- Open Access
- Article
An Educational Exhibit Aimed at Demonstrating the Rate of Growth of Computer Technology to Graduate Students
by Giacomo Bucci 
and Imad Zaza
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione (DINFO), University of Florence, Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Journal of Engineering Research and Sciences, Volume 3, Issue 11, Page # 1-23, 2024; DOI: 10.55708/js0311001
Keywords: Digital museums, digital heritage, computer systems, microprocessors, computer devices, technological progress
Received: 19 June 2024, Revised: 02 September 2024, Accepted: 06 September 2024, Published Online: 04 November 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Special Issue on Multidisciplinary Sciences and Advanced Technology 2024 & Section Biochemical Research Methods (BRM))
This paper is an extended version of that presented at the conference Histelcon 2021 (IEEE). It provides a deeper illustration of the elements of the exhibit under development at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Florence (Italy). The paper presented at Histelcon 2021 focussed on the birth of microprocessors, on the 8086, on an example of core memory and punched tape. In the following, though these arguments are still dealt with, much material has been added, including electromechanical calculators, medium-sized computer systems, personal computers, 8-bit microprocessors, disks, and other elements on the exhibit. The organization of the paper is quite different. It starts with a description of old computing machines (including a slide rule) before passing to the illustration of some more recent computer systems. The last part of the paper is dedicated to the illustration of the mentioned elements. Though there are many computer museums around the world, usually open to the general public, this exhibit is directed to the students of the Faculty, to enlighten the pace of development in computers.
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