9 Feb
2015
9 Feb
'15
11:47 a.m.
From: Erik Baigar
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2015 2:11 AM
I am not sure what triggers e.g. that the PDP-8s and
PDP-11s are so
popular and many people interested in them (I guess 50% of all mails
in this list are somehow related to these) where HPs, Novas, Rolms,
Burroughs, Elliotts, ICTs etc. receive only very little attention.
Maybe the reason is that the PDPs are easily available?
Since DEC/Digital was the second-largest computer manufacturer in the
world in the heyday of minis and mainframes, it's not surprising that
their products are still more readily available than others'. For the
same reason, more people are familiar (to one extent or another) with
them. The insanely high prices are because most people don't realize
that they really are common, and pay accordingly.
What's really interesting is that the products from the largest are so
much more difficult to find, due to the business model of leasing with
massive service attached vs. selling with massive documentation.
Rich
Rich Alderson
Vintage Computing Sr. Systems Engineer
Living Computer Museum
2245 1st Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98134
mailto:RichA at LivingComputerMuseum.org
http://www.LivingComputerMuseum.org/