The Computer Museum At System Source

The Computer Museum At System Source Learn computer history at the Computer Museum at System Source in Hunt Valley. This extensive collec

05/23/2026

In the final chapter of our Microsoft Mini series, Museum Founder Bob Roswell dives into Microsoft's next brilliant move: applications. Once the operating system was secure, Microsoft "slowly but surely" set its sights on the top applications of the day—transforming from a platform provider into a software empire.⁠ ⁠
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By improving their (really bad) word processor until it surpassed WordStar and WordPerfect, and outmaneuvering legends like Lotus 1-2-3 with Excel, Microsoft redefined productivity. Through groundbreaking acquisitions—like the presentation system we now know as PowerPoint—they built a bundled suite that became the industry standard.⁠ ⁠
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The annals of innovation have since evolved from $1,000 mail servers to the billion-dollar cloud subscriptions of today. Witness history come alive as Bob concludes our 4-part journey through the remarkable rise of the Microsoft applications era. ⁠ ⁠
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📺 Watch the finale (Part 4) now! ⁠Missed Parts 1, 2, or 3? Head to our profile to catch up on the full story!⁠
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Experience the legacy of these software giants firsthand at the museum. Link in bio to plan your tour! 🏛️💻 ⁠ ⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit

05/19/2026

In Part 3 of our series, we uncover the high-stakes gamble that solidified Microsoft’s dominance. When IBM needed an operating system, the industry standard was CP/M, retailing for a steep $400. But Bill Gates had a groundbreaking alternative in mind. ⁠ ⁠
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By acquiring a startup and their "Quick and Dirty Operating System" (86-DOS™), Microsoft was able to offer a solution for just $40. This pioneering move wasn't just about price—it was about a remarkable strategy of volume and ubiquity that would soon put Microsoft software on nearly every desk in the world. ⁠ ⁠
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Listen to Bob Roswell, Museum Founder, as he tells the tale behind this innovation behind the deal of the century. ⁠ ⁠
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📺 Watch Part 3 now! Stay tuned for the final chapter of our 4-part journey through Microsoft’s history.⁠ ⁠
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Experience it firsthand at the museum. Link in bio to plan your tour! 🏛️💻 ⁠ ⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit⁠ ⁠
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Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️ Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
❤️ 501(c)3 non-profit⁠
📅 Tours & Field trips by appointment only⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
🌐 https://museum.syssrc.com/⁠ ⁠
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05/14/2026

In Part 2 of our Microsoft series, we move from the hobbyist's garage to the corporate boardroom. While the Altair sparked the revolution, the real battle was for the software that would make these machines universal. ⁠ ⁠
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As IBM prepared to enter the PC market, a legendary disconnect occurred. While competitors focused on selling high-priced hardware, Microsoft saw a pioneering path forward. They moved with remarkable speed, mastering a new business model: The License. By ensuring their software could run on IBM, Apple, and everyone else, they didn't just sell a product—they built an empire.⁠ ⁠
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Witness history come alive as Bob Roswell explains the groundbreaking deal that changed the annals of innovation forever. ⁠ ⁠
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📺 Watch Part 2 now! Missed Part 1? Check out our previous post to see the 'Toy Computer' that started it all.

05/13/2026

"They just didn't know they couldn't fit a real programming language in this basically toy computer." — Bob Roswell⁠
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In Part 1 of our new series, we explore the pioneering days of two young men: Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Before the software giant existed, they were high school friends building traffic light systems and dreaming of the future.⁠
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When the groundbreaking Altair 8800 hit the scene in 1975, the duo didn't let technical limitations stop them. Paul Allen wrote an emulator, Bill Gates sat down to code, and the rest is annals of innovation history.⁠
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Witness history come alive as Bob Roswell shares this remarkable tale of the first PC software revolution. ⁠
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📺 Watch Part 1 now! Stay tuned for the rest of our 4-part journey through Microsoft’s history.⁠
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Experience it firsthand at the museum. Link in bio to plan your tour! 🏛️💻 ⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio or our website (below) to schedule a visit⁠
⁠
Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️ Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
❤️ 501(c)3 non profit⁠
📅 Tours & Field trips by appointment only⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
🌐 https://museum.syssrc.com/⁠
⁠

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04/23/2026

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A Byte of History: The Original Apple ][⁠Meet the original Apple ][, a true pioneer launched in 1977! Designed primarily...
04/13/2026

