When I was young, my dream computer was the Coleco Adam. Luckily, we were too poor to afford it at the time. I heard it was a terrible computer.
Computers Now and Then
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Originally Posted By: hpb
My parents bought my sister and I a computer for Christmas, it would've been 1985 or 1986. I don't remember the exact model, but it was an Amstrad which used cassette tapes. Loading a simple arcade style game (Bomb Jack was our favourite) took about 15 minutes! Most other kids at that time had the Commodore 64 computer.
I had the Schneider cpc464 version! Harrier Attack was one of my favourite games.
My parents bought my sister and I a computer for Christmas, it would've been 1985 or 1986. I don't remember the exact model, but it was an Amstrad which used cassette tapes. Loading a simple arcade style game (Bomb Jack was our favourite) took about 15 minutes! Most other kids at that time had the Commodore 64 computer.
I had the Schneider cpc464 version! Harrier Attack was one of my favourite games.
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Awesome memories when I see those monochrome crt's. There is still something magical about the look of a command line interface on an old green, gray, or amber monochrome crt.
Originally Posted By: xfactor9
When I was young, my dream computer was the Coleco Adam. Luckily, we were too poor to afford it at the time. I heard it was a terrible computer.
Coleco actually stands for "Connecticut Leather Company"; The Adam actually bankrupted the company; even Cabbage Patch couldn't save them.
Often referred to, at the time, as the Adam Bomb.
Seen a lot in my time; Kaypro portable running CPM, Apple II and III, Timex Sinclair, PDP-8 and Trash-80.
Worked at a place that struggled to install a Novell system in about 1988; It was termed the "Novell Notwork"
I was a VMS system admin in 1984; we had 3 tape drives (6250BPI) and 1.05 Gb of storage; the 500Mb drives were larger than washing machines and the 3 tape drives lined up were about 6 feet across; they were "high tech" in that they threaded themselves.
When I was young, my dream computer was the Coleco Adam. Luckily, we were too poor to afford it at the time. I heard it was a terrible computer.
Coleco actually stands for "Connecticut Leather Company"; The Adam actually bankrupted the company; even Cabbage Patch couldn't save them.
Often referred to, at the time, as the Adam Bomb.
Seen a lot in my time; Kaypro portable running CPM, Apple II and III, Timex Sinclair, PDP-8 and Trash-80.
Worked at a place that struggled to install a Novell system in about 1988; It was termed the "Novell Notwork"
I was a VMS system admin in 1984; we had 3 tape drives (6250BPI) and 1.05 Gb of storage; the 500Mb drives were larger than washing machines and the 3 tape drives lined up were about 6 feet across; they were "high tech" in that they threaded themselves.
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My first exposure was an apple plus computer in 1983. We did logo programming(drawing lines) and some other programming on it with a green n
Screen monitor.
My next experience was high school programming class with pascal. I learned to use UNIX commands , pine (first email), vi editor in 1987. I still use vi and UNIX command shell thirty years latter. Those skills landed me a very high paying jobs part time throughout college and beyond. College similar for programming course in c and fortran.
I remember the dreaded compiler!
Screen monitor.
My next experience was high school programming class with pascal. I learned to use UNIX commands , pine (first email), vi editor in 1987. I still use vi and UNIX command shell thirty years latter. Those skills landed me a very high paying jobs part time throughout college and beyond. College similar for programming course in c and fortran.
I remember the dreaded compiler!
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Originally Posted By: hpb
My parents bought my sister and I a computer for Christmas, it would've been 1985 or 1986. I don't remember the exact model, but it was an Amstrad which used cassette tapes. Loading a simple arcade style game (Bomb Jack was our favourite) took about 15 minutes! Most other kids at that time had the Commodore 64 computer.
I had the Schneider cpc464 version! Harrier Attack was one of my favourite games.
Yep, that's it! Although I had a colour monitor - mum and dad must've saved extra hard for that! Never heard of Schneider, were they just re-badged Amstrad, or maybe the other way around?
Originally Posted By: hpb
My parents bought my sister and I a computer for Christmas, it would've been 1985 or 1986. I don't remember the exact model, but it was an Amstrad which used cassette tapes. Loading a simple arcade style game (Bomb Jack was our favourite) took about 15 minutes! Most other kids at that time had the Commodore 64 computer.
