What you collect....

[JAC]

ok.. some recent posts of mine on the group buy thread will shed light on this post. I am really curious why you guys buy some of the things you do...

Logic gates,
Shift registers,
Interface chips,
ALU's
etc..

What exactly are you collecting? why?

CPU's, microcontrollers, eproms I can understand. I dont understand the others. This is my understanding of the stuff I collect..

So.. CPU.. well it goes without need much explanation why we like to collect them.

Microcontrollers I like to collect very specific types from one manufacturer*, and even then I only really like the windowed types.
*( I use their modern chips in the 10's of thousands a year)

Thats much the same reason why I like windowed eproms.. they are cheap, and the packages are kinda cool. The windowed ones are all but finished in production as EEPROM's took over ( electrically erasable types ).

The final category of stuff I like is the "anything cool" category.. file it under 'bright shiny things for the magpie in all of us'.... Large ceramic chips or DLP's , populated motherboards etc..

Why the other chips?

Maybe I should offer a prize for the best answer.

[Chiefish]

I collect mostly CPUs , Eproms, Old memory chips, I like some Multipliers, and Accumulators, in the 64 pin pkg. Occasionally just some good looking shiney stuff, like the AMI chips I have , I like the grey traces on them even tho I have no idea what most all of them do.

[D.8080]

As long as it goes into a socket.
There's too much beauty out there to ignore.
Cool is cool regardless the package.

[hugo929]

I collect mainly CPUs and MCUs. and probably include some other eye-candies at cheap price.
Using limited money to collect limited chip is the thumb rule

And another question is that I am running out of space to store the chips,
so whenever the new chips arrive, they turn out to be a big headache!!!

[naked1300]

[kosmokrator]

i collect every ceramic or hybrid-ceramic package chip exists...
the why is not clear...

i think is allready rare and uncommon the cer packages ..only plastic crap today....
i think its special every ceramic chip....even is just 4 gates inside..

[bccwchan]

Now I start collecting old RAM (mainly white/purple) because it looks real vintage.

I won't limit my collection. I always collect old beauties and the rule is simple - love in first sight.

Whatever it is is not important. I don't think I'm only a CPU eollector but a old stuff lover.

[Neon_WA]

I collect in this order

CPUs - Ceramic (anything)
CPUs - Plastic (more selective as most look the same lol)
eProms - any parts in white & Purple. brown ceramic more selective or whatever i find
MCUs - Pretty looking or uncommon or whatever i find
ALUs - mainly ceramic or cheap plastic
Misc Chips - anything that looks pretty

Why? Mainly to stop me getting into trouble
by making sure I dont have the time on my hands.... to end up with more than one girlfriend at the same time

[hugo929]

[CPUShack]

ALUs since they really are the basis of a CPU, think of it as an extension of collection FPUs

[michefe]

only CPUs

[debs3759]

CPUs, MCUs, FPUs, ALUs, memory (anything from core memory to modern RAM chips) plus other chips that catch my eye.

[Windmiller]

CPU's
EPROMS - Early Intel only
MCU - Clones only
ALU's - Clones only

[johnorun]