October 13, 2006
HP Computer Museum
Welcome to the HP Computer Museum 25 Years of Innovation (1966 to 1991)What And Why
What:
The HP Computer Museum is a collection of old Hewlett-Packard computer hardware, software, documentation and other marketing materials from HP's early years in the computer industry (beginning in 1966). The Museum is privately funded and owned by Wordsong Communications Pty. Ltd. The museum is not a commercial enterprise; it's a resource and discussion forum for enthusiasts. The museum is housed in a 2500 square-foot building (shed, really) in Melbourne, Australia. The museum is not open to the public, but is viewable by appointment. Please contact us if you would like to visit the museum.
Scope:
The museum's long-term goal is to have working models of all computers and peripherals produced by Hewlett-Packard during the company's first 25 years in the industry (1966 to 1991). The early stages of museum development have focussed on products that had the most "human interaction". These include desktop computers, terminals and peripherals that people used in their daily working lives. The museum also contains some interesting examples of HP computer technology from the post-1991 period. The museum does not include any HP instruments.
Why:
The period of greatest innovation in any industry occurs during the birth and early growth periods. This is true of the computer industry and of HP's involvement in the industry. HP is one of only two major "survivors" in the computer hardware industry, the other being IBM. It is interesting to track HP's progress in the industry and to speculate as to why HP survived into middle age when almost all others failed. From a historical perspective, HP is most notable for its pioneering company culture "The HP Way".
The Museum Web Site:
The museum's web site will be continuously updated as more material is added. The initial development of the web site has focussed on posting as much material as possible. More educational content and commentary will follow. All photographs and original text are copyright Wordsong Communications Pty. Ltd. We have reserved copyright on our photographs primarily to prevent possible misrepresentations in the "internet world". The web has a very active market for second hand computers, and we would hate to see our pictures used to misrepresent an auction, for example. In most cases, we are happy to approve the use of our photographs. Please contact us first. If you spot an inaccuracy in our content or have any suggestions on how we might improve our site, please contact us.
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