Collection shift from hardware to documentation

[fjkraan]

Some years ago I shifted from collecting computers (limited by space) to
collecting documentation for the most interesting computers in my
collection. The advantage here is that it usually takes less space
and you learn a lot more about the machines.
In some cases I borrow documentation, scan it and convert it to PDF. In
the past I converted to HTML, but found this too time consuming. And if
space is available, who cares?
My own page (http://www.xs4all.nl/~fjkraan/comp/index.html) is already
filled with non PDF information, but on Fritz Chwolka's site is a clone
which will be extended with the scanned PDF files
(http://oldcomputers.dyndns.org/public/pub/rechner/epson/~fjkraan/comp/).
Currently these are mainly Epson HX-20, PX-8, PX-4, PX-16 files.
Some QX-10 technical doc wil follow, as will the complete documentation
of the DAI computer, a British designed, Belgium produced 8080 machine.

All this work, of course, in the hope someone will send me more documentation to copy :-).

Greetings,

Fred Jan Kraan

P.S. In making the files available online, I technically violate copyrights,
but not with the intention to make money out of it. If some copyright
holder objects, I will take it off-line. But until that day ....

[Erik]

I can empathise with the shift from hardware to paper.

I'm starting to come to the same realization. I've got tons of magazines and manuals and lots of computers but the paper portion of my collection is growing faster.

Now I have to come up with a process (and the time) to make aspects of the collection available to others.

Erik

[fjkraan]

> Now I have to come up with a process (and the time) to make aspects of the collection available to others.

Well there is the way someone at comp.sys.tandy used to archive his
collection of 80Micro's: Buy a second set, rip of the back and feed the
pages to a page feed scanner.
But generally this is not an option. I use the slow way, scanning each page
individually, like making photo copies. Usually it is black and white, so I
scan monochrome, making the scantime acceptable. Per document you
should find the correct black/white treshhold.
The scans are uncompressed tiffs, which are converted to PDF per chapter.

[Micom 2000]

Great site fred. And thanks also for the Url of Fritz's site. Many years ago
I had a pointer to a quote of his on problems with the TRS-80 model 2
fdd which allowed me to load by pressing the heads harder against the
disk. It's possible I might have some old stuff you can use. Likely best
off-list.

My own page (http://www.xs4all.nl/~fjkraan/comp/index.html) is already
filled with non PDF information, but on Fritz Chwolka's site is a clone
which will be extended with the scanned PDF files
(http://oldcomputers.dyndns.org/public/pub/rechner/epson/~fjkraan/comp
/).
Currently these are mainly Epson HX-20, PX-8, PX-4, PX-16 files.
Some QX-10 technical doc wil follow, as will the complete documentation
of the DAI computer, a British designed, Belgium produced 8080 machine.

All this work, of course, in the hope someone will send me more documentation to copy :-).

Greetings,

Fred Jan Kraan

P.S. In making the files available online, I technically violate copyrights,
but not with the intention to make money out of it. If some copyright
holder objects, I will take it off-line. But until that day ....