One of the earliest "programmable computers” that was made available to the general public. It is a 'spiel-und-lern' computer, or 'play and learn' computer, an educational tool for the youth and adults alike to get familiar with the wonderful new world of 'automated computing'.

This machine was first sold in 1969 (the preface of the manual is signed 'July, 1969', the same month as the first moonlanding) by a company called 'Piko'. Piko (which stands for Pionier Konstruktion) was a 'Volkseigener Betrieb', a 'company owned by the people' (read: 'state owned') that came into existence in 1948. Actually, its existence was ordered at the time by the Soviet military government because all manufacturers of model trains were in West Germany, and of course the workers of the socialist paradise needed model trains! Apart from trains, Piko specialized in electro-mechanical toys. Today, the company still exists, and is one of the leading brands in model trains.

The East German Piko Dat learning computer was introduced in 1969.

 

You connect wires to turn them into 'logic gates', you change the connections with 10 plastic drawbars, on the other side there are 13 small lights that are turned on and off.

Complete with 72 page manual in German.

Further information is available at http://bramdamman.nl/piko/

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