3 Aug
2004
3 Aug
'04
1:08 a.m.
And thusly Jules Richardson spake:
People on this list seem pretty good, but I come across lots of
collectors / enthusiasts elsewhere who just want the hardware to play
about on, with no thought about preserving associated data.
Of course, always make a point of asking about software or documentation
when accepting hardware from someone. Over here at least, experience has
been that typically the owner assumes this to be unimportant and doesn't
even mention anything they might have. Sometimes they dump the docs and
software *before* offering the hardware to anyone, which is *really*
annoying!
It's not just the technical documentation or software that's important,
but the user-land stuff that tells the story of how the machines were
actually used in daily life. In 50 years time, long after the hardware's
stopped functioning and replacements for custom parts aren't available,
it's this aspect that I expect people will be interested in.
Another part of documentation I love to collect is all of the associated
magazines.. Not just for the articles but also for the ads. These also
show a snapshot of that time.
Cheers,
Bryan Pope
P.S. I have to admit I also like the pics in the mags too.... ;-)