Yay, now I need some Osborne boot media!

[tony duell]

> >>   As things
> >> sit, I don't even have a PC with a 5-1/4" drive installed, if (and that's
> >> +if+) it were capable of writing discs for the Osborne format.
> >If you have any serious intentions of vintage computer collecting, this
> >is a must have.
> >
> 
> Isn't "must have" a bit strong?

I thnik the 'must haves' depend very much on which aspect of this hobby
you are interested in. 'Must haves' for me include a good soldering station,
a logic analyser and a lathe. But I am told others manage without any of
those :-)

> Maybe I'm more of a vintage computer user than a collector or maybe I'm just
> not serious but a VAXstation 2000 and a BBC Micro have managed to cope with
> all of my 5-1/4" disk needs so far.  As far as I'm concerned the hobby is
> about what can be done without resorting to a PC, not what can be done with
> one as a prerequisite or as some kind of fallback to be used for routine tasks.

In one sense I totally agree with you, and would much rather run a vintage computer
than a modern PC. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong in using whatever tools
you choose. Taken to extremes you could argue that you shouldn't use a logic 
analyser to debug an Altair because few, if any, hobbyists who built Altairs 
'back in the day' would have had one. 

-tony