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Ding Dang Trevor Flowers's posts Post Back to profile
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

It seems like a sweet project is coming together right around the time when I'm ready for more work. Banking info and numbers have been traded so that seems positive. If money lands then I'll be able to talk (and release WIP videos) about it.

11 Jul 2022 at 19:57 | Open on machines.social
11 comments
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Can you guess my new project by this part? (dimensions are close but not yet exactly correct)

A CAD drawing of a piece of bent metal
12 Jul 2022 at 21:36 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Hint #1: The part's width is a bit more than 43cm (17").

12 Jul 2022 at 22:29 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Hint #2: It is in the same general domain as my full size Memex build.

A desk from the 40s made to look like Vannevar Bush's thought experiment in personal information systems.
12 Jul 2022 at 22:35 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Hint #3: The base part shown is an inner frame and is around 43cm (17") wide.

A CAD drawing of a metal part with a sem-transparent blue squircle floating above it at a right angle.
13 Jul 2022 at 3:21 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Hint #4: At the end of the project there will be six of them and they'll be in a museum exhibit.

13 Jul 2022 at 3:23 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Hint #8: These are metal frames to which rather beige case parts will be attached. The blue is where the glass would be.

A CAD drawing of two metal parts and a blue glass.
16 Jul 2022 at 1:40 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Hint #9: It will run Smalltalk '78.

16 Jul 2022 at 1:42 | Open on machines.social
Ding Dang Trevor Flowers replied to Ding Dang Trevor Flowers

Ok, I now have permission to talk about this project in full and in public. I'm working with Alan Kay to build six replicas* of a Xerox PARC Alto display for use in a museum exhibit**. Visitors will see a real Alto and then walk over to one of the replicas to futz with Smalltalk '78***.
Here's a nice writeup of a different project that rejuvenated an actual Alto.
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/0

A computer display, keyboard, and mouse from the Xerox PARC Alto computer which was made in the early 1970s.
18 Jul 2022 at 22:55 | Open on machines.social
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