I had the Schneider cpc464 version! Harrier Attack was one of my favourite games.
Yep, that's it! Although I had a colour monitor - mum and dad must've saved extra hard for that! Never heard of Schneider, were they just re-badged Amstrad, or maybe the other way around?
rebadged and reworked amstrad for the german market. fully shield for rfi and other cables/connectors
We had a BBC in the late '80's, with a tape deck. We got it 2nd hand with a big stack of magazines which were all about the BBC. They were the computer used in schools in the UK. We had no TV, got an old video player only, and hooked it through the computer monitor so we could watch videos...which we scrounged.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Because I was saving for Uni, I got free board from Mum and Dad, so the computer for the family was sort of compensation for that.
I bought an Amiga 500 brand new, too, back in the day. While expensive, it certainly retained its usefulness a lot longer than the DOS stuff of the day, and was definitely ahead in sound and video.
Because I was saving for Uni, I got free board from Mum and Dad, so the computer for the family was sort of compensation for that.
I bought an Amiga 500 brand new, too, back in the day. While expensive, it certainly retained its usefulness a lot longer than the DOS stuff of the day, and was definitely ahead in sound and video.
Originally Posted By: Garak
I bought an Amiga 500 brand new, too, back in the day. While expensive, it certainly retained its usefulness a lot longer than the DOS stuff of the day, and was definitely ahead in sound and video.
re that last point, my Dad did a video production course back in that day (was probably why I got the Amiga).
The tool of choice at the time was the Amiga for editing at the school that he was doing, they also did professional ads.
A fruit based company wanted an ad produced for the Oz market, and commissioned the company the training school was at. When they saw the amigas, they kitted them out with their machines and software, and trained the companies main employees in them.
Ads were made, and they were presented with one of theirs, and the one on the Amiga...the ad that made the TV was made on the Amiga.
I bought an Amiga 500 brand new, too, back in the day. While expensive, it certainly retained its usefulness a lot longer than the DOS stuff of the day, and was definitely ahead in sound and video.
re that last point, my Dad did a video production course back in that day (was probably why I got the Amiga).
The tool of choice at the time was the Amiga for editing at the school that he was doing, they also did professional ads.
A fruit based company wanted an ad produced for the Oz market, and commissioned the company the training school was at. When they saw the amigas, they kitted them out with their machines and software, and trained the companies main employees in them.
Ads were made, and they were presented with one of theirs, and the one on the Amiga...the ad that made the TV was made on the Amiga.
I recall diddling in Basic as a kid, learning some basic programming skills; to this day, if I have to wire up a connector I always pick one a bit larger and skip pins "just in case".
In college I paid what I thought was a good amount of money--$100--for a refurbished 100Mb harddrive. Even today I think a 20Gb drive is big. Only reason I'd need something bigger is if I were to shove music onto it.
I remember finally getting a good enough computer to play Doom on, while in college--and then later, getting a sound card. Wow, did decent sound really help the experience!
In a workplace conversation I mentioned to my tech-oriented coworker how I recalled buying the aforementioned hard drive, and then about moving from a 486 to a Pentium... I thought he was pulling my leg, faking not knowing what a 486 was. I didn't think 10 years made a difference but I guess it does. He's also shocked that I have all of 2 apps on my smartphone, and I think he was taken aback when I refused to try out the virtual reality goggles he brought in one day.
I guess that to me is the big change in computers, then and now. Then they were the wave of the future, and couldn't wait to see what they could bring. Now I just wish I could move it back to the box in the corner, used for work and ignored the rest of the time. Did anyone thing we'd be staring at an LCD for > 12 hours a day twenty years ago?
In college I paid what I thought was a good amount of money--$100--for a refurbished 100Mb harddrive. Even today I think a 20Gb drive is big. Only reason I'd need something bigger is if I were to shove music onto it.
I remember finally getting a good enough computer to play Doom on, while in college--and then later, getting a sound card. Wow, did decent sound really help the experience!
