Odd vintage computer sellers

[Cameron Kaiser]

> Most of us who collect vintage computers probably have our own stories 
> like this, but I find this so amusing that I just have to share it.
> Last year I did an exhibit on SPARC clones for VCF PNW and wanted to 
> include a Solbourne in it. Unable to cajole Cameron into loaning me one 
> :-), I went looking for one to buy on eBay.

I'm a jealous collector :)

I do think an S3000 would display well. Stephen Dowdy sent me his old one
and I should try to tidy it up as an exhibit. My "S3000DX" is too precious
to me; that one stays here.

> There was a seller with, among other Solbourne hardware, a listing for 
> some number of IDT S4000DXs. They had started with 6 and were down to 
> 4-5 when I started looking. IIRC, the base Buy-It-Now (BIN) price was 
> around $225, but, when they didn't sell, they were relisted with a 
> varying discount. In relistings, the BIN was as low as $167.
[...]
> The seller is still trying to sell 2 of the original 6 S4000DXs (that at 
> one point included the one that I have). However, the pricing has 
> changed. Now, instead of the old base price of around $225, the base 
> price is now $3060. Yes, $3000. But they are being offered with an 83% 
> discount, so one can get a S4000DX for the low, low price of just under 
> $500.
> 
> I find this amazing and odd.

It's really rather ludicrous, given how even the IDT Solbournes really only
run OS/MP. My affection for them is largely nostalgia; as SPARC systems they
are quite finicky and the later SPARCstations surpassed even the S4100 in
performance. It's really the S3000 that's the gem because of that wacky
plasma display.

-- 
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  Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com
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