To all with interest in IBM 7090

My problem is Museums not wanting to restore systems that are on display. I guess that's the difference between a Computer Museum and a Computing Museum. Many conservationists believe that restoring a machine to working order, and using it destroys its authenticity and reduces its historical significance, whereas to me anything that's not running might as well just be a film set. To me it doesn't help you learn unless it can be seen working. Just like a cotton mill, e.g. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/quarry-bank-mill/ or the power hall at MOSI http://www.mosi.org.uk/explore-mosi/explore-galleries/power-hall.aspx Computers are about noise, heat vibration and smell. Whilst Bletchley is coming close with its ICL 2900, there isn't really any thing in the UK that captures the feel and atmosphere of a mainframe data centre of the 1960's. I think one of the problems is that many of the museum staff have never experienced this for themselves and don't understand what the visitor is missing from the experience. I really like running the remnant at the Hartree Differential Analyzer at MOSi but I am sure the Museum aren't really happy about it, as every time we replace the integrator cords we are removing a part of history from the machine, even though the cords that were on only date from the 1960s when it was coming to the end of its working life... My wife thinks I have too many plotters but I don't. She especially hates the DPX-3300 which I love. However I do think my Selectric Electronic Composer was a purchase too far so if any one is interested they are welcome to it. I was hoping to use it as an emulated IBM1130 console built has proportional spacing so I don't think its suitable. I am told it has a minor fault but I have never had the space to test it.... (is it computing or not, not really sure)... You really have to, although you might, like Bletchley keeps enough parts to allow running repairs of ...