The Computer History Museum

By Aaron Ricadela

The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., has long been an engineering geek's wonderland, boasting a collection of machines that include the first Apple (AAPL) prototype (signed by Steve Wozniak), an original IBM (IBM) PC, and an early Google (GOOG) server.

The museum is undergoing a major refurbishment to broaden its appeal. The museum's newest exhibit, "The Silicon Engine," charts the history of computer chips and offers a preview of video and display techniques that curators will unveil on a larger scale when the museum revamps its main collection in October 2010. Here's a look at some of the artifacts on display in The Silicon Engine exhibit and a sampling of some famous computers housed in the museum's collection.