Museum exhibit reveals the intricate workings of a knackered Dell
When it should have been weaving tales of the Jacquard loom
This story, reported by Register reader Jeffrey Borinsky, reveals a peculiar exhibit at Coventry's Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. The information terminal was intended to display a Jacquard loom in action, but instead, it displayed a warning about the host PC's failing battery. The Jacquard loom, dating back to the early 19th century, used punched cards to control weaving patterns, resulting in complex and repeatable textile designs that reduced the need for skilled human labor.
Several screens at the museum were in distress, indicating the age of the hardware on display. The device in question is a Dell OptiPlex 755, likely from around 2007, and the CMOS battery was on its way out. Dell specifies a CR2032 coin cell for the battery, making replacement straightforward after disconnecting the power and taking anti-static precautions.
The exhibit's failure to demonstrate the Jacquard loom's functionality underscores the importance of maintaining hardware, especially in the context of computing history.
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