Author: Martin Slowik
Date: 05:43:14 11/12/05
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Hi Steve, Chuck if I may butt in... >but you know Chuck ,strength is not the only thing that draws me and many >collectors to these old computers > >the .info boys are for the most part not collectors of the old computers,but >rather Enthusiasts who concentrate mainly on the higher rated computers Mainly, yes, but not only. Also 8 bit computers and even real oldies have been played by the participants. I've checked just a few links, the list is by far not complete: http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=578 http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=398 http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=540 http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=48 http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=526 http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=463 Of course recently the stronger computers got most attention. The reason is quite simple: for Resurrection and for the V11 there don't exist SSDF Elos which led to the wish to test these computers more heavily against the stronger opposition. In the course of testing the question which R30 version is stronger (2.2 or 2.5) got more attention now, so in the weeks to come we may see more games of those... At the start of the .info page the question which computer is the strongest 8 bit machine was the most dicussed one as far as I remember. The verdict was that probably Super Forte C is at least as strong as MM V. Besides, obviously you can do more with computers which can play at least a little bit chess... >while strength is of course important ,for me personally it is not the most >important thing.it is only a sub-set of collecting > >hunting for fine old computer's ,trading with friends, or playing an old >Fidelity Elite Champion are other aspects of the collecting hobby I agree that playing some of older and weaker guys gives sometimes more pleasure than the pure strength of the later computers. For example I prefer playing my Elite A/G v2 over the v9 a little bit more because it looks much more cute and the colours of the board seem more appealing to me (besides the button caps of the v9 are gone while the v2 is complete). Sometimes when I have slept well, have eaten enough, feel in good form and need a stronger opponent I take the v9 anyway (it's not that bad). But usually the 2000 Elos of the v2 are enough, particular in blitz, so why bother. :) Same applies to my Renaissance boards. The second one with the D++ module is actually in a mint condition and somehow has a little bit better feel. (The Sparc is a very neat computer too but is on most days a tad too strong for me. Losing more than half of the time is of limited fun...). >for example if i had to give up all of my comuters but keep one..i would keep >the Novag Robot and it only plays 1400 Elo This question I hope to be able to answer after Xmas... ;) Regardless which label is most appropriate for the guys at .info (enthusiasts or anything else - they're indeed not buying chess computers for collecting purposes), if I speak only for myself, I admit to having only a limited range of computers which I'd buy. But it's not as narrow as it may seem. The first one I'd call 'chess computer' at all would probably be the 1980 micro world champ Sargon 2.5. The 'computers' sold before (in particular CC 1,3,7,10 and the like) are in my eyes nothing more than just chess toys and not collectable, similar to some of the the plastic pushers sold by Novag or Saitek nowadays. I don't believe they're playing real chess and so they don't raise the wish in me to own them. I know that you think different but the mere fact that things are old or even rare doesn't make them collectable for me. Possible that Kasparov would say that even Sargon 2.5 was not a 'chess playing entity' but I guess for most people its 1300 Elos would fit into the category of a real chess player and the world championship '80 has been a milestone. So the world champions and the strongest computers of their time which followed (starting with Morphy, Mark V, Elite A/S...) are of course of great interest - but accidentally my schachcomputer gang started at the other end of the strength scale... ;) Sorry for the Rant Regards, Martin
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