As you can see from the comments, it's unfortunately a fake. Good picture though.
By the way, I'm manually approving comments to limit spam. In two hours eleven people spotted the problem and wrote a comment. The power of the net!
I'm trying to get Typekey working so people can register and have comments be posted automatically. Patience.
I think this was a photoshopped meme a couple months ago. Still funny, however.
Posted by: Rex Hammock at November 30, 2004 02:20 PM
It's a great picture, but unfortunately it's also a hoax. See:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
-NB
Posted by: Nathan at November 30, 2004 02:26 PM
sure, mitch:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
:)
Posted by: max at November 30, 2004 02:31 PM
Sorry, that one's a hoax:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
Posted by: Anil at November 30, 2004 02:35 PM
Nuclear-powered as well!
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
Posted by: Alan at November 30, 2004 02:58 PM
Snopes has more information on the source of this picture:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
Posted by: Helen Rose at November 30, 2004 04:15 PM
You may already know this, but I'm sorry to say that that picture is actually an entry in a Photoshop contest (http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_rand_home_computer.htm). A friend sent me that photo a while ago and we found it completely hilarious; we were quite sad to learn it wasn't entirely real :). When is Mozilla going to implement support for steering wheels and pressure gagues?
Posted by: Jon Henry at November 30, 2004 04:25 PM
Sorry, it's a hoax. Funny, but still a fake.
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
Posted by: Larry Cannell at November 30, 2004 04:29 PM
Hate to burst your bubble, but:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
Posted by: Yoz at November 30, 2004 04:47 PM
This is a FARKed hoax that has been circulating for awhile. I was fooled and amused as well. Notice that the keyboard is not a TTY keyboard, but a DEC LA120 from the mid-1970's. There are a few angles and lighting difficulties that appear once you study it.
Posted by: Bob Dalgleish at November 30, 2004 04:59 PM
Look at
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp
Claim: Photograph shows RAND Corporation's 1954 design for a home computer.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]
Posted by: Tom Myers at November 30, 2004 05:37 PM
I hear you are bringing back a contemporary Agenda. Thisis hte best thing I have heard about software in ages. My partner and I started our business on Agenda. I have yet to see anything like it. I am finally interested in a software application again. Please - stay with it.
Posted by: Philip DeSantis at December 10, 2004 11:37 PM
Ok, this time I should be registered properly...
Posted by: Jürgen Botz ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://blogs.osafoundation.org/mitch/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 13, 2004 12:25 AM
Okay, so I figure you know it's a hoax by now.
I looked at that picture, and there was this sudden rush of familiarity. I thought, My god, they took a picture of maneuvering! Except, I thought maybe the RAND people took the picture, back in 1954, and used it for the computer thing. I spent much time sitting at that center panel. (It's three panels, if you can't tell.) Oh, and it's not a "steering wheel".
Posted by: cypherpunk at December 17, 2004 10:15 PM
Just made me think of an incident in 1971/72. Friend of mine cleaned offices part-time and I followed him along early one evening, since we were headed off bar hopping. The IBM showroom was a client, and they were closed. So I was allowed to sit in a floor to ceiling glass walled room of "big iron" card punchers, the works. Bored salesman comes in and tries to impress me with the six figure prices around me. I said, I hoped in a few years I would have a "terminal" at home where I would get the paper, go the library etc. I didn't even say t mention a computer. Well, he said, "It'll never happen." Ya can dress em in white shirts and black ties, but.....
cheers
Posted by: Larry at December 20, 2004 06:47 AM