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The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

computer-museum.org

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Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#21

Post by somat »

k310 wrote: post #3

Sigh, I offered cool IMSAI gear with loads of cards to a computer museum, and they preferred "autographed" stuff, "prestige" items, negating the pioneer spirit of those of us who soldered countless thousands of parts, sockets and interconnects. Dsigned by Ty Warner, of course) the experience will live with me as long as I live and can instill in younger people that pioneer spirit (perhaps with SBC's and real-world in…

I was watching a video of a guy fixing up an old homemade guitar he found. A well built solid piece, only one that exists in the world. A thing somebody spent real time and effort to create, and nearly worthless. While some soulless factory built item from the same era that sold in the thousands is highly collectable with a price to match. There is a sort of tragedy with these things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngq4Hw4B9J0

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#22

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

kev009 wrote: post #13
ex-aws-dude wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow I’m surprised by how high the realized prices are Who is buying these things? Private collectors?

Antiquities and heirlooms can be a good stable investment, the same reason people trade art or watches or guns or cars. Some of these are fun to use without reducing value.

A lot of people had a strong nostalgic attachment to DEC PDPs because they were their first experience of hands-on computing.

So SV always had a community of very wealthy nerds who could afford a used PDP-10 and its insane running and maintenance costs.

But... the community was always very small.

And today, the number of people with that kind of money and a similar nostalgic attachment to increasingly remote history is even smaller.

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#23

Post by Veai »

kev009 wrote: post #13
ex-aws-dude wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow I’m surprised by how high the realized prices are Who is buying these things? Private collectors?

Antiquities and heirlooms can be a good stable investment, the same reason people trade art or watches or guns or cars. Some of these are fun to use without reducing value.

[flagged]

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#24

Post by lisper »

It is at once obvious and hard for people to internalize that there will come a time in the future when our time will be as far in the past as ancient Rome is to us. We might not be interested in old magazines and artifacts from our grandparent's childhoods, but they will be (at least one hopes). There are so many ways that we ought to be more considerate of future generations, and this is one them. These museums are our Libraries of Alexandria.

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#26

Post by raddan »

operatingthetan wrote: post #10
Animats wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s rare for museums to keep artefacts operational. The Living Computer Museum tried until the money ran out. Here's the auction list from when the Living Computer Museum was liquidated.[1] [1] https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-...

Paul Allen did not structure the financials for it to succeed, which is unfortunate. I got to go there once and it was amazing.

I also went there, shortly before it shut down during the pandemic. A friend talked me into visiting when we’re were in town for a scientific meeting. I am so glad I went.

The museum on the afternoon we visited was nearly empty. As a result, the museum docents were happy to let us monopolize their time. I mentioned offhandedly that I had always wished I could try programming SmallTalk on an Alto, and the docent said with a grin “sure!” He reloaded their Alto with a programming environment and gave me a short tutorial. I quickly crashed the machine, but I had a lot of fun along the way.

I got to try many other machines that night. I often think with sadness about how my students will no longer be able to easily have this experience.

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#27

Post by jhfdbkofdchk »

detourdog wrote: post #19
rbanffy wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not all computer museums fail - there are a few that have endured. The one in Mountain View, for instance, is a direct continuation of the one from Boston. A lot of very nice computer collections are parts of bigger ones in larger, less specialised, museums. It’s rare for museums to keep artefacts operational. The ones that still work are usually treated as the big attraction because they demand attention and mainten…

There is Large Scale Systems Museum in Western PA. https://www.mact.io/ Rhode Island Computer Museum https://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home

Don't sleep on the Rhode Island Computer Museum

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#28

Post by detourdog »

jhfdbkofdchk wrote: post #27
detourdog wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is Large Scale Systems Museum in Western PA. https://www.mact.io/ Rhode Island Computer Museum https://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home

Don't sleep on the Rhode Island Computer Museum

That sounds ominous.

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#29

Post by detourdog »

kev009 wrote: post #16
aleph_minus_one wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Antiquities and heirlooms can be a good stable investment, the same reason people trade art or watches or guns or cars. It is only an investment if it (likely) gains yield. Otherwise it is just a means of preservation of value.

Most of these things have large categories that are inherently disinflationary. You can't make a new authentic vintage Ferrari. Whether they are fungible is the main problem and case by case. But you generally don't do it to build wealth, it's an expression of it that happens to have yields if taken seriously.

The mystery of how a computer works is what drove me. I was interested in the mass produced microprocessor based systems. Once I found per integrated circuit system it became a combination of logic and hand crafted boards.

This is is the area I focused on. I'm now at point where I would rather shed objects than collect them. I will probably hold on to the rarest handmade objects. The mass produced from the late 70's to the early 2000's I would like to get rid of.

Re: The Computer Museum of America reclamation project

#30

Post by jbdigriz990 »

ex-aws-dude wrote: post #12
Animats wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s rare for museums to keep artefacts operational. The Living Computer Museum tried until the money ran out. Here's the auction list from when the Living Computer Museum was liquidated.[1] [1] https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-...

Wow I’m surprised by how high the realized prices are Who is buying these things? Private collectors?

I am prompted here to ask "Why that name?" Trolling? Lapsed trademark squatting? I recommend a less confusing moniker if this is a genuinely serious attempt at a museum and not just baiting a collector(s) with deep pockets.
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