A Byte of History: The Original Apple ][⁠
Meet the original Apple ][, a true pioneer launched in 1977! Designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, this 8-bit home computer was one of the very first successful models made for everyone.⁠
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It cost $1,298 for 4 KB of memory, or up to $2,638 for 48 KB. Early versions used a 1 MHz processor and loaded programs using audio cassettes. A unique feature was its Integer BASIC language: if you typed "5/2," the computer would simply give you "2" (no decimals!). Its famous rainbow-striped Apple logo showed off its color graphics and became a corporate symbol for decades.⁠
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This particular Apple ][ is extra special. Steve Wozniak himself signed it during his trip to Baltimore in January 2014.⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit⁠
⁠
Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️ Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
❤️ 501(c)3 non profit

Meet the Apple III! 🍎 This ambitious machine was supposed to be the next big thing after the Apple II, but it had some s...
04/13/2026

Meet the Apple III! 🍎 This ambitious machine was supposed to be the next big thing after the Apple II, but it had some serious stability issues. Oops! ⁠
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Launched in 1980, it was built for business but plagued by stability issues. It was so prone to overheating that it’s now a legendary example of what happens when design goals clash with engineering reality.⁠
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😅 Come see this piece of Apple history and learn from its (expensive) mistakes. ⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit⁠
⁠
Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️ Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
❤️ 501(c)3 non profit⁠
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Step Back in Time⁠ 💾🧮🖥️⁠⁠Join our guided tours at System Source for an unforgettable deep dive into the history of techn...
04/10/2026

Step Back in Time⁠ 💾🧮🖥️⁠
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Join our guided tours at System Source for an unforgettable deep dive into the history of technology. From the era of massive mainframes to the personal computers that transformed the world, you’ll witness the fascinating evolution of computing.⁠

⁠Our expert guides will share insights that bring the story of computing to life.⁠
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Uncover the wonder of vintage computing — book your tour today. 💫⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit⁠
⁠
Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️ Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
❤️ 501(c)3 non profit⁠
⁠

In honor of Women's History Month, we’re celebrating Margaret Hamilton. When she joined NASA’s Apollo project in 1965, s...
03/24/2026

In honor of Women's History Month, we’re celebrating Margaret Hamilton. When she joined NASA’s Apollo project in 1965, she led the development of the on-board flight software which would define an entire field.⁠
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Margaret coined the term “software engineering” to ensure her team's work was recognized as a rigorous and essential part of the systems engineering process. Her innovative approach to error detection and fault tolerance literally saved the Apollo 11 mission when the computer systems were overloaded during the moon landing.⁠
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From her early work on the SAGE Project at MIT to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, Margaret’s legacy continues to shape the digital world.⁠
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Keep an eye on our account all month long and beyond as we continue to feature the incredible women in STEM who built the foundation of modern computing!⁠
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Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Monday - Friday, 10am-5pm⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
❤️501(c)3 non profit⁠
Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit

Today, we honor a figure who stands tall in the annals of innovation—not just for the intricate systems she designed, bu...
03/24/2026

Today, we honor a figure who stands tall in the annals of innovation—not just for the intricate systems she designed, but for the courage she showed when her career was unjustly stripped away.⁠
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In the 1960s, Lynn Conway was a star architect at IBM, where she invented "Dynamic Instruction Scheduling." This was a groundbreaking leap that allowed computers to execute multiple instructions out of order, a concept that remains a cornerstone of modern supercomputing. However, in 1968, IBM fired her for her gender transition, and her contributions were largely erased from their official history for decades.⁠
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Forced to rebuild her career from scratch in "stealth mode," Lynn joined Xerox PARC. It was here that she triggered a technological first: the VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) revolution. Alongside Carver Mead, she authored the definitive textbook on chip design, creating the "Mead-Conway" method.⁠
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This work effectively invented the "fabless" chip industry. By decoupling chip design from manufacturing, she empowered a generation of engineers to create the sophisticated microchips that power our phones and computers today.⁠
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In 2020, the circle finally closed when IBM issued a long-overdue formal apology for the 52 years of silence. Lynn Conway’s legacy is a fine example of a "hidden figure" whose vision shaped the world while she lived in the shadows.⁠
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As she famously said:⁠
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"If you want to change the future, start living as if you're already there."⁠
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History is full of remarkable figures who shaped the evolution of computing. Visit us at the System Source Computer Museum in Hunt Valley to explore the inventions that changed the world.⁠
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Stay tuned for more Women's History features through March and beyond.⁠
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Visit our linkin.bio to schedule a visit⁠
⁠
Computer Museum at System Source⁠
🖥️ Vintage Computers, Games & More⁠
📍 338 Clubhouse Rd, Hunt Valley, MD 21031⁠
📅 Tours by appointment only⁠
☎️ (410) 771-5544⁠
❤️ 501(c)3 non profit

Address

338 Clubhouse Road
Hunt Valley, MD
21031

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

(410) 771-5544

Website

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