Micom 2000
Veteran Member
I haven't bought many of the newer computers offered at yard sales and such. Newer in my terms are those less than a P-1 DOS beast. But moons ago I gobbled up many computers in thrift stores. Occasionally there would such as on one laptop that chronicled a love affair between a NA radio figure and a Hungarian freedom fighter.
Others would occasionally have interesting assembly programs and the owners attempts at writing them.
Most of the PCs, XTs and 386s tho contained the usual round of boring Lotus, WP or Wordstar, and sometimes a DB program. It wasn't considered that we might use that for our own personal gain.
The usual P-R thing with collectors was that we wiped any sort of personal info without mentioning that we would have to read it to determine the personal nature of it.
Never-the-less it could at times be exciting to deduce the nature of the previous owner.
I bought a P-1 at a yard sale yesterday for $10 figgering I could always use it's peripherals. It has W95 on it, a 3meg drive partitioned into 2, and I imagine a minimal amount of memory.
The immediate dicovery was the Nowness of it. The "MY' scam of MS$ had taken a personal turn so the file manager was labelled "Bobbies" Computer. Most of it had MP3s and other such. It reflected a new generation of computer users.
I must admit to having a somewhat humorously superior attitude to many of our younger members, just as I'm sure they have of the stupid "Old Farts" who really don't have a clue as to the newest developments and their importance. But I do believe we can coexist since you've already conceded there were many early developments which anticipated or surpassed many of the newer gee-whiz things being peddled by the corporate marketeers.
All this from a yard-sale. Wowza !
Lawrence
Others would occasionally have interesting assembly programs and the owners attempts at writing them.
Most of the PCs, XTs and 386s tho contained the usual round of boring Lotus, WP or Wordstar, and sometimes a DB program. It wasn't considered that we might use that for our own personal gain.
The usual P-R thing with collectors was that we wiped any sort of personal info without mentioning that we would have to read it to determine the personal nature of it.
Never-the-less it could at times be exciting to deduce the nature of the previous owner.
I bought a P-1 at a yard sale yesterday for $10 figgering I could always use it's peripherals. It has W95 on it, a 3meg drive partitioned into 2, and I imagine a minimal amount of memory.
The immediate dicovery was the Nowness of it. The "MY' scam of MS$ had taken a personal turn so the file manager was labelled "Bobbies" Computer. Most of it had MP3s and other such. It reflected a new generation of computer users.
I must admit to having a somewhat humorously superior attitude to many of our younger members, just as I'm sure they have of the stupid "Old Farts" who really don't have a clue as to the newest developments and their importance. But I do believe we can coexist since you've already conceded there were many early developments which anticipated or surpassed many of the newer gee-whiz things being peddled by the corporate marketeers.
All this from a yard-sale. Wowza !
Lawrence
