Running History: Why Vintage Computers Matter Now

Resources

Books

• "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution" by Steven Levy - Discussed as a foundational book for understanding the early days of computing, particularly the MIT AI Lab, and how it relates to the roots of modern technology.

Videos & Documentaries

• Space War - Mentioned as a game that was run on the 1970s Emac PDS One, highlighting its historical significance.

Research & Studies

• The Boston Computer Museum acquisition by the Computer History Museum - Mentioned as a historical example of museum consolidation in the tech space.

Tools & Software

• FujiNet - An adapter that provides ROMs, community, and new/preserved software for vintage computers, connecting them to the internet via a serial port.
• Grease Weasel - A tool that allows for the retrieval of data from old floppy disks by capturing magnetic flux signals, bridging the gap between old media and modern USB connectivity.

Articles & Papers

• GeekWire article from June last year announcing the formation of the Interim Computer Museum - Cited as the source announcing the merger of remote systems from both SDF and Living Computers.
• GeekWire articles from June 2024 about the Living Computer Museum - Discussed critically for their portrayal of the museum's closure and auction.

People Mentioned

• Paul Allen (Founder of Living Computer Museum) - Referenced as the primary funder and collector of vintage computing hardware for the Living Computer Museum.
• Bob Barnett - Credited, along with Robert Michaels, for opening the Living Computers Museum and Labs in 2012.
• Robert Michaels - Credited, along with Bob Barnett, for opening the Living Computers Museum and Labs in 2012.
• Hans Reuter - Invited the Interim Computer Museum to have eight tables at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo.
• Segovia - Mentioned in the context of elevating the classical guitar to a classical instrument.
• Steven Levy - Author of the book "Hackers."
• Al Cassa (Bitsavers) - Credited for his significant efforts in recovering and preserving old computer data and media.
• Chester Bonestell - Artist whose space art was part of an auction.
• McCall - Artist whose work was part of an auction.
• Ray Ozzie - Sent beta copies of DOS 4 to be recovered using modern tools.

Organizations & Institutions

• Living Computer Museum - A former museum in Seattle that housed vintage and contemporary tech, founded by Paul Allen.
• Interim Computer Museum - A current non-profit museum focused on preserving and operating vintage computing systems, formed by former staff and community members of the Living Computer Museum.
• Portland Retro Gaming Expo - An event where Stephen Jones and the Interim Computer Museum were present with hardware.
• micron museum / dream technology museum (Ome, outside Tokyo) - Described as an amazing collection of Japanese-heavy technology.
• Computer History Museum (Mountain View, California) - A museum dedicated to computing history.
• SDF.org - A long-running community-focused ISP that started as a bulletin board system in 1987, now offering remote access to vintage Unix systems.
• Southern Methodist University - Where Stephen Jones studied classical guitar performance.
• Bell Laboratories - Where Stephen Jones's father worked.
• Western Electric - Where Stephen Jones's grandfather worked.
• AT&T - Where Stephen Jones worked as a cable puller and managed PBXs after high school.
• MIT AI Lab - Mentioned in relation to early AI booms and research.
• Stanford - Mentioned in relation to early AI booms and research.
• Christie's - The auction house handling some of the items from the Living Computer Museum's collection.
• Mims Museum of Technology (Roswell, Georgia) - A museum that has taken on many assets from the Living Computer Museum, including its name, and is planning a 50th-anniversary celebration for Apple.
• Microsoft - Mentioned as a company that offers matching donations for employee charitable contributions.
• Boeing - Mentioned as a company that offers matching donations for employee charitable contributions.
• Meta - Mentioned as a company that offers matching donations for employee charitable contributions.
• Apple - Mentioned as a company that offers matching donations for employee charitable contributions.

Courses & Educational Resources

• Classical Guitar Performance Major (Southern Methodist University) - Stephen Jones's college major, highlighting a pivot to a career in vintage computing.
• Unix Shell Account - Discussed as a common offering from ISPs in the 90s, a core part of SDF's services.

Websites & Online Resources

• textcontrol.com - Website for Text Control, mentioned for their document editing and PDF generation library and community support.
• connect.sdf.org - The website for accessing vintage systems remotely via SSH through SDF.org.
• icmmuseum.org - The website for the Interim Computer Museum.
• benevity.com - A platform used by companies to facilitate matching donations to non-profits.
• geekwire.com - Publication that ran articles about the Living Computer Museum.
• christies.com - Website for Christie's auction house.

Other Resources

• Commodore 64 - Mentioned as an example of a microcomputer with hundreds of thousands of units produced.
• 1970s Emac PDS One - A fragile piece of hardware brought to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo to run Space War.
• Toad One (1997) - The first machine brought online as part of the idea for remotely accessible vintage systems.
• PDP-10 (alt.sys) - A vintage computer system that people could request accounts for in 1997.
• PDP Planet - An earlier initiative for remotely accessible vintage systems.
• Altair Mini - A small, modern representation of the Altair computer.
• Pi DP 11 from Obsolescence Guaranteed - A modern replica or simulator of a PDP 11.
• Incompatible Time-Sharing System (ITS) - A historical operating system mentioned in relation to the MIT AI Lab.
• Lisp Machines - Mentioned in the context of AI research from the 1960s-1980s.
• Connection Machine - Mentioned in the context of AI research from the 1960s-1980s.
• Apple I - A computer that Stephen Jones built from 7400 series parts.
• Ben Eater's 6502 - A project where Stephen Jones built a 6502 computer from original parts.
• Atari 800 - Mentioned as a vintage computer that can be updated with modern technology like a Wi-Fi dongle.
• Magnetic Media Artifacts (3000+) - The collection of magnetic media at the Interim Computer Museum, including disk packs and magnetic tapes.
• DEC Tapes - A type of magnetic tape storage.
• Baking tapes - A technique to reactivate binders in old magnetic tapes for data recovery.
• Space Art (Chester Bonestell, McCall) - Mentioned as items included in an auction.
• Asteroid space suits - Mentioned as items included in an auction.
• Titanic menu - Mentioned as items included in an auction.
• Benevity matching donations - A system where companies can double charitable donations made by their employees.
• TikToks - Mentioned as a potential content format for future visits.