IBM 5155 analogue display fault

[Vintage Computer Festival]

On Sun, 29 May 2005, Tony Duell wrote:

> > I honestly don't see a difference.  As long as the original parts are kept
>
> Are you going to also include a diagram showing which screws were
> originally Bristol Spline, or do you assume future restorers/historians
> have the original engineering drawings?

If it'll please you then yes, I recommend leaving a Tony Guide.

> Anyway, small parts have  tendency to get lost. It's not serious if a
> Bristol Spline _key_ goes astray, that was never part of the original
> machine. But the screws were.

This is an IBM 5155 we're talking about.  There are enough examples of
that running out in the wild that I think it's pretty fucking saved.

> > with the machine and the replacement screws do not somehow do damage (i.e.
> > wrong size, wrong threading, etc.) to the case then it doesn't affect the
> > machine negatively.
>
> Next you'll be telling me that it's OK to replace the guts of all classic
> computers with a PC running an emulator provided you keep the original
> boards with the machine....

Haha.  You're funny, Tony.  You do realize it's a fairly large leap to go
from swapping screws to RIPPING OUT THE INNARDS OF A COMPUTER AND
REPLACING IT WITH A MODERN PC RUNNING AN EMULATOR, might you, perhaps,
agree?

> Jules has originally proposed a reason (which I fully agree with) as to
> why these screws were used in the first place. That is something that
> might be of interest to future enthusiasts. Heck, it's of interst to me
> now. There is no good reason why that information should be lost

I agree.  He should also probably include a copy of this thread in the
machine so people in the future can be bored with the mundane idiocies
that people in the year 2005 argued over.

> There are people who collect the original packaging for classic
> computers, who won't assmble old Heathkits (:-(, becasue they somehow
> feel that the way the components were packed is interesting, etc). I
> don't say I agree with them, but I certainly don't think they're idiots
> for caring about such things. Surely the internal parts of a machine are
> as least as important as the packing it came in.

I don't recall calling you an "idiot", Tony.  That word came flying out of
your fingers.

-- 

Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage Computer Festival
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International Man of Intrigue and Danger                http://www.vintage.org

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