Author: walter irvin
Date: 19:53:35 09/25/00
Go up one level in this thread
On September 25, 2000 at 13:44:09, Christophe Theron wrote: >On September 24, 2000 at 21:17:12, D Ridge wrote: > >>Greetings All, >> >>I'd like your collective opinion on an ambitious, gigantic and noble project >>I've been thinking about. My name is David Ridge, I'm in my mid-forties and I've >>been a computer chess fanatic for 23 years. >> >>My first machine was a Chess Challenger 7 in 1978 and I've owned over 40 >>different dedicated units between now and then. Like most of you, I mostly use >>chess software on a PC these days but I have fond memories of those early days >>when dedicated units ruled and a newer, stronger, better one was always just >>around the corner. >> >>You see, I learned chess in 1978, just when dedicated chess playing units were >>becoming technically possible. For those of you who weren't around the scene >>then, I'll tell you a little about it. The early machines played poorly, but so >>did I. They improved with each new unit and, so did I. We kind of grew together. >> >>The late 70's and early 80's saw a furious pace of development with great >>imagination and ingenuity applied to some very unique concepts like the Scisys >>Mark V and the Executive hand-held. Even Mattel got into the act with a LCD >>pocket unit. There were LCD touch screens and Robot Adversaries. Heady days >>indeed. >> >>Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately that someone ought to preserve this >>history of computer chess. A computer Chess Museum is required. Of course this >>could never be a commercially viable project. People aren’t going to line up >>around the block to buy tickets to see this stuff. >> >>Some form a privately owned view-by-appointment collection would be the way to >>go. I would like to try to take this project on. Now, I know there were about >>500 different units manufactured since the beginning of time and, since I'm not >>wealthy (an understatement to be sure) there is no way I could afford to >>purchase these things. >> >>Surely many of the really old ones are probably lying dormant and worthless in >>someone's closet or garage, waiting for the next yard sale.I was thinking that I >>would appeal to the world chess community to send me their old, useless, unloved >>computers for a nominal fee of ..say…$10 to compensate them for the trouble of >>packaging it up and I would also pay the cost of shipping. In return I would >>pledge to inscribe their name prominently as "Donated by...", sort of their >>chance at immortality. >> >>I'm not talking about finding all 500…that would be unrealistic. I'm thinking >>that, over a period of years, 100 to 200 units could be accumulated, all >>representing something different or unique. Perhaps a kind of retirement >>project. >> >>Do you think it would fly or am I over-estimating people's philanthropy? Or am I >>just plain crazy?? >> >>Looking forward to your responses. >> >>You can respond here or to me directly at dridge@idirect.com. >> >>Thanks >> >>David > > > >David, I love your idea a lot, but I think you should go for a VIRTUAL museum. > >First, more people could visit it. Then you don't need as much space and money >to have it running. > >If you create a virtual museum, you will mainly need TIME. > >Many people could donate material. Real material or virtual material. For >example people could scan old magazines and send them to you. I will personally >do that, as I have kept a lot of computer chess related stuffs. > >Donations could be virtual. If somebody has a great unit but wants to keep it, >all he has to do is take a lot of pictures of the unit, scan the manual, the >original box, magazines, and send everything to you, together with games played >by the unit so we can have a feeling about how it played. > >If you have time to dedicate to this virtual museum, I believe all the 500+ >units that have ever existed will eventually be in your museum. > >I'm sure all CCC readers will help you. > > > > Christophe great idea fantastic.
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