4 Aug
2002
4 Aug
'02
6:32 a.m.
On Sun, 4 Aug 2002, Tothwolf wrote:
I also don't doubt he couldn't find anyone to
"haul off" that 11/70.
Sadly, I've heard about many things that were posted up for adoption on
the list here that ended up junked/dumped simply because no one claimed
them. Not to offend anyone, but it seems like if something doesn't have
the letters 'DEC' printed on it somewhere, there are far fewer list
subscribers interested in it. I currently only own one system made by DEC
(MVII/BA123), and while I'd love to get my hands on a PDP11, PDP8, etc,
I'll not pass up on systems made by other companies.
The computer collecting scene has been disappointingly faddish at times.
Hence all the auctions advertising "Altair/IMSAI" on eBay that had no
Altair or IMSAI items.
Some people collect names, not computers, and if a name is not popular and
well known, few will take the time to research it to find out its
significance. Those that take the time to learn the history, which is
what a lot of this computer collecting is about anyway, will get the
rewards.
One such example of an overlooked system is the SGI
IRIS 1400 I picked up
from a fellow list member here in Houston. I was shocked that no one else
had claimed the system before I noticed it. When I posted about it after I
started work on it, a number of people emailed me and told me they wanted
it if I decided I didn't (not likely). Best I can tell, that particular
system is 100% complete, and everything but the hard drive and DSD5215 is
original.
Sometimes people aren't paying attention. I think it also might be a
result of when the list went completely apeshit and off-topic: people
began scanning the subject lines and quickly deleting anything that seemed
uninteresting. Perhaps in their haste, they overlook messages offering
nice old hardware.
The IRIS 1000/1200/1400/1500 are the first systems SGI
sold. The 1000 and
1200 are both GUI terminals, while the 1400 and 1500 are workstations. The
1400 is a deskside chassis, and the 1500 is a rack-mounted system (with
SMD disks, etc). The 1400 I now own is serial number 0095. Apparently, it
was originally number 0047, but SGI appears to have remanufactured and
resold it.
Good score!
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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