The Jr is what it is. It's a piece of computing history, our history. Regardless of what it was, or wasn't, it had it's faults clearly. But that's a big part of what makes it interesting. I acquired a dead Peanut years before I started "collecting" (omgosh I was always a collector. Just went off the deep end around 2002-3). I never really did anything with it. I'm always drawn to the Jr whenever I see one though. It could have something to do with my associating it w/my very first unit in 1985 (1986 technically, I had to WAIT for delivery), the Tandy 1000. I guess whatever first drew you in big into the hobby is what occupies that special cuddly place inside your thumper. Awww doesn't that soudn so sickening!
Anyway, the Jr occupies the outskirts of that fringe area I refer to as pseudo compatibles. It's mostly a compatible of course, but due to the quirks, you or 3rd parties needed to find workarounds. The trade press would say that the model 25 was what the Jr should have been, but that would make computing history somewhat less interesting, being that all the hacking was done for you. With a soldering iron and ample imagination, a Jr. could be made into whatever someone wanted it to be. A very interesting unit in my humble worthless opinion, and made by who? Big Blue??!!! Not one of the "secondary" Japanese manufacturers back in the day.
But people love oddballs, but real oddballs love the REAL oddballs. I can't help but wonder what Mike would do if he ever acquired a Tandy 2000 or something like it? Just had me wondering. Yes you can do a lot with a machine if you focus on and stick with it. But it behooves someone with ample technical knowledge and ability to take on yet another challenge. Like I said just a thought.
Ebay is evil, no argument. I have to confess that I made a lot of money on ebay a few years back. It's a blessing and a curse at the same time. My suggesting a sell-off among _this_ community was just a wish to get more stuff circulated, not about money, somewhat about, perhaps, making space. Mainly about getting stuff out of the basement that other people are looking for.
