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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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.
Remote Systems Kept Community Alive
- During COVID Living Computers kept remote systems online so people could still access vintage machines.
- Those remote systems helped preserve community engagement while the physical museum closed.
Bootstrap With Community And Membership
- Build a community base of volunteers and members before relying on major funding.
- Focus first on covering lease and utilities and grow membership to stabilize operations.
