28 Jan
2005
28 Jan
'05
5:05 a.m.
>>>
who actually _USE_ our classic computers for our day-to-day work
Do you mean you use a classic computer as your ** primary ** machine, or that you happen to use it ** once in a while ** for
your current work?
RE: people who use classic computers as their primary machine, not
including
those of you on the list who work for computer museums
-- I'm very curious
how
many of you exist. And, do you use classic computers
by 1.) choice, 2.)
lack
of budget, or 3.) technological need (that is, legacy
connectivity)...?
I love my vintage computer collection as much as anyone, or else I
wouldn't be
on this list and producing my newsletter, and once in
a while it is fun to
actually use them for modern purposes. Just ask the guy who was startled
last
week when I started taking meeting notes an Apple
Newton. But in
day-to-day
'real life', I can't fathom using anything
other than a modern system
running
some equally modern version of Unix or Windows.
(It's one thing to
request the
PostScript file here in the classiccmp list, but how
do you handle it in
the
real world, where people may tell you "Sorry, our
company only does
business in
Microsoft"...?
For those on the list who like to flame -- please don't -- I am ASKING
about
this topic, not preaching my point of view.
I, too, like my vintage systems as much as the next guy, but lately I've
been finding
myself using the HyperTerminal app on my modern Win2K PC as the console
when I'm doing things on my 1973 PDP-11/40. I can toggle over to the web
browser while I'm copying RK05 disk packs, cut and paste the output of the
PDP-11/40 RT11 DIR command into an email on Outlook, and use simh to
test and run the RL01 disk image that I just sent from the 11/40 to my PC
via
the 11/40 console's serial port. I can use the latest version of Adobe
Acrobat
Reader to read a PDF version of an ancient PDP-11 manual that I downloaded
from Al's Bitsavers while I have my 11/40's
console sitting there in a
Window
on the same computer, while I listen to my MP3 files on the same computer,
while I have Remote Admin running in another window so I can watch my
web server, which is 40 miles away!
When I have visitors and I want them to have the authentic 1970s computing
experience, I unplug my PC from the 11/40 console cable and connect my
VT52 DecScope as the console, to go along with the other vintage terminals
connected via the DZ11 multiplexer.
So..... my point of view is that I like to use my modern stuff right
alongside my
old stuff.
Ashley