Interesting 😀
About the first question: maybe that can differ for hardware and software. A collector would probably prefer the original if available but a 'user' would prefer the new one. What if you are a collector of software but only a user when it comes to hardware?

HanSolo wrote on 2023-09-06, 08:48:

Interesting 😀
About the first question: maybe that can differ for hardware and software. A collector would probably prefer the original if available but a 'user' would prefer the new one. What if you are a collector of software but only a user when it comes to hardware?

Thank you!

I kind of addressed that in the subsequent question. Do you think it is sufficient?

"Assume that today, in 2023, factories decided to start making again the IT products (hardware, pieces of equipment, and software) that existed in the 80s-90s: Computers, PC components, cases, CPUs, motherboards, cards, peripherals, software, all of them and everything."

Why to assume what will never happen? 🙂

One thing I miss from the questions, and without that I'm unable to answer any of them is price. I would 100% prefer an identical hardware or software manufactured recently over one that was manufactured 30 years ago and has an unknown history, for the same price. But if I had to pay brand new price (adjusted for inflation) or a premium for small scale manufacturing, then I'd get the old one.

There are a lot of retro hardware projects, brand new parts for retro hardware, but I just find most of them too expensive for what they are.

I also like some of the modern conveniences. Like easily replaceable coin cell batteries instead of soldered in leaky Vartas or Dallas chips. Sure, on a brand new motherboard they wouldn't be a problem for years, but still.

Preparing a business plan? 😀

RandomStranger wrote on 2023-09-06, 09:40:

One thing I miss from the questions, and without that I'm unable to answer any of them is price. I would 100% prefer an identical hardware or software manufactured recently over one that was manufactured 30 years ago and has an unknown history, for the same price. But if I had to pay brand new price (adjusted for inflation) or a premium for small scale manufacturing, then I'd get the old one.

There are a lot of retro hardware projects, brand new parts for retro hardware, but I just find most of them too expensive for what they are.

I also like some of the modern conveniences. Like easily replaceable coin cell batteries instead of soldered in leaky Vartas or Dallas chips. Sure, on a brand new motherboard they wouldn't be a problem for years, but still.

Good points!!! Thanks, I'm modifying the survey...

So to answer your points:

1) Assume the price of the new replica is identical to the corresponding original old product you'd find in the used market
2) Yes: Improvements on obvious vulnerabilities that are universally recognized (such as the problem of the soldered batteries on motherboards) will be applied to the new replicas

konc wrote on 2023-09-06, 09:48:

Preparing a business plan? 😀

🤣!!!
You kidding! If I had the money, I'd certainly do that!

aries-mu wrote on 2023-09-06, 11:27:

1) Assume the price of the new replica is identical to the corresponding original old product you'd find in the used market
2) Yes: Improvements on obvious vulnerabilities that are universally recognized (such as the problem of the soldered batteries on motherboards) will be applied to the new replicas

These are very important assumptions to this serious questionnaire!

As I pretty much answered there, if these new-old computers and stuff would indeed be available, I’d still like to use vintage parts as much as possible, if nothing else, then giving them a continued purpose instead of them getting recycled. And repairing stuff is part of my hobby nonethless.

However, in practice if you’d be able to get new and mint stuff from the online shop of your choice, then realistically I’d probably soon start first looking those interesting parts sold as new instead of making an effort to find them locally, ebay or whatnot. Ultimately I’m pretty lazy guy.

CharlieFoxtrot wrote on 2023-09-06, 11:45:

These are very important assumptions to this serious questionnaire! […]
Show full quote

aries-mu wrote on 2023-09-06, 11:27:

1) Assume the price of the new replica is identical to the corresponding original old product you'd find in the used market
2) Yes: Improvements on obvious vulnerabilities that are universally recognized (such as the problem of the soldered batteries on motherboards) will be applied to the new replicas

These are very important assumptions to this serious questionnaire!

As I pretty much answered there, if these new-old computers and stuff would indeed be available, I’d still like to use vintage parts as much as possible, if nothing else, then giving them a continued purpose instead of them getting recycled. And repairing stuff is part of my hobby nonethless.

However, in practice if you’d be able to get new and mint stuff from the online shop of your choice, then realistically I’d probably soon start first looking those interesting parts sold as new instead of making an effort to find them locally, ebay or whatnot. Ultimately I’m pretty lazy guy.

Thanks for your inputs!

konc wrote on 2023-09-06, 09:48:

Preparing a business plan? 😀

You never know what uncle Elon is up to... he might stumble upon this and get itchy... 😁😎

I would love some new stuff for old systems like a socket 7 cpu with modern instructions

I'm eagerly awaiting Sergey's new 486 board I think he's working on right now.

ChrisXF wrote on 2023-09-06, 15:16:

I'm eagerly awaiting Sergey's new 486 board I think he's working on right now.

Wait what? What's this? Is this what I think it is???? 😳 Please!!!!!

aries-mu wrote on 2023-09-06, 15:19:

Wait what? What's this? Is this what I think it is???? 😳 Please!!!!!

All looks very, very early stage, but my fingers are crossed:

https://github.com/skiselev/sandy_river_486

I am not much of a hardware collector, so maybe others would feel differently. I don't have any parts I keep in the original packaging and if I buy something I plan to use it (even if many times I actually don't 😜).

I am not sentimentally attached to the history of the item. I bought an Orpheus II for my DOS PC. I use midi emulation even when I play on original hardware. I would prefer new parts to old stock assuming all else equal.

ChrisXF wrote on 2023-09-06, 15:21:

aries-mu wrote on 2023-09-06, 15:19:

Wait what? What's this? Is this what I think it is???? 😳 Please!!!!!

All looks very, very early stage, but my fingers are crossed:

https://github.com/skiselev/sandy_river_486

Oh my goodness!!!! All the very best to our friend Sergey!!!!

Wait a second... ATX? Would an ATX mobo fit in an old AT case?

aries-mu wrote on 2023-09-06, 15:45:

...Would an ATX mobo fit in an old AT case?

I think so ...
Started using ATX cases for AT boards

It happened with cars. There was a time where I was seriously considering buying a reproduction unibody for my Camaro because it had enough rust that it would have had to have been stripped to bare metal and repaired on a rotisserie. That would have entailed an exhaustive search for someone who had excellent sheetmetal skills, and they aren't easily found, and can have years long backlogs of work. But my Camaro was destroyed in the fire, so I no longer worry about how I'm going to fix it.

The survey seems to miss the obvious. Why would anyone buy a repro for THE SAME PRICE as you can buy an original?

If the repros were significantly cheaper then I’d get it, but the pieces of hardware I’d want to buy repros of are bits you can’t find unless spending thousands or tens of thousands of (insert currency here).

I can’t fill in the survey as it assumes that if I wouldn’t buy repro hardware at its existing price, I wouldn’t buy it at a lower one.

I already buy and use modern recreations of vintage hardware, so nothing would change there.

If there were modern recreations of old cases or CRT monitors, I'd buy those in a heartbeat. Those would be number one on my wishlist.