'Home' computer: Definition

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Fri Jul 4 20:07:43 1997

[...]

> As a broad collector it is difficult to use all of your machines. Just
> collecting a wide range of machines sucks up huge amounts of time. Some
> people are a little more focused and actually collect partly to use
> the machines.

I collect machines for a lot of different reasons :

a) I want to use them (for whatever purpose). The PDP's, PERQ, and some of the
CP/M machines come in here. They have interesting features, and are plain fun
to program (elegant instruction set, nice bus for homebrew hardware, etc).
b) I got them because they're historically important. I may not care for the
Apple ][ hardware design, but it is an extremely important computer
historically. I don't tend to use this class of machine too much.
c) I got them because if I hadn't they'd have been lost for ever. Either "We're
throwing out this <whatever>, do you want it" or buying a machine that would
otherwise have gone as scrap metal. These machines get restored, and (often)
then end up in group (a)!

> Not everything everyone does is to make money. Some of us do things
> because they are fun, help others, kill time, impress women (or men), etc.

Quite a lot of people need something to occupy their mind in their spare time.
Some people do crossword puzzles. I prefer to figure out how some strange
machine really operates. It's probably about as useful :-) (NO FLAMES!).
Seriously, while solving crossword puzzles must improve your vocabulary,
battling through a schematic or ROM source does improve your computer and
electronics knowledge - something that is useful to me.

And it's fun :-)


> --pec
Received on Fri Jul 04 1997 - 20:07:43 BST