3.2M views · Mar 25, 2016 · 45:12 · 2 HN recommenders · 9 mentions · discussed 2018–2025
Connor Krukosky, an 18-year-old college student and vintage computer collector, tells how he bought an IBM z890 mainframe and got it running at home. The talk was given at SHARE in San Antonio in March 2016.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters cite it as an entertaining example of a teenager buying, hosting and booting a real mainframe.
“it's an entertaining 45 minutes”HN comment, 2020
“it's an entertaining 45 minutes”
Entertaining 45-minute story of buying a mainframe
I'm shure alot of you have seen this already. If not, it's an entertaining 45 minutes this video (Here's What Happens When an 18 Year Old Buys a Mainframe)
“his talk about it is really interesting”
Talk about getting a mainframe running at home
He did, his talk about it is really interesting: this video > He and his old computer friends played around with some applications that were on the platform, and even made an FTP server that put some data on the internet. Per link
“Here's What Happens When an 18 Year Old Buys a Mainframe”
Motivational example of a teenager running a mainframe
C'mon, you just needa little motivation. ;-) Here's What Happens When an 18 Year Old Buys a Mainframe this video
“This vid has some good photos”
Has good photos of a home mainframe
This vid has some good photos this video (also discussed on HN previously). You don't want one if you ask me.
Cited as an exception to dumbed-down consumer tech
Consumer tech has been refined and dumbed down to the point where everything just sort of magically works, and since it's "magic" you never have to dive into the nuts and bolts. By making it so easy to use, we are depriving people of their opportunities to organically learn like people in my generation had to. Exceptions exist. * Here's What Happens When an 18 Year Old Buys a Mainframe - YouTube || this video
“the kid that bought an IBM z890 mainframe and brought it to his basement. And got it to work!”
Kid got an IBM z890 working in his basement
Reminds me of the kid that bought an IBM z890 mainframe and brought it to his basement. And got it to work! this video
Example of getting an old mainframe running
If you do, blog about it. One of the challenges in getting an old mainframe (System 360, 3090, etc) running is getting a license for the operating system from IBM. Hopefully acquiring one for the AS/400 is easier. this video
Kid who revived an old mainframe in his basement
Wasn't there that kid that IBM uses as a sort of new mascot for mainframe stuff who bought an old mainframe and got it working in his basement? [1] [1] this video
“Here's a kid who bought a mainframe and then brought it up”
Example of a kid buying and booting a mainframe
It depends on how full those drawers are. $250k to $1m would be the typical price range. It's easier and harder at the same time to buy older hardware. That's half the challenge though because the software is strictly licensed and you pay per MIPS. Here's a kid who bought a mainframe and then brought it up: this video
