Subject: Re: Apple II - how much is it worth?
From: wbdesnoy@acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca (Byron Desnoyers Winmill)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,comp.sys.apple2.marketplace
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2,comp.sys.apple2.marketplace
Date: 1 Sep 1999 14:25:43 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary
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Supertimer (supertimer@aol.com) wrote:
: wbdesnoy@acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca (Byron Desnoyers Winmill) wrote:

: >most computers belong in the hands of people who can use them or the hobbiest
: >who will *enjoy* using them.  They most certainly do not deserve to be a
: >museum piece, or in a private collection which slowly collects dust!

: I agree mostly.  The majority of Apple II units deserved to be used
: but I also know the importance of preserving SOME II units for
: posterity.  That means keeping some new in the box with all the
: original trappings for posterity (eventually in museums, etc).  This
: is, after all, a piece of history (the Apple II series).

My initial reaction goes with his: he said, "let's make a few bucks," so I
impulsivly said, "keep these machines the domain of hobbiests!"  ;-)

But still, there is a difference between maintaining something for posterity
and making something into a collector's dust collector.  Maintaining something
for posterity means maintaining that something in context, otherwise no
historical knowledge may be gained.  For example, a prestine and boxed Apple II
will tell us as little as a prestine and boxed set of dinosaur bones!

The historical significance of a computer goes well beyond its specifications
and the look of its case.  All of these things can just as easily be recorded
on paper.  What is important is: what were these computers used for?  Who were
the people who used these computers?  What drew these people to these
computers?  How did these computers shape our society?  All of these things
are best learned from somebody's old configuration being chucked into a box
then forgotten in the attic.

Then somebody stumbles across the computer many generations later, with all
of it's software and beaten up case, and can answer those important questions.
Oh, and they found the software too and could finally answer that endering
question on Csa2: what impact did piracy have on the evolution of our
computer?  ;-)

Just my opinion,
Byron.