Conservation issue - shrink-wrapped manual

[tony duell]

>
> So I have a question for people who are involved in museums, and similar
> roles - how intense should I be about keeping things just as they were?

Well, I don't fit into that category, but I'll give my tuppence-worth.

> I have a DEC manual (actually a Products Guide) still in its original
> shrink-wrap, and I'm interested in hearing opinions/rationales on whether or

I know the feeling... About 25 years ago I managed to buy a shrink-rapped
rare HP manual at a user group sale (actually the HP71 service manual). I amazed
everyone there by immediately ripping off the shrink wrap. People told me that I 
had lost significant value by so doing. My reply was simple : 'I bought this manual
to learn how to repair HP71 calculators. Not to look nice on the shelf. The value to me
is the information it contains.'

I guess if you have multiple copies of the same manual, or it's available on line and
you don't mind reading it that way (personally I much prefer a paper manual) then there
is no reason to open it. Otherwise, I say that a manual is there to be read.

But then again I feel that old computers should run, even if it means putting replacement
parts in. 

-tony