What is a computer museum?
Q: What is a computer museum?
A: A computer museum is a type of museum dedicated to the study and preservation of historic computer hardware and software.
Q: What does the International Council of Museums define as a "museum"?
A: The International Council of Museums defines a "museum" as a permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage for educational purposes.
Q: Are all computer museums part of larger institutions?
A: No, not all computer museums are part of larger institutions. For example, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View California and The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park are independent entities that only deal with computing.
Q: What types of computers do some museums focus on?
A: Some museums focus on early history computers such as Apple I's or Altair 8800s while others may focus on more modern personal computers such as Apple IIs or IBM PCs.
Q: How do online museums differ from traditional ones?
A: Online museums differ from traditional ones mainly in that visitors cannot interact with or touch any exhibits in the traditional sense. They usually just show photographs or videos from other sources instead.
Q: Who owns private collections?
A: Private collections are owned by individuals or organizations who have an interest in preserving historic computers for research or entertainment purposes.
