Date: 12/26/07 (Computer Geeks)    Keywords: no keywords

Below the cut is a rather large photo (640 x 480 - 45k) of a RAND Corporation conceptual model of a 'home computer' of the future as they conceived it could look in 2004. This was in 1974.





As near as I can tell, this is totally serious. And the thing about that is, the fact that I'd even suspect it might not be says a great deal about how far off they were 33 years ago. This thing looks like the pilothouse of the Nautilus from some second-rate Captain Nemo movie of the '60s. I say that because even given what I already know about computers of the last half century -- quite a few of which I've gotten to inspect up close -- I can't for the life of me figure out what at least half of the crap in the picture is supposed to be for. The monitor panel looks like the avionics from several '70s airliners, and the controls look like they're from a Korean War-era submarine. One easily suspects that the entire contraption runs on steam.

And what in the name of Charles Babbage is that flipping wheel supposed to be for? At first glance, I wondered if there might be some poor soul trying to get home with just one half of a wheelchair. But on closer inspection, I recognise it, from my tours of some older banks, as well as my memory of banks of the early '70s, as the sort of wheel once used to secure vaults. Okay, fine -- but what's it doing here? I've tried to imagine what possible use it could serve for a computer, and all I can come up with is a primitive scrollwheel -- unfortunately, in this case, a full decade before the first commercial GUI. Maybe it's the main On/Off switch, controlling the primary steam inline. Or maybe RAND just made the whole thing up, as a prank.

EDIT: Well, that was sure fast, folks! Thanks, krayt, for the link firmly debunking this hilarious prank, originally from a Fark Photoshop contest. I love Snopes. And Fark.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/computergeeks/1139255.html