Exploration of Dutch Computing History

Originally documented by Aresluna Marcin Wichary on June 16, 2022, via a 49-tweet thread featuring 100 photographs.

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting three distinct computer museums in the Netherlands. The experience was so captivating that I felt compelled to share the details.

🏛️ The Museum Trio

The journey can be visualized as follows:

Comparative Overview

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🔍 Detailed Site Reports

1. HomeComputerMuseum (Helmond)

This space feels like an extension of a cozy apartment. With over 500 machines—primarily from the 1980s onward—many are powered on and ready for user interaction.

Insider Note: Staff mentioned they could activate even more units, but they've found that visitors often struggle to engage with hardware they have no personal history with.

2. The Massive Collection

I felt completely engulfed by thousands of computers here; it may be the highest density of hardware I've ever encountered in one building.

• Inventory: Mainframes ("big iron"), calculators, typewriters, and a vast array of video games.
• Atmosphere: A bit cluttered and less hands-on, though a dedicated arcade section exists.
• Highlight: A wonderful selection of late-80s Atari titles.

3. The DEC Barn

Located in the Dutch equivalent of the "middle of nowhere," this barn is the passion project of a DEC enthusiast. It houses a massive collection of Digital machines from the 70s and 80s.

• Status: Many are currently non-functional, as the owner plans to restore them post-retirement.
• Activity: Despite the state of the hardware, we managed to play some Zork.

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🌍 Reflections on Regional Computing

I found the "troika" of museums fascinating, not just individually, but as a set. I particularly appreciate non-American museums because they highlight regional quirks:

• Localization: It is fascinating to see non-English keyboard legends and the creative ways keys were adapted for local languages.
• Unique Hardware: I encountered the Holborn computers (which look like E.T.) at two different sites, as well as exhibits on the ill-fated Philips CD-i.

The Aesthedes

One of the most striking finds was the Aesthedes, a specialized graphic editor from the early 80s.

$\text{Total Keys} \approx 514$

The keyboard is gargantuan because functions that we now find in software menus were implemented as physical buttons. I briefly tested the unit (which the Helmond museum is restoring) and managed to crash it almost immediately by switching to the text tool.

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⌨️ Hardware Hall of Fame

During my visits, I encountered several anomalous input devices and machines:

Input Oddities

• Chording Keyboard: An 80s device with a strange mnemonic system. I even tested it on an old PC and saw a prototype for left-handed users.
• One-Handed Entry Device: Features three Shift keys positioned for the longest fingers.
• The "Delicious" Keyboard: A shiny keyboard that serves as a reminder of why German ergonomic laws $\text{forbid}$ reflective keys to prevent overhead light glare.
  • Cue the Severance theme music...

Rare Finds & Curiosities

• Programming Languages: The visual style of APL remains one of the most intriguing ever created.
• Typewriter Hybrids: While Selectric-based computers are known, I saw one based on a Smith Corona keyboard.
• The Lorenz Teletype: A gorgeous green machine that predated the colorful iMac era.
• International Clones:
  • A Korean NES.
  • An Apple II clone with a mysterious label claiming it is $\text{Power} > \text{Apple IIe}$.

The "Ugly" and the Loved

I am supposed to hate these keyboards $\rightarrow$ I actually love them. This includes "gross" keyboards and various ZX Spectrum clones.

Notable ZX finds:

1. A ZX Spectrum case covered in taped-on documentation.
2. A ZX81 with a "glue-on" keyboard where the adhesive has aged poorly.

I am not sure why this battere... [Text ends abruptly]