In 1837, Charles Babbage invented The Analytical Engine, a
mechanical card-programmed digital computer which anticipated almost
every aspect of the electronic computers which would not appear for
more than a century afterward. These pages are a virtual museum where you can
explore the Engine both through historical documents and an
emulator which allows you to experience for yourself what it
would have been like to program a steam-powered computer.
New: 2017 update adds a JavaScript/HTML5 Web-based emulator and
several new sample programs.