Re: disposition of largest private DEC collection in USA

From: John Smith (a_at_nonymous.com)
Date: 01/25/05

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    Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 23:20:48 -0500

    patrick jankowiak wrote:
    > Morten Reistad wrote:
    >
    >> In article <41F31CAE.6000803@swbell.net>,
    >> patrick jankowiak <eccm@swbell.net> wrote:
    >>
    >>> Bill Gunshannon wrote:
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>> I have wanted to start a computer museum here at the University
    >>>> for a long time. I figured if I could get commitments from a
    >>>> few corporations for operating funds I could probably convince
    >>>> the University to give me the necessary space. But I really
    >>>> don't know how to go about finding corporate sponsers. :-(
    >>>> My idea is to have a real hands on facility where people can
    >>>> come in and actually play with the equipment. I would also
    >>>> make as much of it as I could available on the INTERNET with
    >>>> guest accounts. But, I'm probably just dreaming again.
    >>
    >>
    >> Corporate sponsors are just as shallow. We need to come up
    >> with a workable museum first.
    >>
    >>
    >>> I wish we could do this. There's a hell of a datacenter here just
    >>> waiting to be unzipped. It's what we wanted.. (makes me want to
    >>> listen to "all we ever wanted" by Bauhaus) Man I am trying to keep
    >>> a good mindset but this step is getting me down. It has to be done
    >>> though.
    >>>
    >>> OPCOM
    >>
    >>
    >> A computer museum will need large amounts of space; as well as
    >> access to largish amounts of energy when someone decides to run
    >> the machines. Much can be mocked up for the standard visitor, using
    >> emulators to show software on the correct terminals. But machines
    >> must be kept intact. We also have the issue of documentation.
    >>
    >> Such space fast becomes the major problem. It cannot be in or very
    >> near major cities, because land is too expensive there. And the scale
    >> of this is big enough for a full theme park.
    >>
    >> So why not do this?
    >>
    >> Make a theme park around technology development and preservation.
    >> Remember that the audience is a premium one for many locations.
    >> The nerds or wannabees that visit such places have above average
    >> income, are not very inclined to boozing and gambling, and tend
    >> to leave the facilities without damage.
    >>
    >> It will have to be located somewhere outside the mainstream, and
    >> must be the magnet for people itself. Just like Disney World.
    >>
    >> -- mrr
    >>
    >>
    >
    > Sweet.. Need $ and $.. That would be very nice,
    > have everything from pre-vacuum tube stuff on up.
    > A home for analog computers too, yeah.. I could see
    > it on 100 acres. Mostly indoors of course as geeks
    > don't like the hot weather much..
    >
    > The place could become a location of pilgrimages where
    > acolytes could chant in octal and wizards could perform
    > 5-way merges on relational databases in an afternoon
    > while across the park, boy electricians made huge
    > sparks fly by selecting the right capacitors..
    >
    > Microphones could be placed on the HDA's of grumbling
    > RA81's and during this activity, connected to
    > amplified subwoofers under the spinning platter-shaped
    > floor in the next room - a "hard disk ride"
    > "Ride the RA-81 Platter like a dust speck!!
    > Watch out for the heads!!"
    > Space mountain's got nothing on this one!
    >
    > Rides wouln't be the real attraction though, just a
    > minor diversion. The interactive exhibits of all kinds,
    > that's the key. The real VAXclusters and the 11/780
    > with doors open to show off the cards. A LINUX Beowulf
    > cluster, paper tape, DECtape, 9-track tape, 8-track tape.
    > And the blinkenlights stuff in a room where the lights
    > dim evey several minutes or so. When the lights dim,
    > AM radios tuned to the music of each machine come on,
    > machines programmed to play music via the RFI. I
    > know some remember doing that on pdp8's and other
    > stately machines.
    >
    > On the other stuff, ever programmed an analog computer?
    > Talk about an experience. There's lots of classic
    > technology pieces out there, tons of test equipment
    > with real CRT's, and machines like plasma generators
    > from depostion processes, ever notice how you can measure
    > plasma density by measuring the attenuation of a
    > microwave beam through the plasma chamber?
    >
    > The progress of everything high tech:
    > computers
    > RF
    > audio
    > Germanium transistors (if anyone recalls those)
    > plain old electricity
    > tesla coil (very very large)
    > open-frame dynamos
    > what else?
    >
    > Might cost what $100M to start?
    >
    > The only geek with enough $ to start something like that,
    > and enough daring to pull it off is Mr. Gates.
    >
    > It's wonderful and would probably make tons of
    > moolah.. Who's going to call Bill?

    You'd probably have more luck with Allen, Wozniak, and Ellison. Maybe even
    Ross Perot.

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