The computer with a steering wheel. I know I’ve seen a link to the photo on here before but searching has been unsuccessful.
Ain’t this place awesome? Twelve minutes (or less)!
It was RAND’s vision of what a home computer would look like in 2004. It’s a model, not an actual functional computer.
“However the needed technology will not be feasible for the average home.” and “With teletype interface and the Fortran language, the computer will be easy to use.”
Oops, so much for their dream of the future.
Handy!
So what was the wheel supposed to be for?
It’s for maneuvering the submarine.
This isn’t a computer at all. Turns out to be a cute Photoshopping of an exhibit depicting a nuclear sub’s maneuvering room that was at the Smithsonian in 2000.
that is not a general purpose computer. it is a control system that might have included some computing using the paper terminal as input/output.
the threads here may have found its purpose. i recall maybe a prototype or mockup for some military system, likely navy.
it may even have used the computer to control the simulation of the control. so the computer and control are in the same picture. like a simulated control system for a submarine.
My thanks to Omar Little and BrotherCadfael for their near-simultaneous postings of the link I was looking for. And extra appreciation to gotpasswords for posting the Snopes link revealing the truth behind that photo. You folks are awesome!
It’s actually called a Reactor Plant Control Panel (RPCP), and it’s located in Maneuvering.