Slower Internet - Page 2

DonaldG · 02-14-2008, 01:03 AM

That could well have been 'our' kit - yes, wire wrap was used. However, plug in pcbs were also used...
Does something like this remind you?

We had a line printer that had its own case and perspex (Plexiglas) cover so as to attempt to reduce the noise.

I still have a perf tape reader in the garage somewhere - it was attached to my keyboard trolley. (to those who are watching two old farts reminisce, in those days the keyboard was a massive assembly on a wheeled trolley!)

Of course, in those days there was no monitor as we know them - the visual output was sent to the Line Printer. By golly, they used paper like it was going out of fashion...

**Done_Fishin** · 02-14-2008, 09:50 AM

our earlier Processors resembled the robot in that Space Family Robinson epic .. small blinking lights arranged digitally so we could read off the binary codes .. then came one of the newer generation with a sigle line alphanumeric display. we had a keyboard on both units but not a large wheeled assembly like you say .. input was only ever a few lines of code which was used to check Flag bits or run a subroutine for the card punch bootstrap .,.

**EnglishPaul** · 02-16-2008, 04:01 AM

lol.

Unintentionally you have just made a very good illustration. Spam is slowing up the internet, just like reading through all the hijacked posts is slowing up those who want to comment on internet speed.

**Done_Fishin** · 02-16-2008, 04:34 AM

But while we are waiting and NO-ONE seems to have anything else to say .. shouldn't we fill some bandwidth ???

point taken and we are all ears now, ready for your on topic comments !!

**EnglishPaul** · 02-16-2008, 04:42 AM

Actually I quite enjoyed the hijack. But if it had its own post I'm sure many more would contribute.
(I still have win3.1 on 25 floppy disks!)

**Done_Fishin** · 02-16-2008, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnglishPaul

Actually I quite enjoyed the hijack. But if it had its own post I'm sure many more would contribute.
(I still have win3.1 on 25 floppy disks!)

Why 25 ... my copy is only 8 plus an extra 2 for the Greek?? isn't it on 1.44MB Flopp'es ??

Hey Don .. we've got company .. break out the chocolate digestives and another cup of Tea: grin:

DonaldG · 02-16-2008, 12:10 PM

Hi EnglishPaul - welcome to memory lane

Talking of old versions on floppies made me dive into old floppy boxes:

In 1986, I got my PC DOS on two 5.5" floppies. In those days they didn't put a version number (probably didn't think it was worth it!)
Note the Microsoft Logo!

Ahhh the old Apple days... Apple 2e:
1980, my Apple DOS 3.3 on one small capacity 5.5" floppy:

Also 1980 Apple FORTRAN on one floppy

But in 1979...VISICALC. the worlds first Spreadsheet! WaHay!!!!

You could watch the calculation ripple down the cells - it was a truly awesome programme.
It was one of the programmes that made Office Computing...

**EnglishPaul** · 02-16-2008, 12:22 PM

I'll have to dig out the disks and count them to confirm. But I do feel a bit of a fraud entering into this reminiscence when I can't even use an oscilloscope!

DonaldG · 02-16-2008, 12:25 PM

It is not what you can or can't use or do Paul, Its just some old farts ruminating!

**EnglishPaul** · 02-16-2008, 12:29 PM

That I can do!

**Done_Fishin** · 02-16-2008, 12:43 PM

I'll have to go rummaging as well as ruminating then .. trying to put us to shame are we ??

I'll be back ...

**Deejay100six** · 02-16-2008, 12:48 PM

Dont know why they called this a laptop........looks a bit on the big side, don't you think ?

corona_laptop.jpg

DonaldG · 02-16-2008, 12:56 PM

That was when there were no LCD displays. The CRTs needed a white hot filiment to heat up the cathode and also a very high voltage...

It was not really a laptop but a 'portable'...

**EnglishPaul** · 02-16-2008, 01:01 PM

Do you get a white hot fillament in all CRTs?
Incidentally why, when my telly was in colour (of a kind), were computer screens in that horrible green?

**Done_Fishin** · 02-16-2008, 01:16 PM

They called those laptops "luggable" rather than portable to my recollection , Filaments were red hot and yes all CRT's have filaments LCD's & Plasma have back lights called CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light) which works very similarly to the fluorescent tubes seen in kitchens and Offices.

I don't remember why exactly they were green or orange on occasions but the phosphor that was used had a bearing on just how fast or slow the dot stayed in view or decayed.

DonaldG · 02-16-2008, 01:33 PM

We could go into phosphor decay and the real reason why 'screen savers' were absolutely necessary!.. I'll leave it to Done Fishin to go through that though... I.ve got to take a pill or two, find my zimmer and hobble off to bed ...

(Real reminisce: our first TV was a home brew in 1948ish - Built by dad based on a 9" radar tube. Dad had two tubes, a green one and a red one. Every month or so he would swap the tubes over. We called it 'colour TV'... Hand wound transformers - Dad even made a transformer winder and salvaged old copper wire to rewind...Those really were the days of mend & make do - just after WWll)

G'night all...

**Done_Fishin** · 02-16-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonaldG

We could go into phosphor decay and the real reason why 'screen savers' were absolutely necessary!.. I'll leave it to Done Fishin to go through that though... I.ve got to take a pill or two, find my zimmer and hobble off to bed ...

(Real reminisce: our first TV was a home brew in 1948ish - Built by dad based on a 9" radar tube. Dad had two tubes, a green one and a red one. Every month or so he would swap the tubes over. We called it 'colour TV'... Hand wound transformers - Dad even made a transformer winder and salvaged old copper wire to rewind...Those really were the days of mend & make do - just after WWll)

G'night all...

Coward!!!

I'm still rummaging ... come back and face the music after you've taken your medicine

1948 ... I was still a twinkle in my Fathers eye, in fact he had a couple of twinkles before he got to me

ags131 · 02-16-2008, 07:15 PM

I have an entire collection of OS's. I downloaded win3.11 and win95 as abandonware.
I have:
DOS 6.22
Windows 1.01

Windows 2.00 (I think i have this one, but have never installed)
Windows 3.00
Windows 3.11
Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows ME (Mentally beating the computer at the thought)
And finaly,
Windows XP

All those are run in Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.
I am running Virtual PC through XP.

Part of them are now considered abandonware.

I get a lot of my abandonware programs from vetusware.com

**Done_Fishin** · 02-17-2008, 03:02 AM

I don't remember any versions of windows before ver3.1

**Done_Fishin** · 02-18-2008, 02:50 AM

to come back "on thread" for a moment ...

Quote:

Get Ready for a Crackdown on Broadband Use
As traffic increases, experts say ISPs may start charging by the gigabyte, limiting use of some services and snooping at the data passing through their networks.
Tom Spring, PC World
Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:00 PM PST

Consumers using an expanding array of broadband services, including movie downloads, video games, online backup, and streaming audio and video, are flooding the nation's broadband pipes with data--and it could cost them.

more

Our Communities

Automotive Communities

RV & Travel Trailer Communities

Marine Communities