Nielsen1

Nielsen1

Nielsen1 may have been less loved than other Kenbak-1 computers. When Robert Nielsen decided to sell his 7 of his 8 computers , this was the first one he let go, in exchange for a used laptop computer. Nielsen1 had a ventilation holes like all the Nielsen computers, but it also had a muffin fan installed on the outside back, realizing the internal fan really didn't move any significant amount of air in or out of the cabinet. This ugly modification, and the fact it was CTI branded, not Kenbak-1 branded, probably made it less desirable to buyers.

When Herbert Eisengruber closed down his Nova Scotia Computer Museum, this was lost to an unknown buyer until it was purchased by the Computer Museum of American (now Mimms Museum of Art and Technology) in Georgia. Interestingly, Lonnie Mimms, the founder of the museum, already had several Kenbak-1 computers, but the museum told me they were looking to acquire one that would be owned by the museum, and not rely on the computer which was loaned from their founder, which had been on display for years. As of 2025, this computer is in storage and Nielsen6 is on public display.

When the museum acquired their new artifact, they took these incredible professional high quality photos, and permitted their use here. I asked if they could remove the little white round paper sticker on the circuit board, to see if it had a serial number (presumably in the 500 range like Nielsen7) but they declined. They were not ready to make any changes at this time, and thought removing the little white sticker was too damaging. Still, I'm grateful for their information.

Front Top

4000 x 3000

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

Right Front

4000 x 3000

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

Interior w/ Fan

3668 x 2522

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

The original fans inside the case move little if any air outside the case. This external fan, with the holes in the case, likely improved cooling by many orders of magnitude.

Middle PC Board

3000 x 4000

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

The white circular label with the "1" written on it, is the area where serial numbers are usually written on the PC boards. The museum declines at this point to remove the label, but it's suspected it's in the "500" range.

Front Top Small.

1024 x 568 I think this may just be resided of above.

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

Back

4000 x 3000

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

The muffin fan is only a little ugly. The cut piece of black perfboard over the back is a lot ugly, and probably cuts down air flow to a fraction. The museum says they may restore this to original state in the future, with a internal fan.

Left Back

3901 x 2853

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

Top w/ Fan

1788 x 1520

Used by permission, Computer Museum of America/Mimms Museum of Technology and Art

I suspect the top ventilation holes were meant to be near the front panel, initially, but the case top can be installed either way.

The Original Eisengruber Photos

Below are the original photos from 2003 after Herbert Eisengruber purchased if for his Nova Scotia Computer Museum. They are lower resolution, but the only available photos for almost 20 years.

Front

567 x 207

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Left Front

283 x 138

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Right Front

567 x 244

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Interior w/Fan

1134 x 690

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Left PC Board

567 x 425

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Middle PC Board

567 x 425

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Power Supply

567 x 425

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

Inside Front

1134 x 850

Used by permission, Herbert Eisengruber

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