25 Jan
2019
25 Jan
'19
5:41 p.m.
Dear Jim,
Please see my response inline...
On 25/01/2019 23:04, Jim Manley wrote:
Hi Andrew,
Hi Jim,
If it?s any consolation
I needed no consolation because I already knew that these machines are
going to a good home.? But your message is great to read.? This sounds
like an amazing project.
the users of these components will be high
school students in an extremely rural area at the lowest level of
poverty in the U.S.? The students are eager to learn? computing and
networking principles, and these will provide opportunities for that in
spades.
I think that learning foundational principles on real AlphaServers, with
a good teacher, /actually sets up students in greater stead compared to
computers based in the x86_84 universe, for example/.? I mean this on
many levels and across varying dimensions.
Kind of like how I learned computer architecture from Hennessey &
Patterson using MIPS and a RISC ISA.? The concepts translated easily and
well.? All you need is genuine interest.
I don't know much about the socioeconomic profile of Montana.? I spent
much of my in many parts of the US, mostly for personal reasons, and I
loved the country in general.? Unfortunately I never had a chance to go
to Montana.
The performance level of these, compared with current
technology, is
unimportant, as getting the right answers is more significant than how
fast they were computed.
Are you referring writing networked computer programs to solve problems?
I was discussing with my partner earlier this week that knowing about
computing skills, like how networking _really_ works, is critical future
knowledge for people who want to stay street smart in the universe of
electrons whizzing by.? It's going to be seriously important.
These components were used for data services,
so that fulfills the trifecta of computing, data structures, and
networking (and at fiber channel speeds, AIUI).
This trifecta of "computing, data structures, and networking" intrgues
me.? Is it part of some curriculum?? Or is it a grouping of computing
concepts that you have identified as being meaningful?? In the second
sense I think I get it if I think hard enough.
We?ll make some videos eventually as they puzzle their
way through
getting software licenses acquired and installed, things are configured
to work together, and we get proof-of-life command line prompts.
I have a huge and active interest in education.? I would be very
interested to hear about how you get on with this.
I hope you are able to acquire your own Alphaservers
and whatever other
techno-toys you covet in the near future.
I don't like phrases like "techno-toys", regardless of how they are
intended to come across.? Similarly, words like "gizmos" and
"gadgets".?
They rub me the wrong way but it is not a conversation I want to have
right now.
I'm not looking for AlphaServers to fulfil some sort of fetish.? Rather,
I have a specific project use case for them, and I would like to include
them in this project I'm working on.
I wish you all the very best in this work, Jim, and I believe that
motivated students will appreciate the value of something clearly
amazing like an AlphaServer.? As I mentioned above, I've got a genuine
interest in education and would love to hear how it goes.? Do you mind
if I ping you again in 6-12 months?
Kind regards,
Andrew
On Fri, Jan 25, 2019 at 2:58 PM Andrew Luke Nesbit
<ullbeking at andrewnesbit.org <mailto:ullbeking at andrewnesbit.org>>
wrote:
Dear Richard,
Thank you for replying in such a considered way.? Please see below for
comments.
On 25/01/2019 00:07, Richard Loken via cctalk wrote:
--
OpenPGP key: EB28 0338 28B7 19DA DAB0 B193 D21D 996E 883B E5B9
All of you have at one time expressed interest in
all or part of
this
rack full of Alphaservers and one of you even
talked about
driving a truck
up from Montana and taking it all home.
All I can think of at this moment is how beautiful it must be to
go on a
road trip in Montana.
Are any of you still interested?
I remain tremendously interested in learning about AlphaServers and
acuiring another one or two.
But I live in London, UK.? I was considering paying for the cheapest
slow seamail.? Other people have less crazy ideas.? I doubt that
my idea
is appealing to Richard either.
First priority goes to anybody willing to come up
here and pick
up all
or part of the collection.? I will consider
shipping if that is
what it
comes down to but the packing and transprotation
will be
expensive for
the DS15 and extremely expensive for the other
units.
From reading the rest of this thread, it looks as though you've
already
found your collector/s and arranged a date.
I'm very happy that these are going to a good home.? It's fabulous
that
the flame is carrying on.
For future reference, if anybody sees AlphaServers or similarly
interesting hardware closer to home (UK or EU), then please do let me
know!? Thank you!!
Kind regards,
Andrew