Computer:Digi-Comp 1

Near the dawn of the computer era, the Digi-Comp 1 computer kit allowed kids to see what really went on inside those giant mainframe computers. Where an earlier era of kids had explored the latest realm of technology with crystal radios, this kit taught the proto-nerds of the 1960s the basic principles of binary programming. To make the Digi-Comp 1 even more compelling in the Cold War era, the front of the box touts that it "does the missile count down & re-entry." Other real-world applications in the instruction manual include programming for an automatic elevator, a sequential bank vault lock, and a spaceship check-out process prior to launch.