...with the hair pulled back, revealing a rack of cheap networked PCs, circa 1999.
Each level has a couple of PC boards slammed in there, partially overlapping. This approach reflects a presumption of rapid obsolescence of cheap hardware, which would not need to be repaired. Several of the PCs never worked, and the system design optimized around multiple computer failures.
Larry and Sergey told me long ago that the beta system used Duplo blocks for the chassis because generic brand plastic blocks were not rigid enough.
We held an event at the Computer History Museum yesterday, and I noticed this new item in the collection. It pre-dates the Google Master Plan.
Charlie Evatt, sean dreilinger, gdsanders, 老管's photo, and 261 other people added this photo to their favorites.
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Tires 8 76 months ago | reply
Looks like HR Giger art, lovely machine that.
bullseyephoto 74 months ago | reply
utterly disappointing!
RecentFootballNews.com [deleted] 72 months ago | reply
Google’s datacenters are just so amazing. Read: dn.vc/datacenterknowledge
GroupFounder 67 months ago | reply
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amitp 61 months ago | reply
If you look closely, the labels on the computers start with “jj”. Their first machines started with “a”. These weren't really the first “production servers”; it's described as the first “rack” though (meaning the first model, not the first one built).
bhupesh.music 61 months ago | reply
hi its really gr8, they brought a new things with new invention, thats what they are the youngest billianares, superb.
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rosefirerising 59 months ago | reply
To my health-oriented eye, it looks like an exposed belly beneath a rib cage.
skytsui 57 months ago | reply
WOW........................!!!!!!!!!!!
biotron 52 months ago | reply
a most interesting contribution. well said.
rosefirerising 52 months ago | reply
;) Great picture tho, even if it does look a bit disemboweled. :)
Jair Ribeiro BR 50 months ago | reply
fantastic!
Jair Ribeiro BR 50 months ago | reply
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called The MVP on Flickr, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
berta devant 35 months ago | reply
uau! I bet they build it up themselves!
You could think in presenting it to this contest! Imatoria - XXI Century Temples Everyone use and knows google nowadays, and mostly of the internet belongs to it! It could be considered as the internet temple!
jaymasood 34 months ago | reply
Thank you for sharing this under Creative Commons license.
I have used it in my Travelogue of an Armchair Traveller as well as in Google Earth Community Forum and have given due credit to you.
The travelogue is a non-profit ads free blog which I have created as a pastime and I do not derive any monetary benefit from it or from Google Earth Community Forum which is also ads free.
CuriousJM
Cartradeindia 30 months ago | reply
It was the best snap of the history where we only think about the data. But could not understand the hard work which derived the result like this---> Awesome.
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McVaio 29 months ago | reply
How did this get preserved? I can imagine they gradually replaced parts and threw the old hardware away.
Shapeways: 23 months ago | reply
Sweet, love that they used Duplo bricks to hold it together...
tjames221 22 months ago | reply
That is incredible! It's amazing how far we've come since then. I get the same feeling when I look at an Apple II-c. Can I use this photo in my post Social Media Club? Thanks!
AlexTurton 18 months ago | reply
shot. well done
jurvetson 4 months ago | reply
Some interesting historical detail from amitp about the racks: