Off-topic, but interesting (Fiorina fired)

From: Tom Jennings <tomj_at_wps.com>
Date: Fri Feb 11 03:08:07 2005

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005, Philip Pemberton wrote:

> Tek 2445: Full of Tek custom hybrids, renowned for letting out copious
> quantities of Magic Smoke. Most common fault: Hybrids.
> Tek 466: A couple of hybrids (2x Y amps IIRC), plus a state machine PROM
> (full code listing in the service manual). Most common fault: power
> supply or cooling fan.
> Tek 555: No idea - I haven't seen the service manual for one of those :)
>
>> of the tube-based 5xx series.
>
> They're tube based? Heh. Bulletproof then.

Clearly, to work on a 5xx series, what with it's little spool of
special solder tucked away inside! is just a pleasure.

But my lowly TDS 2012 (2 channel, 100MHz/GS/sec) consumes zero
watts, instant-on, no drift, center-screen trigger that obsoletes
delayed trigger (well, almost), the size of an old 5-tube radio,
blah blah blah a GREAT scope -- OK if it dies I am S.O.L.

A hell of a trade-off, huh?

Tubes are not exactly fast, either, though they are lovely.



The 465 was an incredible machine to use -- I loved it more than
even my huge 5xx storage jobs. But when they went rotten --
usually the huge stacks of wafer switches -- they were essentially
unrepairable. And I fix all sorts of weird mechanical crap.


> I think the only thing HP really made well were logic analysers.

And nice they are! I bought a 1650B for UC Irvine; I wish
I'd kept it for myself.



I'm not even sure if I have a point. Consistency isn't a human
virtue; I love the old stuff for aesthetic reasons, and use a
Fluke nixie DVM and other things that make UCI students cringe;
but after using the little VLSI tek TDS scope, with it's, well,
tolerable, front panel controls, I could never -- practically
speaking -- go back to the old tube tek scopes, luscious, quality
controls and all.

We dance around the edges of technology; we're not driving it. We
only get to pick and choose amongst the shit what falls off the
trucks.
Received on Fri Feb 11 2005 - 03:08:07 GMT