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The History of Computing Auctioned at Christie's

Posted by timothy on from the considerable-subset-anyhow dept.

Larry Groebe writes "The most amazing unified collection of books, papers, and similar material on the history of computing is about to go on sale at Christie's auction house. Want a signed copy of 'Rossum's Universal Robots?' Original papers on the Eniac? Alan Turning's original proof of universal computability? Letters from Charles Babbage himself? It's in there, to anyone with (a whole lot of) money. Check out the estimated price on the 1974 journal article by Vinton Cerf describing IP addressing. It's increased in value in the past 30 years...just a bit."

12 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Hey baby by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wanna see my authetic Vint Cerf letter from 1974?

  2. Do they have... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The history of the history of recursion?

    1. Re:Do they have... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The history of the history of recursion?

      yes

    2. Re:Do they have... by nacturation · · Score: 3, Funny

      Have a post which links to itself and then I'll be impressed!

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  3. Computors by Rares+Marian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow. They really did spell it that way. All the souls I've led astray. No amount of Windows usage can atone for the misgrammaticalous advice I've given.

    I will never RTFA again. Who knows what else I'll find out?

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    The message on the other side of this sig is false.
  4. I have... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have Charles Babbage's ego in a box somewhere. Should be worth a bit.

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    Evil people are out to get you.
  5. Also featured on Page 3 of the catalog... by GillBates0 · · Score: 4, Funny
    A never before published proof of P=NP from Alan Turing's diary.

    Just kidding folks...no need to get your panties all in a bunch.

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    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  6. Re:Worth noting by bwcarty · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's because it's all DRM free.

  7. What about by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about the Pink Shirt book; the Devil book; the Dragon book; or the Red book, otherwise known as the ugly Red Book that won't fit on a shelf... Will these books also be auctioned off?

    Signed,
    Joey

  8. 255 lots? by Mononoke · · Score: 3, Funny
    In an auction of the history of cyberspace, shouldn't there really be 256?

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    1. Re:255 lots? by Dogtanian · · Score: 4, Funny

      In an auction of the history of cyberspace, shouldn't there really be 256?

      If they slap in another lot, it'll roll round to 0. Damn those legacy systems!

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  9. No, 255 is correct. by jd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Remember, 0 is NULL.

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    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)