Orphan HP Alphaservers looking for a new home

[Andrew Luke Nesbit]

Dear Jim,

Please see my response inline...

On 25/01/2019 23:04, Jim Manley wrote:
> Hi Andrew,

Hi Jim,

> If it’s any consolation

I needed no consolation because I already knew that these machines are
going to a good home.  But your message is great to read.  This sounds
like an amazing project.

> the users of these components will be high
> school students in an extremely rural area at the lowest level of
> poverty in the U.S.  The students are eager to learn  computing and
> networking principles, and these will provide opportunities for that in
> spades.

I think that learning foundational principles on real AlphaServers, with
a good teacher, /actually sets up students in greater stead compared to
computers based in the x86_84 universe, for example/.  I mean this on
many levels and across varying dimensions.

Kind of like how I learned computer architecture from Hennessey &
Patterson using MIPS and a RISC ISA.  The concepts translated easily and
well.  All you need is genuine interest.

I don't know much about the socioeconomic profile of Montana.  I spent
much of my in many parts of the US, mostly for personal reasons, and I
loved the country in general.  Unfortunately I never had a chance to go
to Montana.

> The performance level of these, compared with current technology, is
> unimportant, as getting the right answers is more significant than how
> fast they were computed.

Are you referring writing networked computer programs to solve problems?

I was discussing with my partner earlier this week that knowing about
computing skills, like how networking _really_ works, is critical future
knowledge for people who want to stay street smart in the universe of
electrons whizzing by.  It's going to be seriously important.

> These components were used for data services,
> so that fulfills the trifecta of computing, data structures, and
> networking (and at fiber channel speeds, AIUI).

This trifecta of "computing, data structures, and networking" intrgues
me.  Is it part of some curriculum?  Or is it a grouping of computing
concepts that you have identified as being meaningful?  In the second
sense I think I get it if I think hard enough.

> We’ll make some videos eventually as they puzzle their way through
> getting software licenses acquired and installed, things are configured
> to work together, and we get proof-of-life command line prompts.

I have a huge and active interest in education.  I would be very
interested to hear about how you get on with this.

> I hope you are able to acquire your own Alphaservers and whatever other
> techno-toys you covet in the near future.

I don't like phrases like "techno-toys", regardless of how they are
intended to come across.  Similarly, words like "gizmos" and "gadgets". 
They rub me the wrong way but it is not a conversation I want to have
right now.

I'm not looking for AlphaServers to fulfil some sort of fetish.  Rather,
I have a specific project use case for them, and I would like to include
them in this project I'm working on.

I wish you all the very best in this work, Jim, and I believe that
motivated students will appreciate the value of something clearly
amazing like an AlphaServer.  As I mentioned above, I've got a genuine
interest in education and would love to hear how it goes.  Do you mind
if I ping you again in 6-12 months?

Kind regards,

Andrew

> On Fri, Jan 25, 2019 at 2:58 PM Andrew Luke Nesbit
> <ullbeking at andrewnesbit.org <mailto:ullbeking at andrewnesbit.org>> wrote:
>
>     Dear Richard,
>
>     Thank you for replying in such a considered way.  Please see below for
>     comments.
>
>     On 25/01/2019 00:07, Richard Loken via cctalk wrote:
>
>     > All of you have at one time expressed interest in all or part of
>     this
>     > rack full of Alphaservers and one of you even talked about
>     driving a truck
>     > up from Montana and taking it all home.
>
>     All I can think of at this moment is how beautiful it must be to
>     go on a
>     road trip in Montana.
>
>     > Are any of you still interested?
>
>     I remain tremendously interested in learning about AlphaServers and
>     acuiring another one or two.
>
>     But I live in London, UK.  I was considering paying for the cheapest
>     slow seamail.  Other people have less crazy ideas.  I doubt that
>     my idea
>     is appealing to Richard either.
>
>     > First priority goes to anybody willing to come up here and pick
>     up all
>     > or part of the collection.  I will consider shipping if that is
>     what it
>     > comes down to but the packing and transprotation will be
>     expensive for
>     > the DS15 and extremely expensive for the other units.
>
>     From reading the rest of this thread, it looks as though you've
>     already
>     found your collector/s and arranged a date.
>
>     I'm very happy that these are going to a good home.  It's fabulous
>     that
>     the flame is carrying on.
>
>     For future reference, if anybody sees AlphaServers or similarly
>     interesting hardware closer to home (UK or EU), then please do let me
>     know!  Thank you!!
>
>     Kind regards,
>
>     Andrew
>
>
>

-- 
OpenPGP key: EB28 0338 28B7 19DA DAB0  B193 D21D 996E 883B E5B9