Fate of the Astronautics ZS-1 systems

Hello all, I had promised to post an update when the fate of the ZS-1 systems had been decided. Here it is. After negotiating with my company (Astronautics) for the release of the four remaining complete systems that sit at our Technology Center in Madison Wisconsin, we were able to secure one of the machines for the Rhode Island Computer Museum. The company is not the least bit interested in preserving the other three. They are destined to be scrapped. We tried. :( Merle Peirce will be in Madison this saturday, January 26th, to pick up the machine and _lots_ of spares for RICM. We will also be moving the DEC VAX 11/780 systems and other equipment at that time. If you are in the area and would like to lend a hand, please let me know. I am sure that we will be able to find a few souvenirs that will make it worthwhile. Merle plans to be at Astronautics around 9am saturday. Thankfully, the weather forecast calls for unseasonably warm temperatures this weekend (lower 40's). Again, please let me know if you plan to come. Thanks, Jon Jon Auringer auringer(a)tds.net P.S. To anyone who I may have failed to reply to personally, I apologize. The flood of e-mail that was generated by my posts about the ZS systems and the 11/780s was overwhelming. Between this, preparing to move our facility, and the possibility of pending unemployment, I have been having trouble keeping all of the balls in the air.