Thursday, April 29, 2010

Computers, circa 1982

I haven't forgotten about finishing my weekend exploits, but work and volleyball have taken precedence. Until I post that excellent tale, I offer this article, which describes the writer's first computer (purchased in 1979). It was written in 1982, and was for me a reminder of how much I take computers for granted, when indeed the technology is barely older than I am.

To anyone a generation or more older than me: I feel that I understand you a little bit better now.

The author ends wistfully, "hoping for a world in which my sons can grow up to have a better computer than their father had."

I'd say.

3 comments:

  1. Steve.
    Hard to beleive your old Dad was at the cutting edge of the computer revolution for my first 'real'job after University. I was selling computers with 8088 processors and, wait for it... dual 5.25" floppy drives! And the monitors had that lovely green glow to them. What an advance when the black and white ones came out.

    The best thing I could see these things really usefull for was the great PONG game we played at parties!

    When I watch your siblings do their term papers now, while sitting on the couch watching High Def TV on a large flat screen TV, at the same time they're text messaging, BBM'ing, facebooking, twittering and tweeting or whatever... I kinda get nostalgic about the many hours (most in the wee hours of the morning they were due!) typing up my Poli Sci papers on a borrowed type writer because the profs no longer accepted hand written ones!
    Dad

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  2. Well, one thing hasn't changed... I wrote most of my term papers in the wee hours of the morning too. Perhaps my siblings are better than I was at the whole essay time management thing.

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  3. Well, Steve
    I remember when one computer filled a whole room and it was a major novelty to be taken on a tour of such a fantastic invention. What excitement

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