Collection policy was Re: No space for vinatge computers in

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun May 25 16:09:43 2003

> Anything can be learned if you have the documentation of the machine in
> question, and a good idea of the technology used up to the time the machine
> was made. The problem I was trying to show is that the interface to the

THis is surely a good argument for keeping all such documentation. Not
just the user and service manuals for the machine in question, but also
general books on electronics from that time period, component data books,
even component catalogues.

I doubt any here will disagree with doing that! (even if some museums
don't see the point...)

> machines has changed quite a bit, and in 50 to 100 years will probably
> change quite a bit more. Put somebody that only knows a keyboard, mouse, and
> supervga screen in front of a IMSAI 8080 and they wont know what to do.

And a static display will _not_ demonstrate the user interface. It's one
thing to just see a panel with a row of switches on it -- you don't learn
much from that. It's quite another to see the panel in use, with the
lights blinking, and being able to look at memory locations, start
programs running, examine registers, and so on.

-tony
Received on Sun May 25 2003 - 16:09:43 BST