Mainframe computers, says Paul Pierce, are "disappearing off the face of the earth, and I would like to play a part in saving them." To do so Pierce bought a commercial building in Portland, Oregon, where he stores his beloved IBM 709, a large mainframe built from vacuum tubes that occupies 1,500 square feet. He also owns a vintage IBM 7094, an IBM 370, and a Packard Bell PB250.
Pierce is one of a growing number of computer collectors, but he invests out of love, not profit. Asked how much the IBM 709, made in 1958, is worth, he retorts, "It's not for sale."
ELECTRIC WORD
All Tied Up on the Eastern Front
Heavy Metal
