If you are interested in restoring or building
reproduction vintage computers, join
the "retro-restore" Yahoo Group in order to share your
ideas and learn from others.
Why Retro Computers?
I started on this jouney
some time ago, when I pulled my old 1978 model Apple II down
out of the attic in order to build the The Super
D'Lux Shutter Tester. As I worked on the project,
many nostalgic thoughts crossed my mind. As time has
passed, I have fixed up my old Apple II, built an Apple II rev 0
replica motherboard and also built an Apple 1 replica. I have
spent a considerable number of enjoyable hours tinkering with these
classic machines. One of the great aspects of this hobby is
sharing my experiences with others, as well as learning from other
like minded people. Occasionally you may even learn directly
from an original developer of these classic machines, as many of
them will respond to respectful queries.
The thing I really love about these old machines is that a single
person can understand how they are put together and operate.
Modern computers and the software that runs on them is
designed by large teams and no single person is able to understand
the complete system.
A number of people collect these machines, but do not operate
them, for fear of damaging them. As an example, I know of only
2 original Apple 1s that are in operating condition. My
philosophy is that these machines should be put in operating order.
These machines are not great works of art, the essence of the
machine is in the operation of them. Each one's computing
capabilities had a significant impact on it's success or failure in
the market.
Imagine how much more interesting a computer musuem exhibit would be
if the machines were operating, or better yet, if you could operate
them yourselves. Since replacements for most components can
still be found, if you look hard enough, there is no reason that
these old machines shouldn't continue to run. At some point in
the future, failed components may become more difficult to replace.
I feel that the more machines we have running now, the more
that will be running in the future, when component replacement
becomes a more serious issue.
For These Projects, I Have Made Kits, PCBs and Parts
Available For Sale to Fellow Hobbyists
