25 Jan
1999
25 Jan
'99
12:28 p.m.
The seller is the same person that put the Alto
manuals on the web. See
the Xerox Alto Archive; there's a link on Al's Xerox Workstation Collection
page:
http://www.spies.com/aek/xerox.html
People seem to be quick to complain about Al's auction, but where else do
you see an Alto available in any condition at any price?
OK. I now feel more trustworthy about the seller.
Just because the seller is making an Alto available does NOT mean that I
can't comaplain about the auction. A transaction like this is just not the
way I would like to do business. (Other people seem to agree with me -- are
there still no bids?) Didn't a similar offer happen a year or two ago, with
no takers?
Yes, I want an Alto. (At least I think I do -- of course I could be wrong.)
I even have fantasies about paying the $5000 (which I could do, if it came
to that). Yes, the machine is rare. There never were that many chances to
get them and there will be fewer and fewer and eventually none.
But at a gut level, I still feel uneasy (yes, and stingy, and tempted to try
to hunt for a bargin) about buying a machine in _unknown_ condition with
possibly _no_ software/media/manuals for a _non-negotiable_ price! Well,
the price is negotiable, but only upward. :)
I'd be interested to hear what you think, Eric, since we've talked about
Smalltalk before and you're evidently a fan of Xerox' workstations.
I'd also be interested in any details you have on actually using the various
Xerox machines (i.e., how fast are they? how easy is it to unerstand and
expand them?) but that's probably better by private e-mail.
-- Derek