In a workplace conversation I mentioned to my tech-oriented coworker how I recalled buying the aforementioned hard drive, and then about moving from a 486 to a Pentium... I thought he was pulling my leg, faking not knowing what a 486 was. I didn't think 10 years made a difference but I guess it does. He's also shocked that I have all of 2 apps on my smartphone, and I think he was taken aback when I refused to try out the virtual reality goggles he brought in one day.
I guess that to me is the big change in computers, then and now. Then they were the wave of the future, and couldn't wait to see what they could bring. Now I just wish I could move it back to the box in the corner, used for work and ignored the rest of the time. Did anyone thing we'd be staring at an LCD for > 12 hours a day twenty years ago?
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My kids and I had a somewhat nostalgic weekend, I hauled out Quake II and the original Ghost Recon, both which ran fantastically well on their little laptops and we played a ton of multiplayer. I find it hilarious that the integrated Intel graphics will run GLQuake like it is nothing and back and the day we were scrounging for a Voodoo or Riva TNT to be able to get that experience
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
I remember punch cards from college in 1981. We were programming in Pascal. Had a 7:30am class, had an assignment due that was we had to write a banking type application. The code would print out on the line printer as would the program output. Cards had to be stacked in ascending order of line number of each line of code. I'd pulled an all nighter at the campus computing center to get it debugged and running correctly. The room floor had cables lying accross it sheathed in step-over ramps and such. About 6:45am I finally got it properly debugged and had just finished examining the output on the printout. I was walking out towards the exit area eyes scanning the printout one final time preparing to rush accross campus to class to get it turned in, when I tripped on one of the cable step-overs and the sequentially sorted and stacked deck of punch cards, and had to be submitted in proper running sequence fell like confetti.
Talk about panic. Well, I managed to get them re-ordered and sprinted across campus, arriving only about 5 minutes late to class panting like a cheetah that just bolted across the savanna.
If I'd gone into computers in 1972, my experience would have been the same as yours . . . and I'd have earned a whale of a lot more money in the ensuring few decades.
I remember punch cards from college in 1981. We were programming in Pascal. Had a 7:30am class, had an assignment due that was we had to write a banking type application. The code would print out on the line printer as would the program output. Cards had to be stacked in ascending order of line number of each line of code. I'd pulled an all nighter at the campus computing center to get it debugged and running correctly. The room floor had cables lying accross it sheathed in step-over ramps and such. About 6:45am I finally got it properly debugged and had just finished examining the output on the printout. I was walking out towards the exit area eyes scanning the printout one final time preparing to rush accross campus to class to get it turned in, when I tripped on one of the cable step-overs and the sequentially sorted and stacked deck of punch cards, and had to be submitted in proper running sequence fell like confetti.
Talk about panic. Well, I managed to get them re-ordered and sprinted across campus, arriving only about 5 minutes late to class panting like a cheetah that just bolted across the savanna.
If I'd gone into computers in 1972, my experience would have been the same as yours . . . and I'd have earned a whale of a lot more money in the ensuring few decades.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
The tool of choice at the time was the Amiga for editing at the school that he was doing, they also did professional ads.
There still are a few small community TV stations around using Amigas for their tickers and late night bulletin board programming. You don't need anything fancy to advertise the church bingo or fowl supper. It's not like they're using even the full capability of the thing, but they're still there. It is amusing to see a Guru Meditation Error on TV once in a while, though.
The tool of choice at the time was the Amiga for editing at the school that he was doing, they also did professional ads.
There still are a few small community TV stations around using Amigas for their tickers and late night bulletin board programming. You don't need anything fancy to advertise the church bingo or fowl supper. It's not like they're using even the full capability of the thing, but they're still there. It is amusing to see a Guru Meditation Error on TV once in a while, though.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Because I was saving for Uni, I got free board from Mum and Dad, so the computer for the family was sort of compensation for that.
I bought an Amiga 500 brand new, too, back in the day. While expensive, it certainly retained its usefulness a lot longer than the DOS stuff of the day, and was definitely ahead in sound and video.
I've got an Amiga 500 still sitting in my parents' basement, too. Coming from an Atari 800XL, the Amiga was a huge step up in audio and video capabilities. I used to record various audio tunes (from games and demos) on cassette tapes to listen to. Good old times.
