Misty eyes (wa: Re: [plug] Dead hdd)

[bob]

On Friday 14 May 2004 16:35, Harry wrote:
>
> will you lot stop fighting over the zimmer. the first calculator i used
> belonged to a friends dad [uni biology lecturer] and you made it add by
> winding the handle; just once. this was before i upgraded to the more
> versatile slide rule and finally closed the log tables.

Eeeeh lad... I remember 't day.

One of the schools I attended was very advanced - it had a "computer" - well 
more of a programmable calculator using a patch panel to define the 
calculation, a rotary phone dial to input data and nixie tubes to display 
the result (the uber expensive upgrade from mere peanut lights to output in 
binary:). Wish I could remember a name. It stood ~ 1.5m high in a rack 
chassis on wheels. We're talking mid 60s here. I was amazed that I seemed 
to be the only one in the slightest bit interested in it. Didn't get to 
play with it that much though as it was "too expensive" but I do remember 
being able "suggest" ways to get it going when no one else was able to get 
much out of it. Didn't last long though, someone let the smoke out and that 
was that :(.

> numbers -meant- something then, see
>
> um .. i still have two LA-180 DECwriters; one even has the serial option.
> does that count.

All this talk of slow modems has got me thinking... do any dialup BBSs still 
exist in Perth?


> harry

-- 
If the very old will remember, the very young will listen.
		-- Chief Dan George