Microfiche scanning - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

22 Apr 2005

On Apr 21 2005, 22:35, Eric Smith wrote:
...
  Tom wrote:
  Sheesh, why is everyone treating fiche as a
horrible thing? Like
 it's some terrible, embarrassing obsolete medium that needs to be
 converted out of as quickly as possible?

 Fiche is great. Keep in clean and dry in a dark place and it will
 last for hundreds of years.  [...]
  Not everything need exist inside a computer.

 Because if Alice has fiche in a clean dry dark place, that doesn't
 necessarily help Bob.  But if Alice's fiche is scanned and put on a web
...
  site, it may help everyone. 
Exactly.

I'd add that when you're actually using the documents, paper is almost
always easier to handle.  I've used DEC fiche to look up XXDP listings,
technical manuals, and maintenance docs, and it's a pain going
backwards and forwards between the machine (or board on the bench, or
whatever) to the fiche reader.  The fiche just happens to be a compact
and effective way to store the data.

...
  When was the last time you saw the IPB (Illustrated
Parts Breakdown)
 for a PDP-11T55? 
Probably yesterday, when I was looking through some of my microfiche
:-)

-- 
Pete						Peter Turnbull
						Network Manager
						University of York