Outdated Computer Terms - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:14:32 am
content: How you you define an outdated computer term? When IT or electronics people have never heard of it.Examples:"Why don't you look it up on the Information Superhighway?""You got a spare clone I can borrow?""Is it IBM compatible?"Other terms we don't hear much of any more...MicrocomputerStringy floppy (How many of you have ever heard of one of those? I owned one in 1979!)SMT (now called SMD)MicroprocessorBubble memoryHard driveDisketteQWERTY keyboardWYSIWYGAny more you can think of?

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:17:28 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 23, 2013, 03:14:32 amWho is this "we" of whom you speak?

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:24:58 am
content: MFM hard drivesSRAMDouble Space (software)math co processorPentium II Slot 1 module

author: Kohanbash
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:25:19 am
content: I think you would base it on the general public and not on professionals.I consider vacuum tubes to be outdated and obsolete. However I am sure there are still people (audiophobes, etc..) out there who use them in their daily life.Just my opinion.

author: johnh
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:28:16 am
content: Paper TapeMagnetic DrumCore MemoryMagnetic Tape storage with Vacuum column (bastard to clean, and a column filled with tape or snapped when the sensor bulb failed)

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:29:38 am
content: Quote from: johnh on December 23, 2013, 03:28:16 amInterestingly, the term "core dump" is still around.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:32:51 am
content: How about the old IBM card punch and verifier machines. I used them back in high school and in a summer course at the local state college between junior and senior years of H.S. when they were trying to teach me Cobol. Boy, did I come to hate the term "syntax error".

author: MatCat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 03:33:54 am
content: Doubled Sided, Double Density

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 04:35:04 am
content: Unerase or Undelete

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 04:40:20 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on December 23, 2013, 03:24:58 amHehe... I've got one of these!WYSIWYG is acutally still used in web design a lot, but not so much in IT stuff now... Is it bad if I've never actually heard most of these terms before? Haha, I can understand most of them but being a young whippersnapper I don't quite understand all of them.ZIP drives!

author: warp_foo
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:01:06 am
content: Sadly: Sun Microsystems

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:05:12 am
content: Let me see........ArcnetToken ring1200/75 BAUD modemDRDOSNorthstar HorizonPlextorMaxtor

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:08:13 am
content: RLL (related to MFM)ESDI (competition to SCSI)

author: don.r
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:10:44 am
content: DialupAcoustic couplerMonochromeVT100Hercules graphics card

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:14:29 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on December 23, 2013, 03:32:51 am"Syntax error" was one term. The other was "Illegal input".My first job out of uni was fixing IBM card punches and verifiers in Melbourne (models 024, 029, 129, 059). We nicknamed them Crunches and Terrifiers. I also worked on 1940's and 1950's electromechanical punch card processing machines (082, 083, 557, 517 etc) containing an array of vacuum tubes (valves), relays, gears and cams. We nicknamed them "old iron". I loved debugging that old stuff. Today, I now design circuitry and write firmware for medical equipment. I was lucky to have been born at a time to have experienced from the whole gamut from valves to now.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:17:18 am
content: Quote from: sdk32285 on December 23, 2013, 03:25:19 amYou microwave oven has a vacuum tube (valve) in it. Still very much in vogue, although you aren't going to be a chick magnet at a party explaining how a valve works.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:20:35 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on December 23, 2013, 05:05:12 amDRDOS = Digital Research DOS. It annoyed me to no end when computer store people people called it "Doctor DOS".

author: RRobot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:03:27 am
content: config.sysautoexec.bathimemegacgaems memoryturbo button

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:13:03 am
content: Quote from: RRobot on December 23, 2013, 06:03:27 amIt's reappeared on the latest"gamer overclocking" motherboards, where it still changes the CPU frequency.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:13:08 am
content: ISACylinders (when manually configuring a hard drive)Plug and playIRQ (and the related conflict)Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

author: AG6QR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:19:15 am
content: VT22040143270ABENDMachine roomDisk pack

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:20:40 am
content: DEC, Honeywell, Univac, Data General, Control Data Corp, Cray. Terminal.ThinNet, FDDI, PUP, XNS, ChaosNet, LocalTalk, 1822, IMP, TIP, Pluribus, ISDN...ISA, VESA, EISA, S100, Multibus, MCA ...Really, there's too much.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:21:26 am
content: WinchesterOctalthick ethernetethernet cable tapAUIMAUHP-HILUV-eraserSneaker-netEMM386 and HIMEM

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:23:42 am
content: When it comes ancient transfer protocols like XModem, YModem, ZModem and etc, there is a special one (guess which) that always reminds me of this ...Code:__(+) (+)/ \\ -==- /\ /</\/\/\/\>/ \

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:31:29 am
content: Quote from: westfw on December 23, 2013, 06:20:40 amPDP11... a brilliant machine for its day.FujitsuPrime Computer (Remember the robot in the ad?)Dick Smith System 80 (Dick's dodgy machine)KayproHitechComputerlandWang ComputersWebsters ComputersIBM Series/1

