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Cyhist Apr 10 1997 B
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Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 15:15:24 PDT
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@VORTEX.COM>
Subject: Re: Prices from Yesteryear
X-To: Rich Pizor <pizor@lclark.edu>
In-Reply-To: Your message of Wed, 9 Apr 1997 22:18:11 -0700 (PDT).
<Pine.OSF.3.91.970409221058.536A-100000@sun.lclark.edu>
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>You make a good case for the falling cost of technology. BUT...
Greetings. I'm not trying to make a case for anything. I just made that sheet available as a fun memory of what prices were like for available computing equipment back then. Nowadays many newcomers to the field have never seen the magnitude of the numbers involved in black in white.
>I'm not really sure that comparing an industrial-strength machine like a PDP against a desktop PC is really fair, regardless of comparative power.
I wasn't trying to do a serious comparison. What made you think I was? My "humorous" intro? I think you're reading far too much into this.
>The PDP series was never intended for use by anyone other than major corporations and universities and was priced and produced accordingly. No matter what anyone says, this is going to have more than a little bearing on the final outcome.
But of course, all computers available back then were for those kinds of "heavyweight" purposes. That's what was available, and that's what they cost.
That's all that price sheet is about.
--Lauren--
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@VORTEX.COM>
Subject: Re: Prices from Yesteryear
X-To: Rich Pizor <pizor@lclark.edu>
In-Reply-To: Your message of Wed, 9 Apr 1997 22:18:11 -0700 (PDT).
<Pine.OSF.3.91.970409221058.536A-100000@sun.lclark.edu>
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>You make a good case for the falling cost of technology. BUT...
Greetings. I'm not trying to make a case for anything. I just made that sheet available as a fun memory of what prices were like for available computing equipment back then. Nowadays many newcomers to the field have never seen the magnitude of the numbers involved in black in white.
>I'm not really sure that comparing an industrial-strength machine like a PDP against a desktop PC is really fair, regardless of comparative power.
I wasn't trying to do a serious comparison. What made you think I was? My "humorous" intro? I think you're reading far too much into this.
>The PDP series was never intended for use by anyone other than major corporations and universities and was priced and produced accordingly. No matter what anyone says, this is going to have more than a little bearing on the final outcome.
But of course, all computers available back then were for those kinds of "heavyweight" purposes. That's what was available, and that's what they cost.
That's all that price sheet is about.
--Lauren--
______________________________________________________________________
