5 Apr
2019
5 Apr
'19
4:32 p.m.
From: Guy Dunphy
What I want to know is, how do front panels of
historic computers so
often get separated from the rest of the computer?
I suspect it probably happened a while back, before the start of the vintage
computer movement; you need to look at the decisions from the perspective of
back then. (As an example, back then, I was offered the complete PDP-11/45 of
my old group. I was up to my neck in contemporary, important, alligators - I
was on the IESG of the IETF at the time - and didn't have the time to deal
with saving it and moving it to my house; so I let it go - a loss I regret
terribly now.)
Here's what probably happened: the machines were about to be scrapped, and
saving the whole machine wasn't practical - often, in part, because those
machines were _huge_. (The CPU _alone_ of a KA10 would fill an entire room of
a normal house.) So, one has a limit to what one can do. So the choice is to
save the front panel alone... or to save nothing.
Noel
5 Apr
5 Apr
4:42 p.m.
On Fri, Apr 5, 2019 at 11:32 AM Noel Chiappa via cctalk <
cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
It is also possible that some front panels were removed and set aside back
when the associated computer was in production, i,e, due to a fault in the
panel. The original computer long ago separated and recycled but the panel
remained in the storage closet until discovered by an employee who was
allowed to take home as a souvenir, many years later. "I remember when I
worked on that ..."
I am thankful to have been able to rescue a few orphaned front panels of
extinct machines. With simH and a Raspberry Pi there is a way to give them
a new life.
B
From: Guy
Dunphy
What I want to know is, how do front panels of
historic computers so
often get separated from the rest of the computer?
<snip>
Here's what probably happened: the machines were about to be scrapped, and
saving the whole machine wasn't practical - often, in part, because those
machines were _huge_. (The CPU _alone_ of a KA10 would fill an entire room
of
a normal house.) So, one has a limit to what one can do. So the choice is
to
save the front panel alone... or to save nothing.
Noel
11:29 p.m.
On 4/5/2019 10:06 AM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
> What I want to know is, how do front panels of
historic computers so
> often get separated from the rest of the computer?
Could be just storage
problems. The main computer here, racks of stuff
there, cables and panel there, and things get lost over time.
The moosehead is still hanging on the wall.
But, the backside of the moose is no longer on the other side of that wall.
But what if was a TALKING moose head? The movie "MURDER BY DEATH" comes
to mind.Ben.
6 Apr
6 Apr
12:25 a.m.
> What I
want to know is, how do front panels of historic computers so
> often get separated from the rest of the computer?
Could be just storage
problems. The main computer here, racks of stuff there,
cables and panel there, and things get lost over time. > The moosehead is still hanging on the wall.
> But, the backside of the moose is no longer on the other side of that wall.
On Fri, 5 Apr 2019, ben via cctalk wrote:
But what if was a TALKING moose head? The movie
"MURDER BY DEATH" comes to
mind.Ben.
Disunirregardless of whether the moose has anything to say, there should
be a half circle table under the moosehead; and a matching half circle
table on the other side of the wall.
1876
days inactive
1876
days old
4 comments
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participants (4)
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bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca -
billdegnan＠gmail.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu