From: Steve Simon
well spec'ed machines where more common in the
past.
Err, engineering data is not the same thing as a formal specification. If not,
almost every computer built could be said to have a 'formal spec' - there
usually are engineering documents for anything that was produced in any sort
of quantity.
Also, whether said engineering info is publicly available or not (which seems
to be another of your observations) is an orthogonal axis.
Noel