Fun flashback to the days of work... No, really!
Back when dinosaurs roamed the Internet, I had worked at a couple of neat startup companies post Navy. One initially made hardware, then moved to computer based animation that would eventually get them bought by another company, at which point I jumped to the second startup (some 25 years ago) making really cool cubical black computers and operating system software that would eventually get them bought by another company.
Anywho, a fellow still working at the first company had the idea of doing a benefit for a local museum specializing in cartoons. The benefit will happen while there's a conference in town for folks developing software for the company that bought the black cubical computer firm. So... As a draw for these folks, he's theming the benefit around the black hardware from 20 years ago.
Naturally he needed some of this cool black hardware. I, being a pack rat, had some of this hardware. All that needed to be done was to lean and repair a bit and come up with some running machines, with a specific suite of software installed and running. Holy spiderwebs, Batman! Hilarity ensued... Several days worth... Bad media, blown capacitors, the odd bit of corrosion. The usual...
I delivered the resurrected equipment today, actual running prototype hardware from 20 years ago, made right here in the USA. Delivery was at the animation company, and he was kind enough to show me around. Damn! They've come a long way from beige tilt ups behind a strip mall. The hallways look like a very nice museum exhibit, documenting their newest release. Pretty amazing. If I had to work somewhere, I'd like it to be that place.
Now I just have to clean up the leftover bits. Mañana...
