Hanselminutes with Scott Hanselman The Past Still Boots with the Interim Computing Museum's Stephen Jones
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Nov 6, 2025 Scott chats with Stephen Jones, a senior engineering manager and curator at the Interim Computer Museum, specializing in restoring vintage systems. They delve into the art of bringing old computers back to life and the importance of interactive restoration for visitors. Stephen shares insights on community involvement, the challenges of remote access for vintage systems, and the significance of preserving software and hardware. He also discusses the museum's mission and how retro computing can bridge generational gaps in tech understanding.
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Successful Road-Trip Restoration
- The Interim Computer Museum brought fragile and common vintage machines to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo using moving blankets.
- A 1970 MLAC PDS-1 survived the trip and ran Spacewar at the show.
Engineering Makes Interactive Museums Work
- Museums rarely staff technical engineers, so interactive computing exhibits often fail without technical expertise.
- Living Computers succeeded because it employed seven full-time engineers to keep machines running and interactive.
Let Visitors Touch And Use The Machines
- Don't lock vintage computers behind glass if you want visitors to learn and feel computing history.
- Run the machines interactively to convey their visceral importance to visitors.
