Frugal Propellerhead's Technological "Boneyard" Part 1

 

I've decided that, unlike others; I'm not really a collector. I don't really have a collection. It's more like the U.S. Air Force's boneyard, or the Navy's "mothball fleet". Much of what I have are either the actual items that I had and used, or a specimen that I picked up later so I can kind of commemorate the original. What am I talking about and what started me down this dusty trail?

Ikea's ubiquitous "Lack" floating wall-shelves. They range from $10 to $20 depending on length and are so common, there's a whole sub-culture built around "hacks" people do with them. Me? I just use them to put my old technology stuff on..... along with a few pictures and nic-nacs......, but mostly...... it's old tech. And now that I have a kind-of, sort-of man-cave; I've put up a few of these and have a place to put old tech that mean something to me.

Although, I just generally love technology, I blame becoming infected by the "collection" disease on this.... the IBM ThinkPad 701c. One of these, was my very first laptop and I loved pretty much everything about it. So, a few years ago, I went out and bought one to represent the original that I owned and used for several years before moving on. So, am I a ThinkPad collector? Not quite. Although I'll admit to having several which are for display only, I only have ones that are especially significant to me..... like the 701c. I also have an X20 (complete with X2 Ultrabase) and both a 760CD (complete with Dock) as well as an A31p (complete with Dock). The last two, partially because they were used on the Space Shuttle and/or the International Space Station.

 

Oh.... and I like docks too.

I also have the IBM WorkPad C505 which was the pinnacle of 6 different organizers I personally used during the height of the PDA era during the 90's. And there's the ThinkPad Tablet (1st version running Android); my very first tablet. Uh, I have the matching dock as well, and of course the charging cradle for the WorkPad. 

I can definitely claim that I'm not really a true "collector" or I'd have the Palm Pilot Professional and Handspring Edge (both of which I own and used) in my little menagerie. Of course, if you follow that logic, I'd also have the following ThinkPads (600e, 600x, T20, T21p, T22p, T23p, T30, T40, T41p, T42p, T43p, X30, X31, X300, X301, X1, A21, A22, A30, A31, A31p, T430s, T530) in the collection as well. 

..... but...... it's not a collection..... Next time, the other non- collection.