17 Oct
2022
17 Oct
'22
6:03 p.m.
Who presently has the largest predominantly "vintage computing" collections
in 2022? I sometimes wonder what the cutoff definition is for "very large
collection" ... 1000 individual computers? Or do you judge by square feet
filled? I have seen entire houses full, 5000sq ft warehouses, entire
homes.stuffed to the brim. But there is a price to pay. Free stuff has a
storage cost until it ain't so free anymore. It's hard to maintain a large
collection and prevent its deterioration.
Reminds me of the consolidation of planetary debris into the solar system.
By 2022 there has been a lot of consolidation. Some of us started
accumulating systems in the 1990s or even before, and are still at it.
From.the looks.of what was being sold at vcfmw we're a ways off from
running out of stuff.
Bill
17 Oct
17 Oct
6:17 p.m.
On Mon, 17 Oct 2022, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
Who presently has the largest predominantly
"vintage computing" collections
in 2022? I sometimes wonder what the cutoff definition is for "very large
collection" ... 1000 individual computers? Or do you judge by square feet
filled?
Well "largest" would have to be square footage, cubic yardage, or weight.
Sellam lost many metric buttloads.
"Most extensive" could be number of computers, completeness of various
subsets ("one each of every model of XXX"), widest variety, etc.
Other quantifications could include amount of power consumed if they were
to all be up at the same time.
An extensive collection of "pocket computers" could be quite extensive,
without incurring as much of a storage load.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
6:30 p.m.
However you define it, who has the largest private collections? Is
there anyone who claims to have the largest private collection? I
hypothesize that there is a terminal size where it becomes
unmanageable.
Bill
On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 9:17 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2022, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
Who presently has the largest predominantly
"vintage computing" collections
in 2022? I sometimes wonder what the cutoff definition is for "very large
collection" ... 1000 individual computers? Or do you judge by square feet
filled?
Well "largest" would have to be square footage, cubic yardage, or weight.
Sellam lost many metric buttloads.
"Most extensive" could be number of computers, completeness of various
subsets ("one each of every model of XXX"), widest variety, etc.
Other quantifications could include amount of power consumed if they were
to all be up at the same time.
An extensive collection of "pocket computers" could be quite extensive,
without incurring as much of a storage load.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com 
7:22 p.m.
On Oct 17, 2022, at 6:30 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
However you define it, who has the largest private collections? Is
there anyone who claims to have the largest private collection? I
hypothesize that there is a terminal size where it becomes
unmanageable.
Bill
I’m happy to say that I don’t have the largest, but I will say that I’ve considered that
my collection to be too large for many years. There is a lot to say about a collection
becoming unmanageable at a certain size. I think one of the primary factors is how much
time the collector has to dedicate to their collection.
Zane
7:39 p.m.
. . . and there is the point where it crosses over
fromyou owning the collection,
to the collection owning you.
On Mon, 17 Oct 2022, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:
> On Oct 17, 2022, at 6:30 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
>>
>> However you define it, who has the largest private collections? Is
>> there anyone who claims to have the largest private collection? I
>> hypothesize that there is a terminal size where it becomes
>> unmanageable.
>> Bill
>
> I’m happy to say that I don’t have the largest, but I will say that I’ve considered
that my collection to be too large for many years. There is a lot to say about a
collection becoming unmanageable at a certain size. I think one of the primary factors is
how much time the collector has to dedicate to their collection.
>
> Zane
>
18 Oct
18 Oct
5:35 p.m.
On Oct 17, 2022, at 7:39 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
. . . and there is the point where it crosses over
from you owning the collection,
to the collection owning you.
This is a very accurate statement. How many of us have grown to have a love/hate
relationship with our collections. My wife isn’t the one saying it takes up to **** much
room, I am.
Zane
17 Oct
17 Oct
8:22 p.m.
I used to claim "largest privately held collection on the planet" and no
one ever challenged me.
I like to think of it in terms of atoms, because empty space is just a
vacuum.
On that account, I control a tremendous number of atoms.
Sellam
On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 6:31 PM Bill Degnan via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
However you define it, who has the largest private
collections? Is
there anyone who claims to have the largest private collection? I
hypothesize that there is a terminal size where it becomes
unmanageable.
Bill
On Mon, Oct 17, 2022 at 9:17 PM Fred Cisin via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
On Mon, 17 Oct 2022, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:
> Who presently has the largest predominantly "vintage computing"
collections
> in 2022? I sometimes wonder what the cutoff
definition is for "very
large
> collection" ... 1000 individual
computers? Or do you judge by square
feet
filled?
Well "largest" would have to be square footage, cubic yardage, or weight.
Sellam lost many metric buttloads.
"Most extensive" could be number of computers, completeness of various
subsets ("one each of every model of XXX"), widest variety, etc.
Other quantifications could include amount of power consumed if they were
to all be up at the same time.
An extensive collection of "pocket computers" could be quite extensive,
without incurring as much of a storage load.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
8:29 p.m.
