The Gospel according to ARD:

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue Apr 1 17:58:57 2003

> Quothe Tony Duell, from writings of Mon, Mar 31, 2003 at 11:40:58PM +0100:
> > Since when have I been a collector, true or otherwise? It is not my aim
> > to own one of every version of a particular machine, I don't care about
> > original boxes, if I get shrink-wrapped manuals, I unwrap them (manuals
> > are for reading!), very few (if any) of my machines are 'original'. All
> > that surely means I am not a collector.
>
> Are you sure? :-) That would mean that I'm not a collector either.

Well, I don;t think you are a collector....

> However, if I'm not a collector, why then am I collecting interesting
> machines at random to use and modify... and, of course, preserve. I

Oh, you're a hacker (in the true, original sense), an enthusiast, a
high-mass-hobbyist, a preservationist, whatever.

> don't care about having one version of every machine, the machine's

I only want other versions if there are real differences (extra features,
major redesign of some circuits, etc). I am not interested in having
every known version of the nameplate...

The HP80 financial calculator is a case in point. Collectors tell me
there are all sorts of versions -- things like does the nameplate read
'Hewlett Packard' or 'Hewlett Packard 80'. I claim there are 2 important
versions -- the early one with a hybrid circuit for the ROM, and the
later one with ROMs in DIP packages (and IIRC, the circuit board is
similar to that from an HP45 then). I care about what's inside the case.

> circuitry). Historical significance, and preservation, are of
> interest to me, but I still feel that what's most important is using

Agreed. I don't like making changes for no good reason. If I can get the
right part to repair a machine (meaning a modern replacement which is
electrically and mechanically the same) then I'll use it. If I can't,
though, I'd rather get something that will work than have a non-working
machine. Of coruse I make as few changes as possible, don't do anything
that can't be reversed if the original part does turn up, and document
what I've done.

-tony
Received on Tue Apr 01 2003 - 17:58:57 BST