Eighteen months after it was forced to close by the withdrawal of the University of Bath from Swindon, the long-awaited re-opening of the UK’s first dedicated Museum of Computing takes place this Saturday 8 August.
The Museum of Computing is committed to the preservation and display of examples of early computers and is twice the size of its previous venue.
The 'Computers at Work' exhibition includes the IBM PC and the Next Cube developed by Steve Jobs after he left Apple. This model was used by Sir Tim Berners-Lee to develop the World Wide Web.
'Computers on the Move' meanwhile highlights the miniaturisation of computer hardware with ‘luggables’ such as the 12kg Osborne, right down to a 1984 Psion Organiser 1 billed as the World’s first practical pocket computer.
Rare exhibits include a Science of Cambridge Mark 14 with a calculator style LED display, the first computer designed by Sir Clive Sinclair.
The museum loaned it to the BBC for filming 'The Syntax Era; The Story of Early British Home Computing' due to be screened in October. The programme covers the golden era of the 1980’s fight for the UK home computer market between Commodore, Atari, Amstrad, Sinclair and Acorn.
It especially features rivalry between Sir Clive Sinclair - ZX and Spectrum - and Chris Curry, his protg and former employee who headed up Acorn - BBC Micro. The Museum also has on show the Amstrad 464, Lord Alan Sugar’s computer of the same era.
The Museum of Computing is a not for profit company limited by guarantee and receives no government funding.
Admission fees are 7.00 for a family ticket for two adults and two children, 3.50 for adults, 3 for students and concessions, 2.50 for children 6-15, while children under 5 go free.
The Museum of Computing is in Swindon town centre at 6-7 Theatre Square, Swindon SN1 1QN, at the top of Regent Street opposite the new Central Library.
Full details can be found at www.museumofcomputing.org.uk.
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