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In 1985-87 I worked on plant that manufactured personal computers with russian-translated DOS in Minsk, Belarus. The cost of this computer was close to the cos
by gesman 11y ago
In 1985-87 I worked on plant that manufactured personal computers with russian-translated DOS in Minsk, Belarus.
The cost of this computer was close to the cost of car so blue collar workers established multiple schemes to steal either parts of computers or the whole computers.
The best plan by far was to throw computers out of the windows of factory so it would land on the soft grass right outside of the secure perimeter fence.
Then whatever was thrown - would be picked up by co-conspirators and drove away immediately.
Usually during the night shifts.
Clever, simple and working scheme that took a while to discover and crack for local security and law enforcement.
- Igglyboo 11y agoThat is a fascinating story, If you don't mind would you expand on it? We're you stealing computers yourself as well? How dangerous was it? Where would you normally go to sell a computer like that in the soviet union?
- ASalazarMX 11y agoNot OP, but I would guess the components were not to sell, but to use.
- prodmerc 11y agoNo, you could easily sell or barter them, too. We stole car parts and fuel this way, too. Because, you know, at the end of that unholy union, they were struggling to produce stuff for themselves (military, politicians and their relatives), much less for the citizens...
- gesman 11y agoI didn't steal anything, but wanted to assemble my first computer following radio schematics in Radio magazine (that article mentioned). Collected slowly bunch of parts frmo electronics store but never got into completing the project due to lack of parts.
- prodmerc 11y agoLol, classic Soviet Union story. It worked well in soviet-influenced countries, too. Widespread corruption was inevitable with everyone doing this stuff (I still blame the shit government) :-)
- Tloewald 11y agoReminds me of a terrible old Cold War era joke: Russian worker sees a queue to buy sewing machines at the local GUM (department store) and joins it. Eventually he gets to the front, and the sales clerk has run out of the machines, but offers to take down his name for when more come in. After he takes his name, he asks for his address and workplace. When the man gives his workplace, the sales clerk stops him. "You work at the sewing machine factory. Why are you here? Just smuggle out parts and make your own at home." The man shrugs. "I tried that, but each time I end up with a submachinegun."
- eveningcoffee 11y agoActually, this joke is more about Soviet economy fixation on (covert in this case) military production instead of producing sufficient amount of so much awaited home appliances. And this joke actually is interlinked to the main story. Namely many of Soviet PC projects were motivated by the late requirement for the military factories to also produce a civil product. Of course in the end all of it ended in the doom as these factories were not prepare to compete in high competitive open market environment and the market was flooded by cheap Taiwanese PC clones.
- babuskov 11y agoSometimes it turns out ok. Wasn't the Internet built for US military at first.
- eveningcoffee 11y agoWe could thank nuclear arms for the Internet. I am wondering how much of the current state of Internet holds to the initial promise.
- fpp 11y agoFor comparison: About 1988/89 we got our first PS/2 workstations [1]. With some upgrades (RAM, 60MB HD, network card) these were about the price of an entry level Mercedes S-Class - in today's money about US$100k each. [1] IBM PS/ 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_System/2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_System/2