A computer museum - who needs IT?

[Mr President]

I probably shouldn't say impossible. It would be good to get sponsorship from a large computer firm like, say Digital. (I won't mention microsoft).

A database of old computer ads would be cool, like that amstrad dude doing the googles with his hands, and Amiga "it's a whole lotta fun". I must start forming a collection from youtube.

[tezza]

Certainly to some younger people these old computers are now vintage curiosities.

"You mean programs were saved on cassette tape?" "wow!"

(or some would even say "What is cassette tape?")

[lizardb0y]

I have long harboured a dream of being able to display some of my collection publically, along with interactive displays and educational material. It's not something I'll be able to do myself but it would be fantastic to have opportunity to display somewhere.

I did go along to a recent hands-on exhibition at Capital-E here in Wellington called Virtual Adventure which featured consoles and a couple of arcade cabs, including PS1, N64, Atari Flashback, PS3 and a few Wiis. It actually inspired me to reconsider the PS1 as old enough to class as something I'm interested in It was good, but I felt I could have done a better job of it from my own collection except for the recent consoles. I'd like to have a bit of information about the machines on display.

I suspect we're going to end up in a similar position to the guys that restore and run steam trains, trams and busses, or the Taranaki Aviation, Transport and Technology Museum guys (See some of my photos); a bunch of enthusiasts going it alone. The trick will be to get enough people together in one place to make it viable, and find somewhere cheap to do it. I'm in Wellington.

Incidentally, as far as "museum quality" goes, a museum preservationist my wife asked said that if the intention is to preserve museum exhibits then they should be kept in original condition as far as possible, i.e. not restoring with Retr0brite etc. If the intention is more of a display then restoration is fine. He was impressed with the research that had gone into retr0brite

[lizardb0y]

Certainly to some younger people these old computers are now vintage curiosities.

"You mean programs were saved on cassette tape?" "wow!"

(or some would even say "What is cassette tape?")

A chap I met at University (a few, but not many, years younger than me) was astonished when we pulled out big, flat black things called "records" and played them on a "record player" one evening. He asked how we changed tracks.

[YetiSeti]

I have long harboured a dream of being able to display some of my collection publically, along with interactive displays and educational material. It's not something I'll be able to do myself but it would be fantastic to have opportunity to display somewhere.

I don't think it's a sole endeavour either. There seems to be some concentration of collectors in the Wellington region going from people on auction. But people collect for all sorts of reasons and the curator collector (would have to refer to another thread on here somewhere mentioning what type of collector are you) is perhaps in need of meeting up with others with similar goals.

I did go along to a recent hands-on exhibition at Capital-E here in Wellington called Virtual Adventure which featured consoles and a couple of arcade cabs, including PS1, N64, Atari Flashback, PS3 and a few Wiis.

I saw a retro gaming exhibition they had some years back in the Film Archives I think it was. I was a bit critical of it then because I knew how much more could have been in it, but I'm sure I was pretty ignorant of the effort involved in putting it together, and probably how few people were actually involved. I wanted the Nintendo Power Glove.

It actually inspired me to reconsider the PS1 as old enough to class as something I'm interested in

Final Fantastic VII was a unique experience and a pretty defining point for me in gaming history (which unfortunately never really got much further than the late 90s). I consider that game and some others reason enough for making the PS1 part of the collection. I think the PS1 is also great for showing FMV, 3D Polygons, CD quality music, and vast expanse and size of games with the move to CD media. With other machines like (will get slated for this) the Amiga CD32 it was really a change in media and the titles in general didn't exploit the storage capacity to effect. The PS1 felt more like a leap in gaming than just evolutionary improvement like the PS2, PS3 etc.

I suspect we're going to end up in a similar position to the guys that restore and run : ...
:
: ... a bunch of enthusiasts going it alone. The trick will be to get enough people together in one place to make it viable, and find somewhere cheap to do it. I'm in Wellington.

I figured that too. Just that I like the idea of a museum in Dunedin because I like the geography and layout of the city and it falls far short of its potential for development in contrast to the growing Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch. Though I may end up back in Wellington one day if ever can no longer tolerate its administration being at odds with my community centric values.

[lizardb0y]

It actually inspired me to reconsider the PS1 as old enough to class as something I'm interested in

... I consider that game and some others reason enough for making the PS1 part of the collection. I think the PS1 is also great for showing FMV, 3D Polygons, CD quality music, and vast expanse and size of games with the move to CD media.

The thing is, see, that the PlayStation was still the latest thing in home gaming when I started collecting vintage hardware, so until recently it didn't really enter my mind that it could conceivably class as retro. It's kind of like the shock I got four or five years ago when all of a sudden people were willing to pay more than I was for old hardware - I still think of a breadbox C64 as the thing I got for $2 at the local auction, and Apple IIes as too common to bother mucking around with. I've actually started to consider selling some of my existing machines to finance the acquisition of new stuff (have you seen shipping costs from the UK lately?!)

[tezza]

I hear you. I've been getting bits and pieces of my stuff together to sell, as there are a few things I really want. These things appear to only exist in North American or Europe. They are large, heavy and cost a King's Ransom to ship!