One from the 'believe it or not' file...

From: Huw Davies <H.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au>
Date: Sun Nov 16 19:15:52 1997

At 05:57 PM 11/16/97 -0500, Carl R. Friend wrote:

> I know a chap "down under" who has a LINC-8 in its original ply-
>wood crate stashed in a storage locker. The thing has not seen the
>light of day since it came off the line in 1968. It is one of 142
>ever built.

OK, that'll probably be Max Burnet who up until recently worked for
Digital. I've actually seen this particular system (in its crate). The
story as I remember it was that it was shipped to CSR? in New Zealand (the
government research organization) but never even unpacked. Max found out
about it several years ago and had it shipped back to Australia. He
installed a Plexiglass window and some lights into the crate for viewing.

> What do we do with that example? Leave it packed away? Fire it
>up for the edification of the locals (worldwide)?

I think fire it up would be rather literal, ie it'd probably catch fire. To
get it to run would require a complete refurbishment. I'm fairly sure that
Max plans to keep it in the crate and restore a different system.

I've cc'd this to Max using the last e-mail address I had for him. Perhaps
we can get him to subscribe as he's probably the most informed old DEC
restorer/historian in Australia...



 Huw Davies | e-mail: Huw.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au
 Information Technology Services | Phone: +61 3 9479 1550 Fax: +61 3 9479
1999
 La Trobe University | "My Alfas keep me poor in a monetary
 Melbourne Australia 3083 | sense, but rich in so many other ways"
Received on Sun Nov 16 1997 - 19:15:52 GMT