Question for the list

On 14 Jun, 2006, at 05:17, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote: Yes, in 1992 I ordered a new (1993 model year) Jaguar XJ6 3.2 on the condition that a printed workshop manual be supplied as well. Jaguar accepted the order through the local main dealer and I was the first person to get a copy of the five volume set, one whole volume of which was circuit schematics. Yes, on my desk in regular use is a Sharp eLSI mate four function calculator with LED display, which was the best of my 21st birthday presents in 1974. I collect classic cars, I have cars built in 1964,66,69,72,87 and 93. I bought the 87 and 93 ones new, and my father bought the 69 Daimler in 1970. Sometimes, if they are really cheap or will be rarely used, but tools, cars, houses and other fairly slow moving technologies I expect to last a long time. The point with most computers is that the technology moves forwards so fast that I can move ALL my old data onto a new machine with plenty of room to spare every one or two years, and also get a faster machine with more RAM etc. What I lose out on is things like my collection of old games which were written for the Motorola 68000 which would run on my PowerPC but I can no longer dabble in on my Intel based MacBook Pro. I also find some old word processing and drawing documents which are in proprietry format become unreadable, which is why I now store all long term text document as plain ASCII, which I think will continue to be readable for a few years yet even though Unicode may sometime replace it. Roger Holmes.