Some things just turn up when you least expect them. This project was born absolutely occasionally. One calm february evening of the year 2005 I saw ’Enigma’ on TV and liked it very much. In a week I’ve bought a book on which the said movie was based. After all I decided to find some more facts about Enigma on the Net. One link - Dayton Codebreakers - lead me to the site of Montgomery County Historical Society where I found that the NCR - The National Cash Register Company - has been involved in the very special project during WWII - Enigma - which  played a central role in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Surfing further I discovered that in August 1, 1998 the National Cash Register Corporation and the Montgomery County Historical Society joined in an innovative partnership committed to preserving the NCR Archive. I’ve got it! NCR, Computers... It was like a greeting from the old friend after long, long time since last meeting.

In 1976, after graduating from the Odessa’s Institute of Marine Engineers, I started to learn computer programming and my first computers were NCR 299, NCR 399 and NCR 8250. Of course I decided to refresh my memory and find something for it on the Net. Poor me! I’ve spent a lot of time, trying to find that something, but it gave me too little. So, finally, I decided to apply to the Net audience for help.

I wrote: ‘Unbelievable, - no chance to find anything about my first computers on the Net! I started my programming experience in 1976 with NCR 299 and NCR 399. Later there was NCR Century 8250 - an outstanding computer of its time... Because next year there will be 30 years since I became familiar with programming and NCR computers, I decided to collect materials (pictures, technical data) regarding old (2nd half of 20th century) NCR Systems, having in mind to create personal site about them. All my attempts to find the above mentioned materials were unsuccessful. Can you please help me with the materials I am looking for?’.

It cost me some weeks to take the right course, but finally I did it with the kind help of the following people:

• Patrick Jankowiak
• David MacGregor
• Jeff Hartt
• Peter Blaessing
• Rick Wetzel
• NCR Sales Representative (anonymous)
• NCR Webmaster (anonymous)
• Claudia Watson
• Jeff Opt - special thanks to Jeff, the National Cash Register (NCR) Archivist of the Montgomery County Historical Society for his support on my behalf.

Thank you all for the cooperation and support.