How do you protect your classic computers?

[PaulQ]

I have a huge problem with much of my family. While a few appreciate the value of these classic computers, most of them look upon them as being not much more than worthless junk. Case in point; I brought my Atari 2600 console and Vic 20 system with me to a family get-together so that people could enjoy some retro gaming. I carefully set up the Atari system, then the Vic 20 system on seperate TV's in the room. The next morning, the Datasette was on the floor and someone had put their foot through the door. The Atari cartridges were scattered everywhere; under the couch, in the cracks of the couch.

It looks like I'm going to have to keep my vintage collection locked up, and taken out only when those who appreciate it come around. It truly is sad that so many look upon our collection as being worthless junk and treat it as such. I used to wonder, what is the point in collecting things if you keep it locked away instead of sharing them with everyone? Now I know. It took me 35 years to finally learn why.

[ral-clan]

Little kids will understand that these things are valuable when you tell them how old they are. You can even call them antique if you want. At least, my nephews understand that! I think it's the adults that aren't into classic collecting that are the most dangerous. They consider the stuff laughably outdated and worthless, so don't respect it.

But really, for family retro-gaming like this, get an Atari Flashback 2. It has 40 games built in, has original style joysticks, etc. Looks pretty much like an original, although smaller. Plus, it doesn't need the RF switchbox. Can plug into a modern TV with A/V inputs.

Plus, if you hack a cartridge port into it, you can use your original Atari cartridges on it. However, for family events like this, I only bring "doubles" of very common cartridges (like Combat, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Missile Command, etc.). Fortunately, these "commons" are some of the best family oriented games.

The Plug-n-Play joysticks are also good for family retro gaming.

As for the VIC, though. I'm not sure there's any substitute.

[PaulQ]

You are absolutely correct about the adults. I do have a Flashback 2 and brought that back as well, but it's lacking some of the favourites like Slot Racers. To be honest, I just don't think I'm going to bother anymore. What's the use if nobody appreciates it? I might as well keep it all locked up when I'm not using it.

[Centallica]

How do you protect your classic computers?

Killer Gerbil
Brian

[Jeff-20]

Girlfriend's are also threats to hardware. I just watch with a smile as joysticks are ruined (most generations are more familiar with gamepads), disk are man-handled (again, 3.5 is considered normal, "why is this thing so... floppy"), and tapes are not even recognized as a medium for music ("What's a tape?")...

My solution: keep the hobby to yourself.

[damnstraight]

I only keep one of each computer out at a time and in one room I have set up for retro. I also still have parts and can fix them myself. Thats how I keep my stuff working.

[Centallica]

Girlfriend's are also threats to hardware. I just watch with a smile as joysticks are ruined (most generations are more familiar with gamepads), disk are man-handled (again, 3.5 is considered normal, "why is this thing so... floppy"), and tapes are not even recognized as a medium for music ("What's a tape?")...

My solution: keep the hobby to yourself.

You can tell a lot about a woman by how she handles your joystick

Sounds like Jeff likes them young too

Brian

[eslapion]

Girlfriend's are also threats to hardware. I just watch with a smile as joysticks are ruined (most generations are more familiar with gamepads), disk are man-handled (again, 3.5 is considered normal, "why is this thing so... floppy"), and tapes are not even recognized as a medium for music ("What's a tape?")...

My solution: keep the hobby to yourself.

The last time I moved, my girlfriend broke the return key to my VIC's keyboard as she had stacked stuff on top of it exactly like I told her not to do.

When I realized it I said to her I had no problem with it but she couldn't use my car until she got me a replacement keyboard. (back then I didn't have the stockpile I have now)

Let me say to ya, she got the message cuz two months later she was still walking when she finally found a replacement on eBay...

Wonder why she pays much more attention to my vintage computers now...

[ral-clan]

It's true that if some people had to track down the parts to these old computers, they would realise that they are not just common pieces of old junk. It's not necessarily the monetary value of these old things that has us taking such care with them, it's the knowledge of how much of a hassle it is to replace things when/if they break.

[Jeff-20]

You can tell a lot about a woman by how she handles your joystick

Sounds like Jeff likes them young too

Brian

Age is not much of a factor with people who don't keep up with technology. Someone once laughed at my 4th generation ipod (because of the "antiquated" black and whie LCD screen sans video)... Girlfriends tend to laugh in astonishment at tapes as if they were childhood relics. Oh yeah, and I do like 'em young. And old. And in between.

But there is some truth in how I note the way a woman acknowledges and respects the value I place on certain possessions. I was actually offended (quietly offended, and never discussed it) when someone roughly handled my carts. If I had found my Atari carts scattered and such as DQ did, I might be inclined to yell at someone! It's not even about the items, but the measure of how one respects what is important to me. In my opinion, she should try to respect whatever is important to me as I would do the same.

