Here are additional interesting web sites devoted to the history of computing, sites which I found enlightening, intriguing, or just fun to browse… Many are the personal sites of collectors like myself; all openly share their knowledge — lots of it — about the subject. Enjoy!
- Computing Before Computers — a complete online version of a scholarly book about the history of computing. The detailed description of Babbage’s engines is fascinating!
- The Oughtred Society, the American collector society. The Journal of the OS is a must-read if you’re serious about this hobby. And consider contributing articles (I do, regularly).
- The UK Slide Rule circle. On this side of the pond… the UKSRC Gazette is another excellent in-depth journal that I write for.
- Mike Konshak’s international slide rule museum has hi-res scans of over 2000 slide rule models!
- Rod Lovett’s comprehensive site includes everything – slide rules archives, literature search, and a searchable database of past eBay auction prices.
- Stephan Weiss shares a wealth of information, in-depth research articles and interactive simulations of many mechanical calculators.
- Following the Rules shows Mike Syphers’s slide rule collection through quality scans, data sheets and edifying articles.
- Rechnerlexikon — an extensive and growing communal (Wiki) encyclopedia of mechanical calculators.
- Photocalcul, Gonzalo Martin’s site with photos, data and priceless scans of instruction manuals.
- “Die Rechenmaschinen” (The calculating machines) — includes the complete English translation of Ernst Martin’s 1925 book, a key reference in our field. Thanks are due to Walter Szrek, Herbert Schneemann, and the MIT press for making this available online.
- Vintage Calculators Web Museum is devoted to calculators, both electronic and mechanical.
- Nicola Marras’s site: was there life before computer?
- Ron Manley has an extensive slide rule site with a wealth of information and pointers.
- Gerhard Wenzel’s Museum of Pocket Calculating Devices — over 2800 models and counting.
- The Old Calculator web museum gives deep technical descriptions of the technology in early electronic (and some mechanical) calculators.
- Eric Marcotte’s excellent site is no longer updated, but then, neither are slide rules…
- Linealis.org — a French site dedicated to manual instruments of calculation as well as slide rules, cursors, abaci, handheld calculating machines, planimeters and integrators.
- reglacalcul.com — Marc Thomas’s site, focused on an impressive collection of 19th century slide rules and related materials.
- Prehistoria de la informatica — a Spanish site by Eduardo Guillem covering calculators, typewriters and other office machines, with beautiful photos and a wealth of information.
- The Jim Austin Computer Collection — a physical and online museum spanning the range from components to actual mainframe computers!
- All About the Father of the Computer: Charles Babbage — An overview of that amazing pioneer of computer technology (contributed by James Martin).