless wood gathering dust somewhere? I mean if it were an original, sure, but to actually spend that much to *create* it after the fact seems like a waste to me...