[ral-clan]

Someone once laughed at my 4th generation ipod (because of the "antiquated" black and whie LCD screen sans video)...

I was once like this person that laughed at your ipod.

I have a minidisc recorder/walkman. It's oldish tech, but still very useful (especially if you do live recording). It holds less music per disc than any i-pod, but it's enough for me. Plus, these machines are cheap, fairly reliable and they sound great.

I finally realised that technology, like fashion, quickly falls out of favour. What's new and hot today will be looked on with disdain tommorow. The lesson is not to be too smug about the superiority of one's piece of latest tech.

Nowadays I just like to use whatever tool does the job well, no matter its age. If it works, I stick with it. Sometimes I even get too attached to it!

I know there is a whole group of people who equate their sense of self worth with having the latest gizmos. If they fall behind they feel inadequate.

There are also people who just love to have the latest, fastest, most powerful PC (early adopters, etc.). Good on them, but I couldn't do this. These are people who lined up overnight to get Windows Vista. To think about all the hassles involved in constantly upgrading one's system, the bugs to iron out, etc. just to do it over and over again every six months when something new comes out --- it exhausts me just to think about it.

[PaulQ]

I know there is a whole group of people who equate their sense of self worth with having the latest gizmos. If they fall behind they feel inadequate.

There are also people who just love to have the latest, fastest, most powerful PC (early adopters, etc.). Good on them, but I couldn't do this. These are people who lined up overnight to get Windows Vista. To think about all the hassles involved in constantly upgrading one's system, the bugs to iron out, etc. just to do it over and over again every six months when something new comes out --- it exhausts me just to think about it.

I was once like that as well, laughing at the poor 8 bit computer users when I bought my Amiga; then it sickened me when I realized that state-of-the-art Amiga 500 system, which had cost me a couple thousand dollars in total when it was new (1084s monitor, memory expansion, A1011 disk drive, modem, 9 pin Epson LX-810 printer) had become virtually worthless in three short years even with original boxes, manuals, and packing materials. People were laughing at me for not having a hard drive and a better printer. To keep on the bottom end of the bleeding edge of computer technology still required quite a bit of cash outlay year after year, to the tune of $1000 or more. I just couldn't bring myself to flush that kind of money down the toilet when I didn't even own a car that ran properly, nor did I particularly like the company of such people who judge others based on their material possessions anymore.

I realized that my A500 was still quite useful to me, and I planned on using it forever. Then something odd happened. A couple more years passed, and I found myself at the trailing edge of computers. The stuff that people were getting rid of was beyond the capabilities of my Amiga 500. For $100, I was able to build a '286 PC with a 40MB hard drive, which was far superior to the Amiga for telecommunications. The next year, that same money bought me a '386 with VGA graphics. A lot of this stuff was barely used! They even retained some of that new computer smell. Those thousands of dollars I spent on my Amiga 500 system could have bought me an awful lot more used.

I realized that when my Amiga 500 was state-of-the-art, I didn't really do much with it beyond play the latest games and run demos; basically, stuff that showed off its technical prowess. It was purely a "Vanity" machine. It wasn't until it was deemed "Obsolete" that I actually started *using* it as something more than a glorified typewriter that played great games and demos. It was then that I realized that many of the 8 bit computer users were basically doing the same things I was on my A500 without the pretty interface, which I eventually ditched for a DirOpus clone anyway.

These days, something interesting is happening: The new stuff isn't necessarily better than the old stuff. People are dumping beautiful 21" Trinitron tube monitors for LCD's which, to me, are visually inferior. I put my recently acquired $30 Trinitron based Viewsonic next to my wife's Samsung LCD (one of the best), and the difference is stunning. No doubt that the LCD is razor sharp, but the colours and brightness just don't compare. Of course, I'm glad that people have this mindset; how else could I score such a great monitor for such a cheap price?

[ruud]

People are dumping beautiful 21" Trinitron tube monitors for LCD's which, ...... how else could I score such a great monitor for such a cheap price?

CRT is indeed much better then LCD (and so far I don't care). I could get one for free for my kids but just the sheer thought of having to carry such a heavy beast two stairs up prevented me to accept one.

[carlsson]

she couldn't use my car until she got me a replacement keyboard

LOL!

Does anyone know where one can get cheap replacement pins to attach the keycap to the mechanism? In most cases when a key breaks, it is this plastic pin. I'm able to pull out the broken halves, but not sure where I could get or cut myself a replacement pin.

[ral-clan]

Got a picture of one? Maybe we can figure out a way to use common hobby store plastic tubing.