In my library, I have a lot of data books from the seventies to the nineties. One such book is an Intel microcontroller data book. There are several old books on programming Microsoft C. It's time for me to clear out some clutter. Most of these books are available online, but I thought I would ask whether anyone wants the actual books. So, do I pitch them?
A Question for Old Timers
- Thread starter patlaw
- Start date
MaxHeadRoom
- Joined Jul 18, 2013
- 28,696
I too have a very large library in print from most of the major Semi manuf. Many are app notes that are no longer around.
But new devices now are on line so I just keep them for the occasional reference.
Otherwise they are really not worth the postage.'
Max.
But new devices now are on line so I just keep them for the occasional reference.
Otherwise they are really not worth the postage.'
Max.
Back before the internet (yes, kiddies, there was once a time when the internet did NOT exist - the web, not the arpanet, which was begun in the mid-'60s), I kept lots and lots of data books. Once they became available online, I trashed most of them. I only kept a small percentage of the ones with "extras" (ap notes, example circuits, etc.).
Hello there,
Another idea is to use a book scanner. That way you have the book on your hard drive, and of course back it up.
It's not easy to scan a whole book, but if it is a book you really like and you dont want to have to keep the physical book on your shelf taking up room and hardly ever used, you have the option of scanning it with a book scanner and thus keep the book pages available for your personal reading. One point though is that you are not allowed to publish it although through the Fair Use Act you are allowed to post one or two pages that you intend to comment on.
There are a lot of book scanners, some are easier to use than others, and some do a better job than others. A reasonable sized technical book takes up roughly 100 to 250 Megabytes when the pages are stored as .jpg images with a quality factor of 75 percent. Sometimes you only have a handful of pages you want to keep too, so that reduces the hard drive space also. I have a battery handbook that i only scanned a few pages of because most of the pages contain batteries that are no longer made.
Another idea is to use a book scanner. That way you have the book on your hard drive, and of course back it up.
It's not easy to scan a whole book, but if it is a book you really like and you dont want to have to keep the physical book on your shelf taking up room and hardly ever used, you have the option of scanning it with a book scanner and thus keep the book pages available for your personal reading. One point though is that you are not allowed to publish it although through the Fair Use Act you are allowed to post one or two pages that you intend to comment on.
There are a lot of book scanners, some are easier to use than others, and some do a better job than others. A reasonable sized technical book takes up roughly 100 to 250 Megabytes when the pages are stored as .jpg images with a quality factor of 75 percent. Sometimes you only have a handful of pages you want to keep too, so that reduces the hard drive space also. I have a battery handbook that i only scanned a few pages of because most of the pages contain batteries that are no longer made.
Hello,
I think you can find a lot of old books and software online here:
http://bitsavers.org/
Bertus
I think you can find a lot of old books and software online here:
http://bitsavers.org/
Bertus
I have 50+ references and databooks that I prefer to read over viewing PDF's. I find them more convenient to use.
In the 80's I developed a technique that lets me remember the approximate location of something I've read (that I considered important), letting me quickly navigate to a certain bit of information in a book. That technique doesn't work with electronic copy.
Call me old fashioned...
In the 80's I developed a technique that lets me remember the approximate location of something I've read (that I considered important), letting me quickly navigate to a certain bit of information in a book. That technique doesn't work with electronic copy.
Call me old fashioned...
In the 60's I spent a year of high school English class in the back row, going through my mentor's collection of Popular Electronics, Radio-Electronics, and Electronics World. That investment still is paying dividends today.
I've donated a lot of my print library to local high schools and colleges. Check with high school science departments to see if the teachers know of any students with a particular interest in circuit design. You might wind up giving a gift beyond price.
ak
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I had sixty linear feet of shelves filled with data books. The public library did not want them. I could not carry all of them to a 2000 mile move. 
Very few are available on-line. Some on ebay for $.
It is to cry trying to find some unobtanium data which once was five steps away from your desk.
Keep whatever you appreciate the most; but you will regret disposing others in a few years.
It is a good thing you are offering them here. Check if an amateur radio club wants them; offer in other 'free to take' sites, technical schools, universities...
Very few are available on-line. Some on ebay for $.
It is to cry trying to find some unobtanium data which once was five steps away from your desk.
Keep whatever you appreciate the most; but you will regret disposing others in a few years.
It is a good thing you are offering them here. Check if an amateur radio club wants them; offer in other 'free to take' sites, technical schools, universities...
hi,
I gave all my very old 1930's electronics magazines and valves aka tubes to a guy who lectures on vintage technology.
The talks and vintage kit he had on show during the lectures was amazing, brought nostalgic tears to my eyes.
@MrChips maybe there a home for your collection with a like minded lecturer.?
Eric
I gave all my very old 1930's electronics magazines and valves aka tubes to a guy who lectures on vintage technology.
The talks and vintage kit he had on show during the lectures was amazing, brought nostalgic tears to my eyes.
@MrChips maybe there a home for your collection with a like minded lecturer.?
Eric
Tell her in no uncertain terms, if they go, she goes.
Hi again,
I have some data books but mostly theoretical books and reference books like an EE handbook.
I recently threw some data books out though too, because i didnt think i would need them anymore due ot the online trove of data sheets.
There are some "gotcha's" though too, such as where an older data book had more information for a given part than the new rendition.
Now i see that it's just a big part of life to loose things so all we can do it try to learn to do without them or replace them with something new and similar if we really do miss them.
I had a really good book on non linear circuit theory that i put in storage before my last residence move. I think i paid 60 dollars for it through a book club. Now the same book sells for over 100 dollars (USD). I put it into storage so i could cut down on my ever growing book collection starting from the late 1960's, and because a lot of the information was not applicable to most circuits. I regret it now though because now and then something turns up where it could be great to re-read the section that pertained to that problem.
The moral of the story, "Live and learn and Live and loose stuff".
I have some data books but mostly theoretical books and reference books like an EE handbook.
I recently threw some data books out though too, because i didnt think i would need them anymore due ot the online trove of data sheets.
There are some "gotcha's" though too, such as where an older data book had more information for a given part than the new rendition.
Now i see that it's just a big part of life to loose things so all we can do it try to learn to do without them or replace them with something new and similar if we really do miss them.
I had a really good book on non linear circuit theory that i put in storage before my last residence move. I think i paid 60 dollars for it through a book club. Now the same book sells for over 100 dollars (USD). I put it into storage so i could cut down on my ever growing book collection starting from the late 1960's, and because a lot of the information was not applicable to most circuits. I regret it now though because now and then something turns up where it could be great to re-read the section that pertained to that problem.
The moral of the story, "Live and learn and Live and loose stuff".
Not a replay to your OP but for you to know you are not alone https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/my-old-data-book-collection.103693/
