Holy Crap! IMSAI's weren't this expensive when new!

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Tue Feb 13 20:00:07 2001

At 03:47 PM 2/13/01 -0800, you wrote:
>>> >I think I'd trade a SOL, an Altair, and an IMSAI for a System/38 or
>>> >System/34.. Hell even for an AS/400 with a complete copy of the OS.. Not
>>>
>>> Most older AS/400 go for about $75 at the auctions I've been to in SoCal.
>>>
>>
>>I'd bet their HDs have been wiped. IIRC, the problem with AS/400s,
>>RS-6000s, and many other IBM minis is that the OS is only leased from IBM,
>>and it's not transferable. So a company can't legally give you the
>>installation media, root passwords, etc. And there are no hobbiest licences
>>available.
>
>At a bankruptcy auction anything is possible. Most of the time anything an
>employee thinks is valuable has been looted, but the OS out of a AS/400
>doesn't fit that picture. I've seen stuff go across the block that is
>plainly marked as leased or rented, UPS and FedEx shipping stuff, filing
>cabnets still full of recent transactions, refridgerators still with lunch
>sacks.
>

   One of my most interesting finds along that line is a pre-production HP
85. It has several labels that clearly state that it is property of HP and
is not for sale. However they loaned it to Martin Marietta and never
bothered to retrieve it. About two years ago MM surplused it and I found it
in the trash pile at a scrap company. Considering that the HP 85s are about
15 years old, HP probably left it with MM for at least 13 years.

     Joe
Received on Tue Feb 13 2001 - 20:00:07 GMT