I’m still checking the Swedish Electronic magazines. I first found a 1967 HP 2115A and after research I found a digital museum called The Computer Church (previously earlycomputers.com) with computers from 1830s-1980s, peripherals and publications from 1830s-1980s.
A very interesting early trainer is the Arkay CT-650, company Comspace Corp, designed by Irving Becker.
Most of the photos showing later rebuilds. Switches on b&w photos are round instead of triangled.
On top the core memory (simulated) and the magnetic program drum.
Below the input, arithmetic, control and output unit. 54" long. Price ~$1000.
The oldest computer (and also interesting) at the Computer Church is a 1922 US Navy analog computer by Ford called Range Keeper Mark VI. The Computer Church: The .
I have one of these too. It was actually at my High School back in the 70’s, and I was SO interested in using it, but they wouldn’t let me. No one there really knew what to do with it, they put it in a storage closet, and then they eventually got rid of it about 1985 or so.
Fast forward 40 years, and it surfaced - and I bought it. Same one from my school back in the day, and now I own it. HaHa. Crazy.
Yes! It really is a reunion ~50 years in the making.
Here’s a pic of my new/old CT-650 friend!
(complete with original dust cover from back in the day too!)
On the other hand, I appreaciate how thoughtfullyt his was designed as an educational device: the switches clearly communicate the position, they are in, and by the control state of the machine, even at a distance, and the color-coding of the bits should make it easy to talk about them.
(So, instead of “the second bit” – “which one, the scond from the left or from the right?” – “well, from the right”, a teacher may trefer to the “yellow bit” and its path through the logic.)