Long-Term PC Preservation Project?

failcomm writes "I've been talking with my son's (middle-school) computer lab teacher about a 'time capsule' project. The school has a number of 'retirement age' PCs (5-6 years old — Dells, HPs, a couple of Compaqs), and we've been kicking around the idea of trying to preserve a working system and some media (CDs and/or DVDs), and locking them away to be preserved for some period of time (say 50 years); to be opened by students of the future. The goal would be to have instructions on how to unpack the system, plug it into the wall (we'll assume everyone is still using 110v US outlets), and get the system to boot. Also provide instructions on how to load the media and see it in action; whether it is photos or video or games or even student programs — whatever. So first, is this idea crazy? Second, how would we go about packing/preserving various components? Lastly, any suggestions on how to store it long term? (Remember, this is a school project, so we can't exactly just 'freeze it in carbonite'; practical advice would be appreciated.)"

Way too many unknowns

[gavron]

"US Power" is not a defined term. Even if you went to the effort of saying "The two leads need to be supplied with a sine-wave alternating current peaking at 115 Volts" you have no way of knowing that in 50 years they'll be using Volts, AC, two leads, or know what a sine-wave is. I like the previous poster's suggestion of a laptop with a solar charger. Of course this makes an assumption that there will be sunlight in the right frequencies and not the bad evil sunshine frequencies. Who knows what 50 years of industrial evolution, weather changes, and clouds will bring. Heck, what if they try and start it up in Seattle and all they have is clouds? Finally, EVEN IF they did start it up, the point of a time capsule is to provide a glimpse of the past, not to ANNOY AND IRRITATE THE FUTURE. That means whatever OS you install on there is a waste. Making someone go through the tedious boot-up sequence (50 years, Moore's Law, remember?) is a waste. In short, a waste. Much better to give them code samples of your hello_world.c so they can laugh about how stuff was hard in the past. Regards E P.S. FTG!

Don't Bother

[dmomo]

It got damaged in a flood. Even if it hadn't it wouldn't matter. We just use this 20 year old time machine invented in 2039 to come back for our retro-gaming fix. It's a clunker compared to the new time machines, but it was cheap. Actually, probably cheaper than your P4 uses... AND it uses less power.

We actually save power by going back in time and using the past's power anyway. The future is AWESOME. Come join us soon!

You know what would suck? The Y2038 Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

Somehow, you get your computer preserved and it makes it to 2059. Everyone is excited, the telepresence news crews are in attendance, and you go to boot it up... only to have it crash due to a Y2038 bug in some code Microsoft borrowed from FreeBSD. Oops.

It'll be funny when if it did boot

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait 50 years, unpack it and plug it in.... Then wait while it downloads 50 years worth of windows updates as it simultaneously gets infected with 50 years worth of viruses, worms and other nasties!

Also a cool economics class project

[El Cabri]

Slip in a paper share of MSFT in the time capsule with a note : can you imagine that in OUR time, people would pay seventeen BUCKS for that !!?

Re:Way too many unknowns

[mustafap]

>Basic mathematical patterns inherent in Euclidean geometry aren't going to be easily forgotten or abandoned.

You overestimate the power of the US education system.

One label is enough for everyone

[Anonymous Coward]

Put a large label outside the box that reads:

Porn pictures inside. DO NOT OPEN

The students of the future will figure out the rest no matter how the education system will have been rotten.

Re:Way too many unknowns

[drinkypoo]

I can hear it now: "It's been three seconds and still no "desktop", whatever that is, the damn thing is broken!"

Given what we know about human nature and trends in technology it's more likely to be "It's been three seconds and still no blowjob, are you sure this thing is a computer?"

Re:I've thought about this

[KeithJM]

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

So you're worried that if we don't do this someone 50 years from now will install Windows ME?

Re:Don't Bother

[dmomo]

I was just freaking out wondering who was using my slashdot account to post nonsense about time travel.

Then I got a call from my future self. I told me that fresh parsley will be the new Salmonella scare of 2009.

Re:Not optical media

[urban_warrior]

better yet, include a copy of ubuntu

Re:As for preservation

[Anonymous Coward]

Your chances aren't that good in finding a working Xbox 360 here and now in 2009 :-)

Ohh!

[Shadow-isoHunt]

Store copies of the Duke Nukem series on various forms of media and store it with it. Someone will throw it up on the then-ebay and a geek will buy it, the geek being compelled to play the prequels to Duke Nukem Forever the way they were meant to be played.

Re:As for preservation

[Hal_Porter]

Not necessarily. Most cultures have myths of ancients that left traps to protect their treasures from grave robbers. Seems to me that gassing a few of them will motivate the survivors by convincing them they've found something really valuable.

Re:Battery life

[fataugie]

Where will they find a battery for the bios?

That's easy. Just include an extra!

Wait....oh....nevermind.

Re:50 yrs is not that long

[Perf]

At my Chinese laundry, they still fire up their 2000 year old abacus to do accounting.