17 Jul
2000
17 Jul
'00
12:25 p.m.
Hi Mark,
I work on LOTS of HPs, mainly the handheld and desktop calculators. I
used to try to repair EVERY one that I got but I found that that was
impossible. HP's part's quality and reliability is very good but even with
that there are a certain number of machines that have failures in parts
that simply can not be replaced. At the same time I can resurrect several
machines with parts from one donor. So the obvious solution is to sacrefice
the worst machines in order to preserve the ones with minor faults. The
trick is learning how to tell which catagory the machine belongs in without
wasting hours of time. On something as common as a Commie 64 I doubt I'd
even bother to try and fix one unless there was something unique or special
about it. They're just too common. I see at least ten working ones at every
hamfest and they're usually thrown away afterwards since no one wants them.
I know there are people on this list that think that EVERY computer should
be saved but it's simply impossible. The places that I go to have computers
by the thousands and there is no way to save all of them.
Joe
At 02:41 PM 7/17/00 -0600, Mark wrote:
I'm curious to know how list members feel about the
question of repairing
versus replacing common computers.
For example, in my area, Commodore 64s are extremely common. So if I
received a bad one, after checking for obvious faults I probably wouldn't
spend much time trying to troubleshoot it. It's easier to just find a
working one. The bad machine would either become a static display, or a
parts donor, or a very low priority rainy day project.
From some previous discussions on the list, I believe that some people feel
that every classic computer (regardless of rarity) is worth saving. Many
electronic hobbiests may find as much joy in repairing the broken 64 as in
playing with a working one. These are completely valid viewpoints. However,
I could also argue that the limited time I have to spend on this hobby
would be better spent trying to document a rare find, or repair an unusual
computer, than in repairing yet another C-64.
How do list members (especially those with large collections) feel about
this? Repair, replace, both?
Other viewpoints welcomed.
Regards,
Mark Gregory