On Mon, 17 Oct 2022, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote:
I used to claim "largest privately held
collection on the planet" and no
one ever challenged me.
I like to think of it in terms of atoms, because empty space is just a
vacuum.
On that account, I control a tremendous number of atoms.
Sellam
Have you thought of trying to quantify the number of computrons?
Or the mass of the magic smoke?
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com
10:44 p.m.
However you define it, who has the largest private
collections? Is
there anyone who claims to have the largest private collection? I
hypothesize that there is a terminal size where it becomes
unmanageable.
Bill
Largest one I know of would by System Source in Maryland?
And an awesome one at that.
- Ethan
18 Oct
18 Oct
1:46 a.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ethan O'Toole via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: 18 October 2022 06:45
To: Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Cc: Ethan O'Toole <ethan(a)757.org>
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Large private collections
I suspect Jim Austin has one of the largest collections that's publicly
documented...
https://www.computermuseum.org.uk/
.. but many are very private about what they own....
Dave
However you define it, who has the largest
private collections? Is
there anyone who claims to have the largest private collection? I
hypothesize that there is a terminal size where it becomes
unmanageable.
Bill
Largest one I know of would by System Source in Maryland?
And an awesome one at that.
- Ethan
7:26 a.m.
I suspect Jim Austin has one of the largest
collections that's publicly
documented...
https://www.computermuseum.org.uk/
.. but many are very private about what they own....
Dave
Indeed! Looking down their list it's quite impressive but I think System
Source has them beat. I don't see a list of systems on the system source
website though so I have to go from memory and what I know.
Not sure how big the collections are behind the scenes at Living Computer
Museum, CHM or that place down in Georgia. And who knows how many other
Computer Reset Warehouses are out there that we don't know about.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
9:02 a.m.
I have seen system source both the museum part and the warehouse in the
back. The rhode island.museum and warehouse is probably larger. Not that
system source is not substantial.
Bill
On Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 9:26 AM Ethan O'Toole via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
I suspect Jim
Austin has one of the largest collections that's publicly
documented...
https://www.computermuseum.org.uk/
.. but many are very private about what they own....
Dave
Indeed! Looking down their list it's quite impressive but I think System
Source has them beat. I don't see a list of systems on the system source
website though so I have to go from memory and what I know.
Not sure how big the collections are behind the scenes at Living Computer
Museum, CHM or that place down in Georgia. And who knows how many other
Computer Reset Warehouses are out there that we don't know about.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
9:21 a.m.
I went to the Large Scale Systems Museum in New Kensington, PA (USA) a few
weeks ago. I've never seen such a large collection outside of the CHM in
Mountain View, CA (USA) but I've also only seen three collections haha.
The LSSM's main area was amazing (and most items are operational) but the
systems in their off-site storage area blew my mind...
Dave the curator is an endless well of knowledge, too. I highly recommend a
visit.
=]
On Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 12:03 PM Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
I have seen system source both the museum part and the
warehouse in the
back. The rhode island.museum and warehouse is probably larger. Not that
system source is not substantial.
Bill
On Tue, Oct 18, 2022, 9:26 AM Ethan O'Toole via cctalk <
cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
I suspect
Jim Austin has one of the largest collections that's publicly
documented...
https://www.computermuseum.org.uk/
.. but many are very private about what they own....
Dave
Indeed! Looking down their list it's quite impressive but I think System
Source has them beat. I don't see a list of systems on the system source
website though so I have to go from memory and what I know.
Not sure how big the collections are behind the scenes at Living Computer
Museum, CHM or that place down in Georgia. And who knows how many other
Computer Reset Warehouses are out there that we don't know about.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
11:05 a.m.
On 10/18/22 12:21, Anders Nelson via cctalk wrote:
I went to the Large Scale Systems Museum in New
Kensington, PA (USA) a few
weeks ago. I've never seen such a large collection outside of the CHM in
Mountain View, CA (USA) but I've also only seen three collections haha.
The LSSM's main area was amazing (and most items are operational) but the
systems in their off-site storage area blew my mind...
Dave the curator is an endless well of knowledge, too. I highly recommend a
visit.
If you do, say Hello to some of the stuff that came from my collection
the last time I had to move. :-)
bill
9:41 a.m.
I have seen system source both the museum part and the
warehouse in the
back. The rhode island.museum and warehouse is probably larger. Not that
system source is not substantial.
Bill
Ohhh yea, you might of visited System Source before the expansion. Did you
see the Cray 1? There is the Cray room now with the raised floor. Also
Xerox Altos systems and all that. Tons of other systems with that haul
(800+?)
- Ethan
--
: Ethan O'Toole
555
days inactive
556
days old
14 comments
8 participants
participants (8)
-
Anders Nelson -
Bill Degnan -
Bill Gunshannon -
dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com -
Ethan O'Toole -
Fred Cisin -
Sellam Abraham -
Zane Healy