Minis not "trendy" enough

From: Gil Parrish <107765.1161_at_compuserve.com>
Date: Tue Jul 22 14:43:39 1997

Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu
>> a mention that I have a front-panel IMSAI I get hundreds of emails from
collectors and pseudo-collectors-wannabes who would bend overbackwards to
pay me good money for it. Are the only machines that people collect trendy
micros that have been featured in the "collectible" column of the _LA
Times_ and the like? Are classic minis, including PDP-11's and DG mini's
only items for the junk heap?<<

>I can't speak for everyone, but for some of us the problem isn't that
PDP-11's aren't "trendy" enough, the problem is space. I would love to<

This is THE critical fact. Go into an antique store sometime, and look at
the prices. You'll see some little knicknack for $300, and then you'll see
a huge, 150-year old carved mahogany wardrobe closet for-- $260? The fact
is EVERYONE has room for the small knicknacks, but few people have room for
the wardrobe closets. Similarly, I can (and some day, probably will)
decorate my office with cute little ZX-80s, Mattel Aquarius, CGP-115-type
printer plotters and the like, scattered around for people to look at as
curiousities (and ask about, if they're foolish enough to get me started);
but, what would I do with a mini or an IBM 360 if I had one? Not that
preserving some of the larger systems isn't a worthwhile effort, but I
think most people would echo W.C. Fields comparing women to elephants: "I
like to look at them, but I wouldn't want to own one."
Received on Tue Jul 22 1997 - 14:43:39 BST