The museum is nothing short of amazing for those of us who are fond of vintage computing, but the foundation in charge leaves a lot to be desired. It is run by a close-knit bunch of people who have known each other for a long time. If you apply for a paid membership as I did, you may feel like a number - it’s you and they. Not that they are openly hostile - quite the contrary, but from day one I felt a subtle sensation that I was unable to blend in. To address some of the observations posted here, the Windows 10 desktop looking out of place is there because they don’t give a damn about ethical considerations in computing. They will happily use whatever shiny new non-free stuff they come across regardless of license and privacy considerations. If it’s a new fad and it costs a lot of money, they throw money at it. The more money they spend, the better. About the cars, they are not only car enthusiasts. They are enthusiast about everything and I mean everything. As a foundation, they don’t seem to have a clear vision of what they are pursuing and this is the biggest downside. It’s a foundation about… stuff. As a member, most of the activities are not about vintage computing and some of them are not about computers at all. Some time ago they set up a paid training course of emotional intelligence in the premises of the museum and it was led by one of their members, some sort of holistic guru that pretends to improve people’s approach to life for fifty euros per lesson. A shady individual, in my opinion. Is the museum worth a visit? Absolutely, but steer away from paid membership unless you are absolutely sure that it is what you are looking for - or you don’t mind wasting one hundred euros in case you will not like it. Just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.
The museum is nothing short of amazing for those of us who are fond of vintage computing, but the foundation in charge leaves a lot to be desired. It is run by a close-knit bunch of people who have known each other for a long time. If you apply for a paid membership as I did, you may feel like a number - it’s you and they. Not that they are openly hostile - quite the contrary, but from day one I felt a subtle sensation that I was unable to blend in. To address some of the observations posted here, the Windows 10 desktop looking out of place is there because they don’t give a damn about ethical considerations in computing. They will happily use whatever shiny new non-free stuff they come across regardless of license and privacy considerations. If it’s a new fad and it costs a lot of money, they throw money at it. The more money they spend, the better. About the cars, they are not only car enthusiasts. They are enthusiast about everything and I mean everything. As a foundation, they don’t seem to have a clear vision of what they are pursuing and this is the biggest downside. It’s a foundation about… stuff. As a member, most of the activities are not about vintage computing and some of them are not about computers at all. Some time ago they set up a paid training course of emotional intelligence in the premises of the museum and it was led by one of their members, some sort of holistic guru that pretends to improve people’s approach to life for fifty euros per lesson. A shady individual, in my opinion. Is the museum worth a visit? Absolutely, but steer away from paid membership unless you are absolutely sure that it is what you are looking for - or you don’t mind wasting one hundred euros in case you will not like it. Just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.