On 3/10/2016 1:40 PM, Herb Johnson wrote:
For related reasons, I deliberately chose to bring S-100 computers, because apparently they weren't represented LAST year.
As I recall I had my S100 Sol-20 Helios system last year representing S100 systems. Can't get more S100 than a Sol.
Cheers, Corey
My apologies. My notes from VCF-East 10 say you exhibited as "Moore's law: 4004 through 8080". Thanks for your exhibit and the Sol among many early Intel-based microcomputers. I did something similar the year prior, for Intel and for COSMAC 1802's. http://www.retrotechnology.com/vcfe91/herb_vcf_apr14.html Also at VCF-E 10, S-100 boards and systems were sold in the vendor's area, where I was active last year. It was hard for me to spend lots of time in the very busy exhibit areas. But my point isn't changed, one S-100 as part of several systems in one exhibit, among 35 exhibits with likely twice that many computers overall. -------------------- Slightly related, is a thread "ISA Sound Card is going for $1500". An in-the-box ISA sound card, apparently the last model of an early sound-card brand that went bankrupt, is being bid up. (shrug) there's always some class of collectors chasing rare and BNIB products. The relevance to this discussion is the comment by Christian Liendo:
What I am trying to say is that the younger generation of people who are coming into the hobby.
The ones who grew up on PCs and not Ataris, Commodores and Early Apples. They are going to want to be represented. They are going to want to show off their machines. I think it's time to welcome them.
I certainly agree that vintage computing can be considered as generational. Simply put, I'm of the S-100 generation, which by contrast is "coming out of" the hobby - from, well, you-know. I said I have many reasons to exhibit S-100. And relevant to the subject of minicomputers: many minicomputer owners by necessity were born AFTER their minicomputers were manufactured. Minicomputers are interesting on their various merits, plus rarity; not necessarily because their current owners used them early on. But few people of the era (say before the mid-1970's) actually OWNED a minicomputer or mainframe, they were institutional purchases. A different world....and so it's valuable to celebrate and preserve these minicomputers and mainframes. Rarity and history can make for value and interest, but volume and familiarity also generate interest from more people. It's like any other hobby or historical activity. Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preservation of 1970's computing email: hjohnson AAT retrotechnology DOTT com alternate: herbjohnson ATT retrotechnology DOTT info