19 May
2010
19 May
'10
12:39 p.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
Of course. I don't delibeartly put the wrong keycaps on my machines, or
scratch up the cases, or anytthing like that. But I will spend a lot
longer geting it working properly that I would, say, on polishing the
case. I don't, for example, ever respray the cases.
A computer is not a piece of fine art. It's
purpose it not to look
beautiful. Its purpose is to compute. A machine with perfect cosmetis
which doesn't work is not a computer. On the other hand some of my
machines, with the odd crack in the casing, incorrect keycaps, and the
like, most certainly _are_ still computers.
That's very much my philosophy too, though having a nice looking well
kept machine is nice, having one that doesn't look quite as good but
works is better.
One of the reasons I have no problem breaking waranty seals, or
I don;t think I own anything with teh waranty seals intact :-)
replacing bits of a machine so that it works, even if
it isn't
'original'. After all who want's an original machine that doesn't work.
Hell I've even been known to build clones of original machines so that I
have an example (Acorn Atom and Dragon Alpha prototype, though I do have
an original Atom now).
I've never gone that far, although I can sasily see why you would. I've
built plenty of add-ons though.
For pretty much the same reason, all the books I have, have been read
even if they are reasonably valuable first editions etc.
Indeed. Books are for reading, not for looking nice on a shelf. I think
I've mentioned that that when I bought a shrink-wrapped HP71B service
manual, the first thing I did, to the am,azement of everyone in the room
(who were HP collectors) was to rip off the shrink wrap. I pointed out I
didn't care about the financial value, I bought this book to learn how
the HP71B works and how to repair it
The most valuable book I own (I think) is not read that often, mainly
because I don't need to refer to it that often. But I do handle it, I do
allow others to look at it. What is it? (it's even on topic..) An
autographed first edition of 'Automatic Digital Computers' by M. V.
Wilkes. I got it in a school library sale, so it's not in great condition
(got the library stamp in it, etc), but I susepct it's not exactly common.
-tony