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When does a computer become "Vintage?"

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dhoelzer

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Obviously, 8 bit systems count. 16 bit systems too. Even some 32 bit systems are in the mix... But when precisely does it become vintage?

For example, I just added an SGI Indy to the herd and I'm picking up an O2... The fact that the manufacturer has been out of business for nearly a decade seems to indicate that "vintageness" is fast approaching. :)
 
My personal classification method is "20 years" but I think for many collectors it might be style based or something like 25 years.

But irrelevant of what age range your SGI boxes are in, I think quite a few people here would be interested - they're special enough to get a "classic" badge at least. I recently pondered getting one as well after re-watching Jurassic Park (50c VHS tape woo) and seeing the SGI systems/displays.
 
When it runs Wine:)

To me, 8-bit isn't obvious, as there are new 8-bit machines.
 
I personnally don't think there really is a "correct" answer. At depends on an individuals interpretation of the word vintage.

I go for the 60s or before,70s, 80s, 90s etc vintage idea. Then there's "classic" for example "classic SGI hardare. Of course the there's, boo hiss, "retro" Who knows exactly what that covers if you look at Vogons. Anything anything older than a year maybe :)
 
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SGI machines may not be classified as "vintage", but they certainly are "collectible". I have a couple and feel they are at least as valuable as most computers in my collection.
 
Perhaps I'll post my exploits then. I've got an Indy here on my desk and an O2 across the office. There's a 1600SW monitor that I'm struggling to find either an O2 card for or a multilink adapter for less than $100.

I've actually got Maya on a disk here that I'm planning to stick onto the Indy. I'm pretty sure that was Jurassic Park's main creation tool. :)
 
Age is one method, but I tend to think of things as vintage when there is a major change is hardware and or software that makes the technology obsolete. For example I think PPC macs are getting into vintage territory soon since they are completely unsupported. SUN/SGI sparc gear is another are I think of as vintage. Anything Amiga or ST (or earlier 8 bit Atari and commodore machines). Basically anything not running X86/X64 on a desktop. Heck sooner or later anything not 64 bit will be unsupported.
 
Does "vintage" when used as an adjective, denote (a wine of) particularly high quality?

Can one have "vintage" rotgut?

Now, given that, there are a lot of old machines that might not be worthy of the appellation.
 
This question has started more than it's fair share of flame wars :) It's difficult since it seems very subjective. Personally, I prefer to collect and talk about machines that are interesting to me in one way or another.

Nevertheless, I'll don the asbest suit and give a new definition of a "vintage computer":

A computer that you can no longer buy new!

NIB and NOS doesn't count :)
 
pontus said:
A computer that you can no longer buy new!
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Well, I'd like to make that more specific. Something like: "A computer of a certain *type* that you can no longer buy new".
Otherwise, computers of only a year old would be 'vintage' already, because Apple/Dell/whoever upgrade their product lines. You won't be able to buy the *exact* same computer anymore. But you will be able to buy one that is nearly identical, but just has a slightly faster CPU/GPU/better display/larger HDD or something to that effect.

Which brings us to the slippery slope of what the PC standard really is. Is an IBM 5150 not vintage because there are still x86-compatible PCs being sold today?

I think I should stop here, because we'll never get a proper definition ;)
 
For some computers, I am sure the answer may be "never"....

.. yet for others even before 10 years.

I think to be Vintage it has to have a certain something. Surely anything running Windows/2000 is now "Vintage" yet such machines only get to be 15 this year at the earliest.

What about my SBC6120 PDP-8 clone? Its a new board with old chips in.....

You might as well discuss what makes men handsome or women beautiful...
 
pontus said:
Nevertheless, I'll don the asbest suit and give a new definition of a "vintage computer": A computer that you can no longer buy new!
Click to expand...
Some would prefer to term that as being obsolete, but as we all here know that does not mean they aren't still useful. Whether it's being used in a manufacturing plant or the grandkids are whiling there time away playing some old games with granddad.
 
Vintage in Cars or Motorcycles is clearly defined by the Age. pre war manufactured vehicles are considered as Vintge most of the postwar aerea are Oldtimers but on Computers ? the is only very view pre war.
The Punch Card Reader was invented during the 1920ies (ist that consider as Computer?) The Germans made the ENIGMA coding machine wich was an elktromechanical machine but not a Computer (or was it?)
The british Counter intelligence invited a machine to decipher the enigma code. That could be seen as an early (Vintage Computer). Conrad Zuse was working on a machine wich later became the Z-80 (Z stands for Zuse) can this be considers as Vintage? I think vintage is a term used by enthusiast's who love theire Computers wich are simply out of date
BRG Joe
 
g4ugm said:
What about my SBC6120 PDP-8 clone? Its a new board with old chips in.....
Click to expand...

Well, vintage would have to be the original I suppose. Else it's a clone/reproduction/whatever, but it' s not vintage itself :)

One definition for 'vintage' I found is 'originating from a previous era'.
Still vague I guess :) Because what exactly defines what an 'era' is?
In some cases it's quite obvious (C64, MS-DOS, Apple I, II, III, 68k Mac, PPC Mac)... But with PCs/Windows, it's not as clear-cut :)
 
When the BIOS (or equivalent) doesn't support floppies, optical drives or IDE drives of any sort it isn't vintage. If it has an Intel or AMD 64 bit chip it isn't vintage. If it doesn't have serial or parallel ports on-board it isn't vintage.
 
Rick Ethridge said:
When the BIOS (or equivalent) doesn't support floppies, optical drives or IDE drives of any sort it isn't vintage. If it has an Intel or AMD 64 bit chip it isn't vintage. If it doesn't have serial or parallel ports on-board it isn't vintage.
Click to expand...

That definition would mean the ZX-81 is not vintage. The IBM PC would not be vintage (no serial or parallel ports on board). No system using an Intel i860 would be vintage.
 
Only uses a crt for video output- nah that doesn't work either. No network capability built in- nope. Was shipped with only a built in speaker for sound- nope..................
 
Rick Ethridge said:
When the BIOS (or equivalent) doesn't support floppies, optical drives or IDE drives of any sort it isn't vintage. If it has an Intel or AMD 64 bit chip it isn't vintage. If it doesn't have serial or parallel ports on-board it isn't vintage.
Click to expand...

Where do you find a BIOS that doesn't support optical drives EXCEPT a vintage one (pentium 1 or older didn't)

My socket 775 board has a floppy controller, ide support and onboard serial and parallel
 
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