Upon the date 06:57 PM 4/11/99 -0400, Max Eskin said something like: Right! Jay is apparently 'One of the Folks Who Was There' with development of Pick. This is a good example of having the history written down before it is lost/forgotten. I would like to see that writeup myself even though I had never run into Pick before today. Perhaps one of the folks here who have archival writeups like this stored on their website could keep it there (w/links for search engines) for us and others interested to use as research info. Anybody, whether they are part of the history like Jay is to Pick, or one of us who are collectors/historians/enthusiasts, should record the history of computing no matter how small some may think a particular subject is. Pick obviously is not too small as it has been said today that it was used in many platforms often for specific database-applied OEM systems. It is all part of the total history of computing which we as collectors should maintain. I know for sure a lot of radio history has been lost. Now's our chance to not let that happen with computing. Example: Although not computer-specific but related to radio history, it has the same meaning. Back in 1986 for Jamestown's Centennial Celebration, I presented a large display of broadcast radio receivers whose wooden cabinets were known to be made by factories in Jamestown. Jamestown was known to be the most significant USA city in the first half of the century as far as furniture manufacturing was concerned. My display highlighted this. 46 or 47 different companies up until 1940. Anyway, an elderly gentleman called me one day and announced he had worked in one of the larger factories in the mid-1920's and recognized those particular radios (they were several models of RCA Radiolas). He went on to describe others, both in my collection or which I knew well, plus list a bunch of radio manufacturers who bought cabinets from his company, Jamestown Mantel Works, of which I had not known to be the case. I thought then, if I could get the time, I should get more info for the local historical society and AWA as the guy recalled a lot and had much to say that was interesting. But life got in the way big time for me and I neglected to do it. Now, he is probably not with us anymore and that info is lost. Damn. I still kick myself for simply not borrowing some sort of tape recorder the last of the folks who had worked at the factories directly related to cabinet-making of which little to date has ever been researched and written. Most of the computer pioneers are still alive today or at least their colleagues/families/companies/collectors/etc. have info which should be recorded if not already. I said this before, and it sounds like I'm preaching, but if you have the chance to record/write about/collect/rescue history of computing, do it without hesitation. I lost a little bit of radio history I was in the position to record some and blew it. Now I understand I will probably be on the small local radio station with my good friend who is on a radio program called "The Time of Our Lives" to talk a little about Jamestown's part in old radios as that station is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Boy, have I got to do some research at that local historical society now because I lost out on some info back in '86. That's even IF they have records from the factories I know that made radio cabinets. Don't let that happen to you! :-) Soapbox-mode off now. Thanks for reading. --Chris -- -- Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.ggw.org/awa