Old PC Technology

[ila]

A little bit of calculator humour.

[ila]

The reason why if you've ever tried to sort numbers on your computer and got a string that went like this:

1, 10, 11, 100, 101, 2, 20

is because Bill Gates and, by extension, Microsoft don't know how to count.

[a9127]

Originally Posted by ila

A little bit of calculator humour.

Well, that has always worked for me...

Originally Posted by ila

The reason why if you've ever tried to sort numbers on your computer and got a string that went like this:

1, 10, 11, 100, 101, 2, 20

is because Bill Gates and, by extension, Microsoft don't know how to count.

Good one! Forgot there was a "Windows 2.0." I included some screenshots. Especially like the "floppy disk" icon. The early version of Excel: "Fiscal Year 1986." And is that chart not impressive? Um... No. And of course "Miami Vice." I think it was the #1 show on TV back then. Fast cars and women.

[ila]

Originally Posted by a9127

Well, that has always worked for me...

If all else fails that what I also do.

Originally Posted by a9127

Good one! Forgot there was a "Windows 2.0." I included some screenshots. Especially like the "floppy disk" icon. The early version of Excel: "Fiscal Year 1986." And is that chart not impressive? Um... No. And of course "Miami Vice." I think it was the #1 show on TV back then. Fast cars and women.

Those are some good screenshots.

I think the floppy icon is a 5 1/4" disc; when floppies really were floppy.

I'm thankful for the early versions of Excel. They showed me that working with a spreadsheet program was very easy. As the programs got more complex I easily adapted to the changes because of the background knowledge I had.

[a9127]

From computer antiquity. These disks are older than many of my friends. Older than my wife… Older than me? Well almost… Sadly, no.

Ila, yes that is a 5¼” floppy icon on the Windows 2.0 screen. Here’s a couple of rare “finds.” Knew these were around somewhere. Had to go digging in our garage this morning. Might take these in to show my students. They, like me now, store everything “in the cloud.” I still use a USB drive for backup but almost everything I do for school or work is stored on-line so I can get it anywhere, anytime.

Except for that stuff… Sorry, no “early porn.” I’m sure if I did have it my mom or my “ex” threw it away long ago.

The first two disks are a “promo copy” of Excel that was sent to my dad. Copyright 1988.

I remember installing this for him. On a “Compaq 386.” He didn’t know how. Sorry dad... One of my earliest experiences with “Business” software. The “Computer Whiz Kid” certificate I posted a long time ago (also from 1988) was from our principal. I helped him with a project. That was back in Kindergarten. Who knew these would mark the beginning of a career? Academics and sports are the only two things I’ve ever been any good at.

The other is an original copy of Tetris. Copyright 1987. In Russian! Will have to play it with my friend Aleksandra sometime. She needs to visit the USA.

Published by Spectrum HoloByte. Russia was known as the USSR (CCCP) back then. The box even featured the “hammer and sickle” logo. Sorry, don’t have it anymore. Very historical. As I remember, it was much more fun to play than any of the “modern” versions. Like what's on my phone.

[ila]

On thing that stood out for me on the Excel discs was "Copy Freely." That used to be normal. Now users are threatened with legal action if they copy some things. Times sure change.

One time back in the early days of PCs I took a 2 day word processing course. Sitting in a corner of the classroom was an old computer that was no longer used. This computer stood out for me because it used 8" floppy discs for storage as compared to the (at that time) ultra-modern 3-1/2" discs.

I've attached a picture to compare the 8, 5-1/4, and 3-1/2 inch discs.

[a9127]

ila and others might enjoy these "old" computer books I found in my office today. The "77"on the Fortran Book means "1977." Older than me by several years but looks to be in much better shape. Another text I "inherited."

"Hacking Exposed." Don't get your hopes up the title is much more intriguing than the text. Got it free at a conference. Around 2007.

"Disaster Recovery." Younger members, the cover picture is of the remains of the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. Jon Toigo is a friend of mine. Got this at a seminar I attended years ago. Good reading.

Back in the days when I was still trying to learn more about the "IT" thing. From 2003. Was still listenening to "nu-metal." See the post of my "flexible" friend in the "Dream Girls" thread. She was part of an "ad campaign" I did with our Marketing majors. We placed #1 in the nation. When I was still very young, I learned the big money was in using technology to create something, or make a business run more efficently, or pull valuable information out of the tons and tons of data generated with every transaction... Not in fixing the damn stuff. It becomes obsolete and you are best off throwing it away and replacing it. It's not the 70's anymore.

Well then again... Some skills never "grow old." This book is titled "Mathematics For Data Processing." Another "inherited" book but I am old enough to remember the term "Data Processing." Long before the Internet, Social Media, "Smartphones," "apps," "wi-fi," and free porn.

And this antique... The first "web server" I ever set up. It was for a class project. Ran an early version of Red Hat Linux. If I remember correctly our "team" named it "fight club." Of course we did. I've hung onto it for years for sentimental reasons. Even carrying it through the snow to my new office on campus. It's older than my students.

[ila]

Originally Posted by a9127

ila and others might enjoy these "old" computer books I found in my office today. The "77"on the Fortran Book means "1977." Older than me by several years but looks to be in much better shape. Another text I "inherited."...

...And this antique... The first "web server" I ever set up. It was for a class project. Ran an early version of Red Hat Linux. If I remember correctly our "team" named it "fight club." Of course we did. I've hung onto it for years for sentimental reasons. Even carrying it through the snow to my new office on campus. It's older than my students.

Speaking of old computer books I still have Peter Norton's Inside the PC 5th Edition. It was published in 1993. There are 3 chapters on DOS and another one on Windows (which was still very new at that time). I've hung onto it for sentimental reasons as well as the odd snippet of information that is still relevant today.

I got my network administrator qualifications in what now seems like another lifetime. Back then network operating systems were all DOS based (my qualification isn't from Novell). I actually enjoyed typing all instructions on the command line.

I remember one instructor telling us that passwords were buried deep in the system and that no one would ever find them. That sounded like a challenge so I went exploring. It was interesting what I found in the file system, but I never did find where the passwords were stored.