Subj : Re: The Decline of PCs
To   : Rob Mccart
From : poindexter FORTRAN
Date : Fri Dec 26 2025 08:52:26

-=> Rob Mccart wrote to DUMAS WALKER <=-

 RM> I got quite a few machines over the years when I was working on
 RM> computer repair and updates. People I'd helped out would give me their
 RM> old machines for free when they upgraded. Usually I could upgrade those
 RM> a little and get a few more years out of them.

 The golden age for me was my first corporate job. My boss really wasn't
 technically minded and made bad decisions. Modems that didn't error
 correct ended up in a box in a storage room. AT-based cash register
 systems lasted a few months before the 386-based systems came out. Lots
 of one-off systems like an Olivetti PC and a Compaq Portable II they
 tried out and ditched.

 When I was asked to clean out the storage room and toss everything in
 the "dumpster", it felt like Christmas day to me. :)




 RM> One time I got a desktop computer that was only a couple of years old
 RM> which had originally cost about $4500. It was a lot better than my
 RM> computer was and looked like the deal of a lifetime. The guy I got
 RM> it from said it was constantly overheating and they were fed up
 RM> with it stopping in the middle of big jobs.

 RM> I thought I was going to luck out because I immediately noticed
 RM> that the main fan in the back of the system was not running, and
 RM> further checking showed that it had needed an adaptor to hook up
 RM> to the motherboard which was never installed. I fixed it and
 RM> played with it some but eventually it seemed that the overheating
 RM> had damaged the motherboard too and, long story short, I ended
 RM> up mainly using it for parts rather than rebuild a machine that
 RM> was a lot bigger and faster than I really needed..

 RM> ---
 RM>    SLMR Rob    I tried to contain myself, but I escaped
 RM>    Synchronet   CAPCITY2 * Capitol City Online
 
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