Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
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Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#2I thought it was so sad that they shut down the computer museum in Boston years ago. It makes me think of how much more geographically diverse the computer industry was in the US back in the 1980s and how Boston has just given up on its history. It used to be associated with the Boston Children's Museum which had a DEC-10 way back in the early 1980s. They were pretty lucky because DEC would usually donate PDP-8s or PDP-11s to places like that.
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#3> A highlight of the sale is a computer which Allen helped restore and on which he worked, a DEC PDP-10: KI-10. Built in 1971, it’s the first computer that both Allen and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ever used prior to founding Microsoft. It’s estimated to fetch $30,000 to $50,000.
What? I know lots of people who would save them the trouble and buy it now for $50K. How bad of an investment could that be?
Edit: I'm picturing something large refrigerator sized like the PDP-8 at RePC down the street. If it's cheap because it's a 20-ton white elephant that's a different story.
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#4It’s so incredibly stupid to sell off each piece of the museum - 50K for a DEC-10? Does the Allen estate really need the cash? Jody Allen is simply bent on destroying her brother’s legacy.
It was extremely cool and educational to visit the museum as an EE undergraduate, to visually see and use parts of the history of computing. It’s a massive loss to loose this collection. Some of the items we will never get back or see again.
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#5> A highlight of the sale is a computer which Allen helped restore and on which he worked, a DEC PDP-10: KI-10. Built in 1971, it’s the first computer that both Allen and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ever used prior to founding Microsoft. It’s estimated to fetch $30,000 to $50,000. What? I know lots of people who would save them the trouble and buy it now for $50K. How bad of an investment could that be? Edit: I'm…
It’s about destruction, not making sense in my opinion.
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#6I adored the Living Computers Museum. Being able to just sit down and use an Apple 1, Xerox Alto, Altair 8800, and so many more in the same place was incredible. And then, a friendly museum employee being there to show you how to use it, tell you about what made it unique, etc. was even better. It was so much better than most look-but-don’t-touch museums.
It’s really a travesty that Paul Allen’s sister seems bent on dismantling everything he left behind.
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#7Some embarrassingly rich person needs to give the Computer History Museum enough money to buy all of it.
It's puzzling why all his stuff was organized in such a way that it could get wound down like this. Seems like it would have been way better to create a nonprofit then endow it with enough money to keep operating independently.
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#8If it was donated by someone, shouldn't they give it back to the person who donated it? How does it get sold for cash?
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#9If it was donated by someone, shouldn't they give it back to the person who donated it? How does it get sold for cash?
In short, because it was donated and not loaned. Once it leaves your hands, the museum can do as it wishes (within the restrictions of its bylaws).
Re: Living Computers Museum to permanently close, auction vintage items
#10> A highlight of the sale is a computer which Allen helped restore and on which he worked, a DEC PDP-10: KI-10. Built in 1971, it’s the first computer that both Allen and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ever used prior to founding Microsoft. It’s estimated to fetch $30,000 to $50,000. What? I know lots of people who would save them the trouble and buy it now for $50K. How bad of an investment could that be? Edit: I'm…
There’s a picture in TFA, with a desk for scale. It would be several refrigerators, but might still fit in your garage.