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Boosted by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
kenshirriff@oldbytes.space ("Ken Shirriff") wrote:

Before semiconductor RAM, most computers used magnetic core memory. This is the 128 KB core stack from the computer on Spacelab, the Space Shuttle's experimental laboratory. Let's take a closer look...

The core stack from the Spacelab computer. This is a stack of six rectangular circuit boards, joined by blue connectors on each end. The cores are visible on the top board. The 294,912 cores are way too small to see; there are eight large reddish-brown squares, each holding a region of cores. 18 reddish and greenish stripes are slightly visible, showing regions for the 18 bits of storage.