Ebay Altair

From: William Donzelli <aw288_at_osfn.org>
Date: Wed May 10 11:02:11 2000

> I am surprised at your logic William -
> *Most* Museums aquire *very* expensive items for free... and the value of
> those items don't drop in half because of it. I know someone who bought a
> Group of 7 painting last month for 50 cents. Should they divide the
> $35,000US value of the painting in half now?

Most meseums (except a few types, like art museums) will not buy anything
unless really pressured to. It is in the standard museum Code of Ethics,
and is designed to cut down on individuals trying to get rich off selling
rare pieces at the expense of the museums (and ultimately the public).

> BTW: The KL10 sent to RCS was
> not running was it?, and a year later now (or more), is *still* not running.

Gee, I hope you try and start a real public museum. Maybe you will see
just how much work there is even before the artifacts can be touched. At
the open houses and work sessions, maybe we can squeeze some time to work
on a machine between a serious electrical upgrade, bookkeeping, getting
bylaws sorted out, incorporation, dealing with donors, dealing with the
IRS, talking to the public, accessioning, deaccessioning, inventorying the
collection, buying shelving and pallet racking, dealing with the landlord,
and about a hundred other tasks. Maybe you ought to lean on the Computer
History Center for not getting lots of machines running, as well. I am
sure they would appreciate it as well. Bother the Smithsonian
Institution, too.

> KS10s are &^& (can't use that word here). I don't have a *single* order for
> one - and never will.

Hmmm...why do so many people want them or have them then?

> Vaporware? Think I've done pretty good. The IBM/360 was crushed as my offer
> was not high enough - Union Carbide, Welland, Ontario. Kevin Stumpf was
> going partners on it.
>
> Which KL-10 do you think I am getting? It *is* running software now! Will be
> emulated through June.

I figured it was the one Kevin Stumpf has. If it is not, and it is indeed
running, then I stand corrected. Your still in for a "treat", however.
 
> PDP-1 very high possibility. KA-10 - I have already had one, passed on
> another for $300 from Beverly Surplus *before* they were worth anything.

When you have secured any of these treasures, then you can make all the
noise you want. For example, well done on getting that huge pile of
DEC gear a little bit ago.

If you have not secured the machines, don't talk. Simple as that. If I
boasted about themachines I had serious leads on at once, I could say I
was getting a PDP-5, Bendix G-15, CDC 8900, Cyber 1000, Cray-1, ETA Piper,
TMC CM-2, PDP-11/70, IBM S/360, Interdata 7/32, and a number IBM tube
machines*. It is just the same for the radio and radar stuff I search for.
I could even "take orders".

> I am finding most of these old kinds of computers (like the original
> PDP-11s) through leads and engineers. I am told where they are - it's all a
> matter of beating them to the crusher.

Of course. In a matter of hours I am off to Buffalo to beat things to the
crusher.

> Funny William, I won't waste my time responding to your last comments
> but.... I am finding most of these minicomputers in the United States, *not*
> Canada.

????

[*] A recent lead - the funny thing is that the pile of old IBM tube
mainframes were actually 2 inch Quad Ampex video machines (which are
actually quite rare as well).

William Donzelli
aw288_at_osfn.org
Received on Wed May 10 2000 - 11:02:11 BST