Completely original vs. upgraded

[Tony Duell]

> 
> I have a small NeXT collection (getting bigger ;-)) and one thing I was 
> wondering about was the need to maintain originality. For example, I 
> have one NeXT cube with an interesting pedigree (it has NeXT asset tags 
> on it, and some interesting bits), but it's a 68030 motherboard... the 
> low end cube. I have a NeXT Turbo board I can put into the case, but 
> then the unit wouldn't be "original" any more... does that matter?

I am, perhaps, unusual in that I _use_ my classic computers. In fact I 
don't own a computer that isn't a classic by the terms of this list...

I am also primarily a hardware person.

I don't have any problem with _reversable_ changes to machines, but I do 
also like to keep the original electronic design unaltered as far as 
possible. This includes power supplies, BTW (I object to replacing linear 
supplies with switchers, etc). I don't have any problems with plugging in 
expansion cards (even ones that aten't contemporary with the machine, 
provided they work -- e.g. putting a recent ISA card into an orignal 
PC/AT). I ahve no problems with soldering in extra components (in fact, 
if I could find 32 off 1103 DRAMs and a couple of the level shifter ICs, 
I'd be soldering them into my HP9830 tonight ;-)) I don't like drilling 
holes, but I will bend the rules for small screw holes and the like

What I won't do is majorly change the design of the machine. I wouldn't, 
for example, replace the internals of one of my PDP11s with a PC running 
a PDP11 emulator. 

In the case of a motherboard-swap type of upgrade. I might well do it (it 
would depent on a lot of factors), but I would keep the original board, 
labelled, so the machine could be returned to the original state if I 
wanted to.

-tony