A brush and palette need an artist; a pen and paper must have a writer. And a computer? Well, that mandates its own Michelangelo.
Computers are marvelous machines, but without software they are little more than pricey paperweights. The Computer History Museum’s newest exhibit, “Make Software: Change the World!” is a homage to the masterpiece programs that have changed human experience and the world.
In total, the museum curators decided to focus on some of the seminal programs that have become household names, including Photoshop, Wikipedia, mp3s and texting. But also featured are other noteworthy applications that might not be so obvious, such as medical MRI software, car-crash simulators and World of Warcraft, the most successful massively multiplayer online game.
Each program being showcased at the Computer History Museum will have its own exhibit explaining its development and impact. For example, the Photoshop display includes the gradual evolution of photo-editing software from the late 1980s to today. Paired with that history is various images showing how the software has been used by professionals.
Meanwhile, the mp3 section is a homage to audio technology, displaying history from the phonograph to iPod.
Museum curators worked to create their own interactive exhibits, games and documentaries for the featured programs. In addition, the new exhibition aims to inspire a new generation of coders with a new lab equipped with simplified programming stations to show the brass tacks of how software is crafted.
The Make Software exhibit will be open to the public on Jan. 28 at the Computer History Museum, located at 1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View. For hours and information, go to computerhistory.org.
Email Mark Noack at mnoack@mv-voice.com
