Collection policy was Re: No space for vinatge computers in australia (fwd)

From: TeoZ <teoz_at_neo.rr.com>
Date: Fri May 23 21:53:00 2003

Well some museum people function like archeologists, they want to leave the
machine in the state they found it in the wild. People like you want to
restore the machine to the same state it left the factory most likely. Very
few computers that are put out to pasture are probably in the state they
were when they were sold and shipped. Along the way addons are released that
increase functionality, speed, reliability, etc just like the PC today that
you buy will probably get trashed in 5 years with completely different guts,
storage, memory etc. Who is to say whats wrong and whats right in what state
is correct for that machine?

Like I said before museums have static displays for reasons of power
requirements, lack of personnel that can run the machines, spare parts that
are expensive and hard to find, and the fact that a screwup during operation
could actually destroy one of the few remaining examples (or only one). Most
devices in a museum are there for either art or function (or combination).
The older machines are not much to look at without being powered up and
running. I am 34 years old and I have seen a punch card reader, but never
seen one hooked up and running. I have never used an 8" floppy, or run the
earliest PC's that did computations via dip switch settings on the front
panel. the only mainframe I have ever used was in colege doing fortran
programming and that machine wasnt even in the same state. I have to admit
there is nothing like running a complex fortran program in .001 seconds
(would have taken an hour on the PC's we had at the time) to get an answer
and then waiting 20 minutes for the local monster printer to spit out the
answer and get it posted into my mailbox.

Firearms have evolved over 100's of years and the original versions still
have alot in common with current units. People of today can relate to how
the original versions were used even without using one. Compare this to
computers that are only 60+ years old. Does a person who has a PC today have
any idea what the monster computer that took up a whole room in 1946 does
and how? There was no monitor, no keyboard, and no mouse they are totally
different today, how can people relate to this? While there are still a few
people who know how to make a horseshoe at a blacksmiths there will be
nobody who knows how to run the early mainframes in 50 years, things are
changing too fast. Static displays with a video of what they looked like
when running will be all thats left (if people are smart enough to record
the thing running before the last operator or machine is to old).


----- Original Message -----
From: "Hans B Pufal" <hansp_at_citem.org>
To: <cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2003 4:28 AM
Subject: Re: Collection policy was Re: No space for vinatge computers in
australia (fwd)


>
> I had a discussion with a museum from whom we wanted to borrow a
> machine, the last known example, in order to restore it to working
> order. They said that was not int heir charter and that they wanted to
> preserve the machine in the state they found it. What a waste!!!!
>
> This is my main gripe about museums, a static display loses over 90% of
> the interest of a machine. What use knowing the size and color of the
> cabinet if you have no insigght into what went on inside!
>
> > Over the years how many people are still around who can
> > operate, repair, or maintain 50's era computers? Power requirements
would
> > also be a pain for the older models.
>
> This is clearly an issue we need to pass on these skills to a younger
> generation. Here at ACONIT our goal is a conservatoire of computing
> history, hopefully as such it will perpetuate the skills needed. The
> issue of resoucres is clearly important also.
>
> -- hbp
Received on Fri May 23 2003 - 21:53:00 BST