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Problems in Computer Conservation

Posted by michael on from the don't-make-em-like-they-used-to dept.

sobachatina writes "The Computer museum at The University of Amsterdam has an interesting page with examples of the problems that they run into maintaining 20+ year old hardware such as rubber rollers from card readers melting or mold growing inside CRT terminals.I hate it when I get mold growing inside my monitor!"

4 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. CDR - advances in durability? by sploxx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Interestingly enough, the old technology is not considered the best, at least not as a backup medium. This is the thing most of the preservation efforts go and should go into.

    Admitted, paper lasts very long, there is enough ancient evidence :)

    But look e.g. here http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa13.htm,

    they say that CD-Rs last 50-200 years(!)
    Compare that to magnetic tapes, discs, etc.

    But the final solution for very important data may well be the engraving into gold-plated aluminium, as the NASA did it for pioneer 10...

    It seems that mechanically changed media (stones, CD recordables etc.) have the longest lifetime.

  2. Re:Insert stoner response here by iggymanz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hemp (the fiber of which used to make rope, and the leaves of which is used make hippies & the early BSD's) paper can last 1,500+ years

  3. Re:Mold? That's nothing. by unitron · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That is (or at least was, before stations went all robot all the time) a major problem with radio station control rooms, it's a major hassle to dust and vacuum while somebody's doing an air shift, especially when you have to be careful not to suck up one of those temporary repairs that have been hanging out the back of some piece of equipment for the last 20 years (and of course it was installed by an engineer who's been gone almost that long and never documented anything anyway).

    --

    I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.

  4. Re:Mold, nothin'! by caino59 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The funny thing is...
    (I've tested this too)

    I actually retain things much better when stoned.

    Actually, when sober I tend to develop symptoms of ADD, which I've shown since elementary school.

    I find smoking relaxes me, and I tend to be able to focus and work better.

    I've actually had managers encourage me to "light one up" before work, and have teachers tell me how much better, and how much faster I work when high.

    In fact, I'm high now. ;o)

    and to stay (somewhat) on topic:

    i think we will have to come to accept the fact that at one point, we need to part with our hardware. Imagine a car, an icebox, or a washing machine. Nothing has an infinate life span.

    My RS-80 still works like a charm though, and no...you can't have it ;o)