Knowledge of the history of computing is an important and relevant topic, particularly for computer science students. Inventions are usually created to solve a particular problem, yet the product evolves and is used for entirely different purposes. Knowing the origin and context gives students additional ways to recall that knowledge. The various implementations make old ideas current. One can infer the past from the future, and from the fact that predictions by most people associated with computer technology have not been particularly accurate. The examples in this paper illustrate how many of the artifacts that existed in early computer and communication systems informed the future.