30 Apr
1997
30 Apr
'97
11:23 a.m.
On Tue, 29 Apr 1997, Sam Ismail wrote:
Are they? Was that recent? Who is supporting the hardware/software now?
Gee, isn't MITS gone? Isn't Commodore gone? Isn't the Home Computer
Products Division at TI gone? I don't know about MITS but Rockwell
might like some words since they still(?) source 65XX products, and TI
wouldn't mind some interest. Motorola did/do the 6800/68000.
On Tue, 29 Apr 1997, Brett wrote:
> > Yes, I realized that. The PDP-8 and PDP-11 are definitely worthy of
[Snippy]
> *other* stuff. Once seeing a PDP-8, it kind of
hit home that, Yes you
> could pack all the power of a room full of stuff into one half height
[Snippy]
Well, even though I am proposing a micro as the
Computer of the Show, it
does not mean that this is to the exclusion of all other systems.
Definitely the PDP will be featured (if we can get one at the show) and
will enjoy a billing equal to the other systems. Your next point is
compelling though...
Gee, Sam, I thought ALL my points were compelling 8-)
> > Good suggestions. But for the first year,
recognizable names from
> > the annals of computer history would go a longer way towards gaining
[Snippitty]
running battle
with and ask them too! Explain how the *battle*
improved the world for everyone. Nobody was right - nobody was wrong.
It's just how things went.
This would be attractive to Cray. But isn't Cray gone now? Anyhow, if we tell the plight of one manufacturer,
other manufacturer's
will get a black eye that we didn't choose THEIR system and will hold a
grudge against the show for ever more. I don't think you can win unless
you highlight ALL the systems and have ample history on ALL the players
in the computer industry.
You'll still miss SOMEBODY 8-) There's no way around it if you plan on
keeping the show to any KNOWN display area (you don't have a Tardis do
you?)
So this is what I plan on doing, except I still want
to showcase a micro
as the show highlight because:
1) I grew up on them and
Well, my kids grew up on Minis. There was just no other place to put them,
the kids I mean 8-) Used a PDP 11/23 as a changing table 8-)
2) they brought computers into the hands of the
masses.
What! This is a good thing? 8-)
Mini's made them accessible to businesses, etc.
But micro's made
computing power accessible to just about anyone. They would be the
systems that people would most readily identify with. I think as long
as we have a mix of all the different platforms, it will be a show for
all.
Kidding aside, have you thought about the layout of the show? Are you
going to try a "Trip Throught Time" style (linear) with the oldest up
front and then walk thru to the present? Are you going to try a *cross*
with seperate arms Minis down one way 65/68 stuff down another and Intel
down the long one and the *selected* machine at the top? Or aren't you
thinking that far ahead yet?
BC