Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 10:44:09 09/25/00
Go up one level in this thread
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
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