Some of these classic tracks get remixed/remastered by various musicians all the time. Here is one remix of the above:
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Because I was saving for Uni, I got free board from Mum and Dad, so the computer for the family was sort of compensation for that.
I bought an Amiga 500 brand new, too, back in the day. While expensive, it certainly retained its usefulness a lot longer than the DOS stuff of the day, and was definitely ahead in sound and video.
I've got an Amiga 500 still sitting in my parents' basement, too. Coming from an Atari 800XL, the Amiga was a huge step up in audio and video capabilities. I used to record various audio tunes (from games and demos) on cassette tapes to listen to. Good old times.
Some of these classic tracks get remixed/remastered by various musicians all the time. Here is one remix of the above:
Originally Posted By: LoneRanger
I remember punch cards from college in 1981. We were programming in Pascal.
I remember my dad bringing home some of these punch cards when I was a kid. Must have been late 70s early 80s when he was working on his Master's. They were using Fortran though.
I remember punch cards from college in 1981. We were programming in Pascal.
I remember my dad bringing home some of these punch cards when I was a kid. Must have been late 70s early 80s when he was working on his Master's. They were using Fortran though.
yes, we used to have a staple of those cards at home aswell from when my father attended high school (should've been mid to late 60s)
Originally Posted By: Garak
This was my first computer, speaking of TRS, a Model 4. I still have it and it still works, I think.
Tandy made really good stuff. Mine probably still does as well, although the hard drive needs some work - best as I recall I couldn't get the green light last time I spun it up. I followed this up with a Model 12, using the cutting edge 80286 in a multiple workstation configuration. I do not recall if the '12 still used an external hard drive, or if it was internal. Seems like it had some type of tape cartridge backup system, that I think was an internal drive. Most of the work was making it work. I'm not sure it ever did enough work to come out ahead on it.
The Osborne portable is still in the garage, no idea if it works or not. Can't find the Atari 400 in the warehouse of junk - I assume it was stolen in the big break in last Fall. The crooks failed to take the tape drive, though.
Ignoramuses.
edit: in 1983 or '84, seems like the 5 mb hard drive was $1295. My loaded Turbo T Bird I special ordered in 1983, was about $12K, IIRC, maybe not even that much. To put things in perspective.
2nd edit: the '12 met a violent end, which is why it never made it to the warehouse of junk - tornado damage to the building it was in ....
This was my first computer, speaking of TRS, a Model 4. I still have it and it still works, I think.
Tandy made really good stuff. Mine probably still does as well, although the hard drive needs some work - best as I recall I couldn't get the green light last time I spun it up. I followed this up with a Model 12, using the cutting edge 80286 in a multiple workstation configuration. I do not recall if the '12 still used an external hard drive, or if it was internal. Seems like it had some type of tape cartridge backup system, that I think was an internal drive. Most of the work was making it work. I'm not sure it ever did enough work to come out ahead on it.
The Osborne portable is still in the garage, no idea if it works or not. Can't find the Atari 400 in the warehouse of junk - I assume it was stolen in the big break in last Fall. The crooks failed to take the tape drive, though.
Ignoramuses.
edit: in 1983 or '84, seems like the 5 mb hard drive was $1295. My loaded Turbo T Bird I special ordered in 1983, was about $12K, IIRC, maybe not even that much. To put things in perspective.
2nd edit: the '12 met a violent end, which is why it never made it to the warehouse of junk - tornado damage to the building it was in ....
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My first was the same as few others. We didn't have any cartridges so just played in basic. Did program a small hang man program and that was it.. think I was 9 or 10! The following was a 1000TX, Packard Bell SX and then a home built.
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
My first was the same as few others. We didn't have any cartridges so just played in basic.
I couldn't afford cartridges for my 800 XL, so I used a cassette tape recorder as media drive. Loading an average 30 KB game would take some 15 minutes and often fail in the process since the magnetic tape was not perfect and would just get worse the more times you used it. That thing taught me patience.
My first was the same as few others. We didn't have any cartridges so just played in basic.
I couldn't afford cartridges for my 800 XL, so I used a cassette tape recorder as media drive. Loading an average 30 KB game would take some 15 minutes and often fail in the process since the magnetic tape was not perfect and would just get worse the more times you used it. That thing taught me patience.
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