17 Nov
1997
17 Nov
'97
2:38 a.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
I know what
_I'd_ do. I'd power it up (after checking the PSU, etc),
install the software, and enjoy it. You see, I collect computers because I
enjoy using them, hacking them, figuring out how they work, programming
them, interfacing them, etc. A computer which doesn't work (or which for
whatever reason is never given the chance to work) is of no interest to
me. Of course repairing computers is a major interest of mine, so
non-working machines don't stay that way.
I have a non-working machine.... I
like repairing, too... but I don't have the
parts to do so... can anyone ship an 8088 (For the ever-so-popular XT... my
personal favorite, as it holds the charastics of a modern PC aimed at the
average-Joe market)... processor only... I _might_ need a graphics board, I've
heard from Riccardo (He told me about the list) that they're integrated with
the parrall printer port... the CRT was also broken... having that sent in for
repairs to a guy I trust (I don't trust myself w/monitors)... I'd thought about
calling IBM tech support... giving them a BIG laugh... say that It's only
1986.. .them saying that it's late '97....
I'd probably also unpack the disks (although
as others have said, getting
a copy from a friend with the same machine is also an option), read the
manuals, etc
I would possibly make a photocopy of the manuals and read the copies,
as you
might be concerned enough (I wouldn't care) to keep them in good shape....
I remember that at the HP calculator conference 5
years ago I bought an
HP71 service manual. Now, this manual is not common, and it came in the
original shrink-wrap. Having got it, I ripped off said shrink-wrap, opened
the manual, and started reading. You see, I didn't buy the manual as an
example of HP shrink-wrap. I bought it to learn about the HP71. And that's
something you can only do when you've opened the manual.
EXACTLY!!!!
There are people who collect baseball cards (Somehthing which
I DO NOT do) and leave them in the packaging.... they don't even know what
cards are inside.... for all they know, the information could lead them to
develop a new game.... or something... you neve know! I don't want crates of
unused things.... they never get shown, used, I'm in it for the FUN of using
computers... OSes, old drives, seeing old technologies... stuff like that...