Are Obsolete Computers

Junk?

Joe Kelly, Executive Director

Computer Preservation Group

Disco Tech - February 25, 2015

Obsolete Computers Are NOT Junk

• Works of Art

• Historical Importance

• Old Solutions To New Problems

Works of Art

• Considered Collectible / Antique

- $900,000 Apple I

• Cool Toy

- Sights, sounds, feel that an emulator can’t provide

Historical Importance

• What inspired the iPhone and why was it successful?

• What problems was the internet created to solve?

• "640K ought to be enough for anybody.“

• Sponsor of NSU’s Computer Museum:

IBM PC, iMac, Atari, Commodore PET, DEC Alpha, Timex/Sinclair, ͙

Old Solutions To New Problems

• Efficient Programming, Avoid Multi-Core Trap

- Can two cooks toast bread faster than one?

• The “Cloud”, really a modern-day mainframe

- Computing getting more social and less personal

Remember, Reuse - Don’t Recycle

• Shipped to 3^rd World

• Melted (Creates Pollution)

• Gone Forever 