Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The History of Computing Auctioned at Christie's

Posted by timothy on from the considerable-subset-anyhow dept.

Larry Groebe writes "The most amazing unified collection of books, papers, and similar material on the history of computing is about to go on sale at Christie's auction house. Want a signed copy of 'Rossum's Universal Robots?' Original papers on the Eniac? Alan Turning's original proof of universal computability? Letters from Charles Babbage himself? It's in there, to anyone with (a whole lot of) money. Check out the estimated price on the 1974 journal article by Vinton Cerf describing IP addressing. It's increased in value in the past 30 years...just a bit."

24 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Hey baby by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wanna see my authetic Vint Cerf letter from 1974?

  2. The sale's not going well by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apparently the entire online catalog is Slashdotted.

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  3. Do they have... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The history of the history of recursion?

    1. Re:Do they have... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      The history of the history of recursion?

      yes

    2. Re:Do they have... by stephenisu · · Score: 2, Funny

      Stocked in the department of redundancy department.

      See the section labeled department of redundancy department.

      --
      Sigs? We don't need no stinking sigs!
    3. Re:Do they have... by nacturation · · Score: 3, Funny

      Have a post which links to itself and then I'll be impressed!

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
  4. Computors by Rares+Marian · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow. They really did spell it that way. All the souls I've led astray. No amount of Windows usage can atone for the misgrammaticalous advice I've given.

    I will never RTFA again. Who knows what else I'll find out?

    --
    The message on the other side of this sig is false.
    1. Re:Computors by FuzzyBad-Mofo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Indeed. For penance, do 3 Gentoo stage 2 installs, and learn to send mail with Emacs.

  5. I have... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have Charles Babbage's ego in a box somewhere. Should be worth a bit.

    --
    Evil people are out to get you.
    1. Re:I have... by Xeo+024 · · Score: 1, Funny

      I'll give you a nickel, but you have to pay shipping. I could use a box.

  6. Also featured on Page 3 of the catalog... by GillBates0 · · Score: 4, Funny
    A never before published proof of P=NP from Alan Turing's diary.

    Just kidding folks...no need to get your panties all in a bunch.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  7. Re:Worth noting by bwcarty · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's because it's all DRM free.

  8. Re:As the Alan Turns... by OneIsNotPrime · · Score: 2, Funny

    Alan Turing is spinning in his grave.

    --

    ---

    WARNING:Slashdot karma not redeemable in the afterlife.

  9. What about by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about the Pink Shirt book; the Devil book; the Dragon book; or the Red book, otherwise known as the ugly Red Book that won't fit on a shelf... Will these books also be auctioned off?

    Signed,
    Joey

  10. Re:Bill Gates by ackthpt · · Score: 2, Funny
    If I were Bill Gates I'd shell out some money for that stuff.

    And then what? Dig a hole in your back yard and burn everything in it that challenges your vise-like grip on the IT market? Or file it away, with a very Blofeld-ish, "Quaint, quaint."

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  11. 255 lots? by Mononoke · · Score: 3, Funny
    In an auction of the history of cyberspace, shouldn't there really be 256?

    --
    NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
    1. Re:255 lots? by Dogtanian · · Score: 4, Funny

      In an auction of the history of cyberspace, shouldn't there really be 256?

      If they slap in another lot, it'll roll round to 0. Damn those legacy systems!

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  12. Re:Bill Gates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    destroy the documented prior art and file new patents.

  13. Re:Historical Documents Deserve A Prominent Place. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    - These books belong in a museum.
    - So do you!

    (sorry bad joke)

  14. No, 255 is correct. by jd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Remember, 0 is NULL.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  15. Those papers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...belong in a museum! *cracks Indy whip*

  16. Re:Cerf article by slickwillie · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe someone can dig out the specs for the first spellchecker.

  17. can I pay... by same_old_story · · Score: 2, Funny

    with stock options?

  18. Re:As the Alan Turns... by Anonymous+Custard · · Score: 2, Funny

    Alan Turing is spinning in his grave.

    Will he ever stop spinning, or will his ghost keep halting me forever???

    --
    $8.95/mo web hosting