Computer Talk

[Scrapper]

I remember going into Kmart, Sears and Walmart in the 80's and typing in a one line code on any store display computer that would scroll "Crashed" as soon as another person tried it out. The only way out of the loop was to do a cold reboot.

I still don't know where the "any key" is.

[AbdRahim]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

I remember going into Kmart, Sears and Walmart in the 80's and typing in a one line code on any store display computer that would scroll "Crashed" as soon as another person tried it out. The only way out of the loop was to do a cold reboot.

I still don't know where the "any key" is.

Industry secret.[emoji41]

[Flybob]

The real issue with computers is the more cpu power and storage you make available to programmers the more they will use hence actual execution speed does not increase at the same rate as technology. If you really want speed, run an old DOS program in dos mode ( windows disabled) on today's machines.

[Oaklevel]

Ah miss punch cards.....................

Really miss being able to record TV Shows for free on your beta or vhs tapes now the companies want you to pay for recording shows forget what you call it now.......Now about $10 a month forget it. progress......

Not sure but I think it would be nice to have cell service at home......

My DSL is one step above dial up........... I hear Netflix is great wouldn't know.......

[Flybob]

If you are old enough you may recall that when cable tv was introduced it was commercial free.

[CurtPutnam]

I taught my self Basic and Fortran in the 70s on GE Timeshare. Had a TTY for both input and output. Backup was paper tape. Used various pre-Apple systems and had an Apple II+ in the early 80s. Took a class in 6502 assembler but never used it. Somewhere around '84 got into an implementation of the Pick OS called Revelation - language was/is Pick Basic. Rode that for the next 20 years and never made the transition to Windows,

Constants aren't and variables won't.

Veterans of the early days will appreciate this:
2 + 2 = 5 (for very large values of 2 and very small values of 5)

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by Flybob

If you are old enough you may recall that when cable tv was introduced it was commercial free.

Still no cable here ( maybe someday), but I did have the old big sat. dishes that moved Sat to Sat. you paid an annual fee and got some interesting TV video (we will leave it at that).

[rockfordroo]

Just ran across this appropriate quote:

I had a running compiler and nobody would touch it because, they carefully told me, computers could only do arithmetic; they could not do programs.

Rear Adm. Grace Murray Hopper,
developer of the first compiler for a computer programming language

[Flybob]

True story so no names. This happened many years ago.

I worked for a company that made high end integrated circuits. I set up a meeting with one of our senior execs with the senior execs of a company developing cell phones. We left after a 5hr meeting and I was very pleased with the discussions. I was heading back to airport with my Sr. exec where he reamed me out for most of the trip telling me I wasted his time on something as farfetched as a cell phone. He said there is no way anyone is going to install cell sites across the country and pay hundreds of dollars for a phone.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Oaklevel

Ah miss punch cards.....................

Really miss being able to record TV Shows for free on your beta or vhs tapes now the companies want you to pay for recording shows forget what you call it now.......Now about $10 a month forget it. progress......

It's called DVR and it's much, much better than recording on beta or VHS.

It's all digital so you don't have to store physical copies and have a bunch of cassettes taking up space.

Everything is instant. If I want to watch something I recorded last year, I can find it easily instead of searching through physical tapes and then fast-forwarding or rewinding depending on what else is on the tape.

I don't have to remember to program everything into record at a certain time. I just tell it what show to record and it does it automatically. Even if a new season starts and I don't realize it.

The quality won't degrade over time.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Flybob

True story so no names. This happened many years ago.

I worked for a company that made high end integrated circuits. I set up a meeting with one of our senior execs with the senior execs of a company developing cell phones. We left after a 5hr meeting and I was very pleased with the discussions. I was heading back to airport with my Sr. exec where he reamed me out for most of the trip telling me I wasted his time on something as farfetched as a cell phone. He said there is no way anyone is going to install cell sites across the country and pay hundreds of dollars for a phone.

You should have contacted him and rub it in unless unfortunate circumstances prevent that.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

Anyone remember the Timex Sinclair 1000? 8" x 8" x 2" case with chiclet keypad, 1k memory expandable to 16k. You needed a B&W tv and cassette recorder, sound came through the tv, no modem. When it first came out the only programs were in computer magazines you had to type in yourself. Debugging was to review your typing for mistakes.

My room mate had one. It had the first flight simulator app I ever crashed...I mean played!