[inforoots] Picture from 1954 Popular Mechanics Magazine

[Colin Douglas Howell]

'Computer Collector Newsletter' wrote:
> 
> This photo was circulated around the 'net far and wide a year or two 
> ago.  It was proved to be a hoax.  Someone just photochopped it together 
> to see who'd believe it actually was an old concept of a future 
> computer.  Lots of people fell for it.

Actually, I wouldn't call it a hoax--a fake, yes, but not a hoax, since 
it wasn't originally passed off as genuine, but rather was clearly 
intended as a joke.  It was the winner of one of fark.com's many 
"photoshop this picture" contests:

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1115586

Some of the comments are interesting, especially the ones from old 
submarine guys who were all too familiar with the original equipment. 
There are also a few comments near the end noting with amusement that it 
managed to find its way to snopes.