A Great Find & A Defense of E-Bay

From: Charles P. Hobbs <transit_at_lerctr.org>
Date: Fri Jun 16 19:08:40 2000

On Fri, 16 Jun 2000, Tony Duell wrote:
> I am not sure what that difference is.... They're both single-processor
> von Neuman computers, aren't they?
>
> I really don't understand why people insist on replacing perfectly good
> computers just because there's a new model out. I do know that my
> original PC/XT will, once I've replaced the dead chip on the floppy
> controller, still run my EPROM programmer, read 8" disks, test cables,
> and do all the other things that I've modified it for over the years.
> Just as my MINC will carry on logging data (as will my HP71 + HP3421), my
> PERQ will still display bitmapped images at a good speed, etc. They do
> the jobs they were designed to do, they still do them. And until I need
> to do jobs that can't be done on those machines _at all_, I see no reason
> to 'upgrade' (meaning : replace a perfectly working, well understood,
> reliable system with a new kludge).
>
If it does what you want it to do, keep it. An original PC/XT wouldn't
meet many of my needs right now, so I wouldn't use one except in an
emergency.


>
> > does yeoman service running my Syntauri synthesizer) and the
> > PowerComputing PowerCenter 240 that I do most of my "real work" on. And,
> > no, I'm not going back to the Apple II and a dot-matrix printer to do my
> > newsletters on, or surf the Net.
>
> I see nothing wrong with printing newsletters on a dot matrix printer.

I don't either, really, except the people have come to expect laser
formatting, photographs, etc. I guess you *could* do it with an Apple II,
hell, I could do it with a TI 99/4A if necessary. And I could rub two
sticks together to light my next bbq, instead of lighter fluid and
matches. It would be fun to try once, that's about it.
Received on Fri Jun 16 2000 - 19:08:40 BST