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Exposition of computer history and development of digital technology

The idea of ​​setting up a "museum" of history, especially of Slovak computer science, was created by Professor Janko Kolenička - the founder of today's Department of  Computer science at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica. Already in 1999, on the occasion of celebrating the 10th anniversary of the founding of the department, he said: “It is time to realize ... the Laboratory of Digital Technology. In this context ... (we realize) "Museum" of computers and digital technology ... ".

His enthusiasm and effort to concentrate as many original exhibits and their parts documenting the arrival of computer technology in the area of present-day Slovakia gradually (and with the significant help of other members of the department and its supporters) led to the grouping of about a thousand future exhibits. For many years these were scattered and stored in several places in the department and were used only sporadically - especially to support the teaching of some technical subjects taught by the department in terms of FPV UMB. On the occasion of the Extrapolation 2017 event, after careful completion and partial restoration, the selected exhibits were first publicly installed and made available to the general public in laboratory F138 at the FPV UMB. Since then “Exposition of computers and digital technology” presents crucial discovering, scientific, research, technological, technical and programming events connected with the computer technology of Slovakia in the context of world history.

 

 

The exposition is divided into thirteen thematic units, each presenting a different chapter of historical progress. Each unit includes infotexts containing a brief historical summary commenting the period, exhibits with authentic attachments related to the development stage, typical component base, time-compatible software, media and documentation .The introductory part of the exhibition (eight thematic units in the room on the left) documents arrival of simple computing aids, a logarithmic ruler, mechanical calculators, programmable calculators, and the first personal computing devices. It generalizes the principles of emerging computers, presents progressively improving digital technology, display devices, control devices, output devices, as well as the beginnings of their progressive miniaturization. In other parts of the exposition (five thematic units in the room on the right) the development of digital computers from 1942 to 1992 is presented in more detail. In a separate thematic block (first showcase) visitors are presented the most important building components and computer components. 3rd generation. In parallel with this issue, the technological advancement of the component base and peripheral and memory components and devices is presented. Another particular documented in the exposition (second and third display cases) is the issue of emerging small home and school computers from 1976 to about 1979. The central theme of the exposition (fourth and partially fifth display case) consists of personal computers and their components manufactured and / or assembled in Banská Bystrica. As part of the objective documentation of the history of computer technology, the exposition (part of the fifth display case and other rooms in the center of the F138 room) also includes components from other world producers, as well as animated computer sets, printers, ... other special digital technology.