Honeywell DDP-516 console on Ebay - PLEASE don't bid!

[Philipp Hachtmann]

On 22.02.2018 20:51, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

> I can accept someone keeping the front panel and dumping the computer more
> so than when on strips a  keyboard from the terminal.

Oh, what!?! I have a totally different opinion on that :-)

> Two reasons - One
> because with the front panel one can build something underneath to replace
> the original computer.

With the stripped keyboard one can build something underneath to replace 
the original terminal as well. Even easier than the computer.

>  Second - The computer may simply be too big to keep
> around

There is no vintage computer in existence that is too big to keep.
There are only vintage computers which are too big for some 
collectors/persons/institutions/museums/whatever.

But in my opinion it is never ok to scrap a big system and keep the 
front panel. Not in the 21st century.

Those big irons are getting more and more rare. And there are people and 
institutions which can mobilise amounts of power, money, will, knowledge 
and enthusiasm that cannot even be imagined by the common sort of people 
who scrap, discard and destroy the real interesting machines. Still today.

These dangerous people appear in the form of managers, engineers, 
professors, <very intelligent whatever scientist>, former users of the 
systems or even the service technician who took care for the machine for 
years. And, the newest addition to that creepy army of educated morons: 
Stupid collectors and replica builders.

I know EXACTLY what I am talking about. I have seen things and felt the 
pain.

So again: There is NO NO NO reason to strip a frontpanel from a machine. 
It's always wrong. No exception. It's just plain wrong.


Kind regards

Philipp