Hardware Warriors
Excellent article below. Read the whole piece before it is pulled off the web:
Hardware Warriors
An unusual link to Silicon Valley's cultural and technological history, the Electronics Flea Market is practically a subculture in itself
By Russell Mahakian
IF ONE MAN'S JUNK is another man's treasure, then the trucks and vans arriving before daybreak at De Anza College's parking lot for the Electronics Flea Market are carrying either cabs full of garbage or mechanical wealth beyond a gearhead's wildest dreams.
A novice may be left dumfounded by the bins overflowing with metal machines, some with '50s sci-fi knobs that look more like props from Forbidden Planet than devices with any practical use.
Look closer, though, and you'll find a hands-on history of electronics and technology in Silicon Valley. Browsing through boxes of old gear and electronic cables provides a clear view into the innovative thinking and social scene that made this valley ripe for a tech explosion.
"This stuff was our Super Mario Bros. There is real history in this stuff," says one flea market regular, pointing to a Heathkit mulitmeter.