Are IBM PCs classic?

From: Jay West <jlwest_at_tseinc.com>
Date: Tue May 18 08:41:19 1999

I certainly have the same mindset that PC's aren't worthy of being "classic"
in the sense that a PDP-8 or HP2108A is.... at first blush....

But thinking about it more, it would seem to me that like quantum mechanics,
it depends on the time and act of the observation. Specifically, we might
not be so quick to dismiss the PC architecture if we were currently in the
year 2100 (that was just a random choice of year, nothing to do with HP's
<grin>).

To provide a counterpoint to that, there were so many PCs and PC clones,
that collecting them would be more tantamount to collecting matchbox cars
than collecting real cars (which I liken to collecting mini's). They're much
easier to comeby right now, so one would collect for color and variety for
example rather than each item depicting a phase of computing history. While
I understand and agree with others idea that PC's are "not as historically
significant except as a whole", I think it is - no less - a valid item to
collect.

BTW - I'm referring to PC architecture machines, not S100, or even PET type
machines.

Just my .00002 cents worth.

Cheers!

Jay West
Received on Tue May 18 1999 - 08:41:19 BST