Bouroughs/IBM docs

From: Marvin <marvin_at_rain.org>
Date: Fri Aug 29 19:34:21 1997

William Donzelli wrote:

> > YIKES!!! RED ALERT!
>
> Exactly.
>
> I think that just about everything ought to be saved, but I would place
> any ancient maintenance/utility software first. Programming books
> survive, but punched cards and paper tape do not.

As I said, there are somewhere around 30 boxes or so of programs on punched
cards. I just shipped an almost full box of IBM cards and it weighed 8
pounds. So it appears we are talking 250 pounds or so of just cards. A
rough guess is that there is around 1000 pounds of documentation there
including the cards and manuals. Again, I don't know what computer these
cards go to. I *really* wish I had met this guy while he was still alive!

Also, do I gather that you both would like the printed software listings
also? Between those and the other "Company Confidential" manuals, another
couple hundred pounds can be added to the total. We won't mention the two
truckloads of paper that has already hit the recycler.


> > PLEASE don't let them dispose of this! I will pay for shipping!
>
> I will as well (for the non-1620 stuff). I assume that this is on the West
>
> coast. Shipping may be a bit - just about how many pounds of paper are
> there?
>
> I would not worry about the old Burroughs "secret" binders. First,
> nobody would care, and second, legal protection may have expired (if
> these are as old as I think they are).

They probably are not that old as he started working for Bouroughs at the
end of 1969. Apparently there is someone else still in town who used to
work at that plant and I hope to get in touch with them. The woman who has
all the stuff said she would talk to some of the people she knows who used
to work at Bouroughs and get their opinion. She also said there were a lot
of older computer books upstairs and I hope to be able to take a look at
them either Sunday (tomorrow is TRW Swap meet!) or early next week
Received on Fri Aug 29 1997 - 19:34:21 BST