We hate 2020!

Just when we thought 2020 couldn't get any worse! We were about to re-open after many months of being closed but then disaster struck when a mains water pipe burst and flooded much of the ground floor of the museum.
Sadly re-opening has now been postponed. Read More >>>

No visitors, no workshops, no events, no school visits... no income. We know that things are tough for everyone right now, but if you can afford to help us through these tough times please donate what you can.

There's over 36,000 exhibits here! That should keep you occupied for a bit - get searching!

Or come and get involved on our social media channels ...

Thank you.

IBM brings out the Magnetic Disk Memory

1956
IBM brings out the Magnetic Disk Memory

IBM brings out the "Magnetic Disk Memory" : RAMAC350 - Random Access Method of Accounting and Control.

The era of magnetic disk storage dawned with IBM's shipment of a 350 RAMAC to Zellerbach Paper in San Francisco. The IBM 350 disk served as the storage component for the RAMAC. This "machine" is man's height, contains 50 steel platters coated with a magnetic layer. The platters are mounted on a vertical shaft that drives them around. The read and write heads do not move. The total capacity of the system is 5 million bytes ("characters").