For my part, it's for multiple reasons.
1). I have a very healthy respect, and deep affection, for many of the
early minicomputers because they're built so much better than almost
anything the PC world has turned out. That, and most of them were designed
to be field-repairable from the ground up. I grew up with many of the late
70's/early 80's DEC systems, and I very much enjoy working on them.
2). Since NetBSD is readily available, I also enjoy the opportunity to
actually put some of these systems into actual production. Example: One of
my DECServers is probably going to become our mail/web server once I get a
permanent Internet connection established. There's something about being
able to point to a running box, and being able to tell a visitor "No,
that's not a PC and Billy-boy Gates had absolutely nothing to do with its
operating system" that is most satisfying.
3). I hate waste. I'm a pack rat. If I do sell or trade any equipment, I
will have taken darn good care of it and at least tried to make sure it
works before it goes out the door. You want an example of companies that
are far more wasteful of electronic and computer hardware than they want
the world to think, have a look at both Boeing and Motorola's Comm Sector.
In all fairness, Boeing, at least, maintains an active surplus store. Yes,
95% of the non-PC stuff gets lot-sold to wholesalers, as does most of the
test gear, but at least it finds a home.
Motorola is not so kind. Any surplus radio or test gear that comes in from
the field is crushed and recycled for scrap, no matter if it's brand new or
was fractured in an accident of some sort. No Motorola employee(s) that I
know of were ever given the opportunity to give any of it a good home.
For types of surplus that are not generally available in Washington state,
I make an annual scrounging trip to the Bay Area (my former home). I've yet
to be disappointed with such trips. Heck, the first one I did back in 1994
netted me a Data I/O UniSite programming system.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
(Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin_at_jps.net) (Web:
http://table.jps.net/~kyrrin)
SysOp: The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272, 253-639-9905)
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own
human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
Received on Sat Oct 24 1998 - 11:03:58 BST