LET'S RESOLVE THIS ISSUE was (Re: Made a deal to get a Vax6000,2 Fujitsu Supercomputers and TOPS10???) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

24 Nov 1999

-----Original Message-----
From: Rodrigo Ventura &lt;yoda(a)isr.ist.utl.pt&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Thursday, November 25, 1999 3:57 AM
Subject: Re: LET'S RESOLVE THIS ISSUE was (Re: Made a deal to get a
Vax6000,2 Fujitsu Supercomputers and TOPS10???)

...

        You sound like someone who burns paintings just because you
don't have space to store them, regardless from being priceless
Picasso's... It's not very hard to understand the following facts:
        - the majority of this list subscribers are collectors, which
means that they like collecting certain stuff. 

Picasso didn't have 40,000 people making 1,000,000 of the same painting.
Also, I am sure you are I could not go out and save *every* "$19.95 CHEAP
OIL PAINTING LIQUIDATOR" work. Yes, I would burn paintings if I was offered
more than I could handle. It's only common sense. You buy the lot for the
valuable material.

...
         - everyone understands the difference between
"storing" and
"collecting". It's impossible to prevent all minis from the planet
from being destroyed -- store all obsolete minis. However, collectors
are available to save a necessarily small percentage from destruction,
by collecting them. They do this because they *love* it. 

It's not possible. I don't think anyone owns a country bid enough to store
them. We are talking about millions of Vaxes, PCs, DGs, etc...

...
         - the average storage capacity of collectors is
usually not
very high. Not everyone is able to own a VAX, and those who are, can't
hold more than 1-2 of such machines. Now compare this storage capacity
with the rate you get minis (you said about 40-50 a year).
        - you can't expect to come here saying "I crush 40 minis a
year" without people becoming upset. I guess it breaks the heart of
every collector (at least it breaks mine...). 

That's life. I *really* find it hard to understand why scrapping a Vax
11/780 would break your heart when there are probably at least 100,000 left
in mills out there... and no one wants them!

...

        Cheers,

--

*** Rodrigo Martins de Matos Ventura &lt;yoda(a)isr.ist.utl.pt&gt;
***  Web page: http://www.isr.ist.utl.pt/~yoda
***   Teaching Assistant and MSc Student at ISR:
***    Instituto de Sistemas e Robotica, Polo de Lisboa
***     Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa, PORTUGAL
*** PGP fingerprint = 0119 AD13 9EEE 264A 3F10  31D3 89B3 C6C4 60C6 4585