16 Apr
2013
16 Apr
'13
12:14 p.m.
I expect it's worse for us because to the majority
computers are seen as
complex beasts, and therefore it's hard to fix them when they do go wrong -
and that's assuming that the failed part isn't pure unobtanium (or that
pulls from working systems don't exist).
I suspect this may be one reason I dislike a lot of modern stuff. I grew
up undertansing everything I worked with (or at least tryign to), nut
modern stuff is so complicated that I don;t think anyone underttads it all.
Is there such a thing as an electronics restorer, in the same way that
there are people who restore furniture, or rebuild vintage car engines
etc.? (and who, in their line of work, can possibly make a needed part if
one doesn't exist)
Well, yes... I do it all the time... Problem is that nobody will pay be
for doing it (we will deal wit hthe legalities later...)
The fact is that doing a rull restoration fo a reasonably complex vintage
computer takes a long time -- perhaps 50-100 hours. More if tyhe
docuemtnation does not exist. And at a reasonable hourly rate, that
suddenly makes some of those 'ridiculously high E-bay prixcs' for old
machiens look like pocket change...
-tony