Tony Duell wrote:
OK, let me raise a few points.
I think _everyone_ here could do component-level troubleshooting if they
wanted to. It's mostly a matter of logical reasoning, and I think everone
here can think logically.
This last part may explain why I'm so fanatical about it. I find it fun.
I like solving puzzles. I like logic puzzles particularly. And that's
exactly what rtoubleshooting should be. A puzzle. It's like detective
work. You gather the clues, think about them, and find the cluprit.
Fortunately for me, the rsults of being wrong are somewhat less serious
than sending an innocent man to the gallows ;-)
I guess troubelshooting is one reason that I mess around with old
hardware. I do enjoy it.
-tony
-------------------------------------------------
Tony,
There are different motivations for different people. I don't share your
love of fixing things for the sake of fixing them. After 45 years of
repairing electronic problems for a living, I'd like a break. Puzzles are
fine for minor recreation, but a full time diet is very boring. Broken
malfunctioning computers have gotten old. Time for some fun.
I buy new computers so I can USE them. I want to have pwerful tools to
create, research, edit, post. I buy new TVs so I DON'T have to fix them.
I'd rather watch programs on them. I don't have to prove to myself or
anyone else that I can troubleshoot an old circuit. Or a new one for that
matter.
Same for cars and cameras. My pleasure is in driving someplace I haven't
been and experiencing it. Or visiting friends. Staying home and overhauling
the engine is not a pleasure. Buying a camera to fix it is not a joyous
thing. The creative part is in the picture taking.
So I DON'T agree that everyone on the list should be able to troubleshoot.
It is a minor facet of the hobby of retrocomputing, not the raison d'etre of
the hobby.
Billy