Importance of "original" parts

From: Neil McNeight <mcneight_at_umich.edu>
Date: Mon Dec 8 01:07:39 1997

Greetings.

I have recently developed an interest in collecting classic computers and
after (mostly) lurking on this list, I have a question that you all might
be able to answer.

How important is it to obtain computers in their "original" state? Is it
worth it to save a computer that is known to have been hacked together?

For example: I have an original Mac 128k. However, I believe that the
motherboard has been upgraded to the 512k "Fat" Mac. I purchased it at the
University of Michigan's Property Disposal warehouse, which means I was
lucky to find a matching keyboard and mouse and I have no hope of finding
the original manuals or shipping boxes for it.

Should I even bother to restore this machine to it's original state by
purchasing an original (but not _the_ original) motherboard, assuming I
can even find one, or should I just use the machine as is and forget about
any attempts at historical accuracy? At what point do I wind up with
Washington's Hatchet, or does it even matter?

Thanks for any input.

-Neil

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"There is more to life than increasing its speed." | Neil McNeight
                        -Mahatma Gandhi | mcneight_at_umich.edu
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Received on Mon Dec 08 1997 - 01:07:39 GMT