As AI grips world, the thrill of collecting vintage computers is growing

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Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. tinker / ˈtɪŋ kər / (v.) – to make small changes to something in order to improve it or see how it works
    Example:

    He enjoys tinkering with old computers in his free time.


  2. coax / koʊks / (v.) – to carefully get something to work or do something, especially by making small changes or using gentle effort
    Example:

    He carefully worked on the old machine to coax it back to life.


  3. vintage / ˈvɪn tɪdʒ / (adj.) – old but valuable, attractive, or interesting because it comes from an earlier time
    Example:

    He collects vintage computers and other devices from the 1980s.


  4. reminisce / ˌrɛm əˈnɪs / (v.) – to think and talk about pleasant memories from the past
    Example:

    They spent the evening reminiscing about their school days.


  5. spring up / sprɪŋ ʌp / (phrasal v.) – to appear or develop suddenly and quickly
    Example:

    New coffee shops have sprung up around the neighborhood.


Article

Read the text below.

Software engineer Josh Dersch loves old computers. He spends countless hours tinkering in his garage, trying to coax decades-old machines back to life. He estimates he owns more than 200 vintage computers and devices in his Seattle home.


“It’s always been fascinating to me to see the origins of things,” Dersch said. “It’s a fun challenge to debug and repair. You can understand the entire system from top to bottom.”


Dersch is part of a growing community of vintage computer collectors who are preserving the classic machines that helped launch the digital revolution. While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore, and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices, and smartphones.


Where others see junk, people like Dersch see artifacts of computer history that are worthy of attention and respect. They delight in hearing the beeps and chimes of their childhood and firing up a low-def game of “Pong” or “Space Invaders.”


“The enthusiasm for the history of computers and all the stuff around it is growing,” said Erik Klein, president of the Vintage Computer Federation, which organizes an annual festival at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View in the heart of Silicon Valley.


This year, more than 3,500 people attended the two-day Vintage Computer Festival in early August that celebrated the 50th anniversary of Apple, founded in 1976 in nearby Cupertino, California. It featured a panel with co-founders Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne reminiscing about the company’s early days as a scrappy startup led by the late Steve Jobs.


More than a dozen such gatherings have since sprung up in cities across North America, South America, and Europe.


Growing interest is reflected in more demand for vintage computers in online marketplaces, Klein said. Rare, iconic computers like the Apple-1—the company’s first product—can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • While Silicon Valley is focused on technologies such as artificial intelligence, vintage computer enthusiasts are preserving machines from earlier periods of the digital revolution. In your opinion, what is the value of preserving old technology when new technology is developing so quickly? Discuss.
  • Why do you think there is a growing community of vintage computer collectors who are preserving the classic machines? Do you think you would enjoy collecting vintage computers as a hobby? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Where others see junk, people like Dersch see artifacts of computer history that are worthy of attention and respect. What old items make you feel the same way as Dersch? Why do you consider these items valuable and important? Why do people sometimes value things that other people consider useless or old-fashioned? Discuss.
  • Why is it important to preserve vintage items (ex. to document history, to honor humble beginnings)? What vintage items would you want to be preserved and remembered by future generations? Why? Discuss.