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:35:30 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on December 23, 2013, 06:21:26 amBack in style in the form of electronic boxes, not metal spikes you screw into the cable.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_tapQuoteAhhhh, the painmake it go away! This incredible bullshit is the reason why people like me hate Microsoft with such a vengeance. A semi-criminal organization with absolute incompetent programmers that forced this steaming pile of shit on us. And they have the galls to ad insult to injury by calling every release the best thing ever. And all this when there was already much better technology away, but since they illegally stiffed the competition it never saw widespread use. Microsoft is the reason for at least 20 to 30 years of delayed progress in computing. Fucking bastards.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:49:03 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on December 23, 2013, 06:35:30 amWorst still was IBM choosing Intel's segmented addressed 8086 architecture over the superior Motorola 68000 architecture. Caused problems to no end but changed the world. Which reminds me...Real Mode and Protected Mode

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:54:52 am
content: Can't help myself...BURNPROOF (CDROM drive without the Buffer Underrun Errors)Disk notcher (Turned a single side diskette into double sided at no extra cost.) Whoohoo!

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:01:04 am
content: Peek and Poke.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:16:52 am
content: Rll drive, winchester driveParity error

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:41:24 am
content: Heads Parking or Disk Parking ?

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:48:01 am
content: Quote from: warp_foo on December 23, 2013, 05:01:06 amLuckily:SCO

author: Kremmen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:56:02 am
content: Oh i think it is all recorded in here:http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/. Brings back memories...

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 08:09:43 am
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on December 23, 2013, 06:35:30 amWow, we must be twins, separated at birth.I used to have a 'Smash MS' section on my site, and plan to include an updated one in the new site. Just one tiny example, from myhttp://everist.org/NobLog/20130904_Retarded_ideas_in_comp_sci.htmQuoteWho else dreams of the day when 'Windows Registry' is also an outdated and forgotten phrase?

author: FJV
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:24:49 am
content: The disk notcher.

author: nitro2k01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:40:47 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 23, 2013, 03:14:32 amObviously, QWERTY keyboards are everywhere, but not everyone is acutely aware of the term. At one point, I mentioned the term (in a chat) to someone less technically inclined, and he asked what it was. I then asked him to retype "QWERTY", after which he went OH!

author: carpelux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:03:40 am
content: 1790-Disk 0 ErrorGEM

author: JoannaK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 11:35:43 am
content: Quote from: nitro2k01 on December 23, 2013, 09:40:47 amThis is one of those that *should* be abandoned like 100 years ago.. But unfortunately.. here we are.. even with class display smartphones we still have Qwerty layout by default.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 12:28:10 pm
content: Thanks for reminding me, SeanB. I still have a copy of IBM DOS 7.0 on floppy with manual. Ya never know when you might need itAnd if we are going to name OS,Windows 3.0Windows 3.1Windows 3.11 for Workgroups.MCDEX driversTandy TR(trash) 80

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 12:31:00 pm
content: Pedro, if you're going to mention IRQ, you can't forget DMA.

author: Corporate666
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 12:42:16 pm
content: Any of you guys (and gals) remember computer shows? They were these flea market type deals where vendors would set up tables with all sorts of stuff and prices would be haggled mercilessly. They always advertised them on the radio like "SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! Sony walkmen for FIVE BUCKS, 286 computer motherboards for TWENTY BUCKS, a pack of one thousand diskettes, TEN BUCKS! ONLY SUNDAY".I remember buying my first color monitor there (EGA baby!) along with a graphics card to run it. And I remember buying some extra memory for my top of the line 80286 computer - it was literally a package of DIP memory chips that were inserted into the motherboard.Here's another blast from the past - remember math coprocessors?))

author: BillyD
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 01:12:46 pm
content: lslipxodi3c509netxedlinNetwarePathworks ()

author: firehopper
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 01:19:38 pm
content: lantastic, twinax cable, 10baset, vbbs, wvbbs, quantumlink, fidonet, 640k ram, ansi

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 02:11:57 pm
content: Corporate, not only do I remember them, I've been to them. Yes, the Woolworth's of the computer world.

author: baljemmett
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 02:25:34 pm
content: Quote from: BillyD on December 23, 2013, 01:12:46 pmNah, that won't work -- IPXODI has to load after the MLID otherwise it'll complain there's no board to bind to(Mind you, I always preferred VLMs to NETX, although Client32 for DOS did away with those and loaded NLMs instead!)

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 02:40:49 pm
content: Quote from: GK on December 23, 2013, 07:01:04 amHow about LOAD "*",8,1 and then going off to toast a sandwich, make a cuppa etc...

author: manzini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 02:47:29 pm
content: - winchester disk drive- firewire/1394- Pet.Sys legend on keyboards.- Azimuth adjustement

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 04:34:36 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on December 23, 2013, 02:40:49 pmAh, the 1541, the slowest disk drive in the known universe.

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 04:45:31 pm
content: ASR33EBCDICLDAATSR

author: Cdngreybeard
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:12:01 pm
content: Anybody remember teletypes?How about when CPM and DOS were packaged together and you had your choice of OS?Supercalc, now that was a spreadsheet?Wordstar, the original WP and we still use some of their shortcuts today -- Carl A, Ctrl C, Ctrl VVariable speed floppy drives to increase densityVictor desktop computersCanon desktop computersTektronix desktop computers -- remember the original Battlestar Galactica movie?I could reminisce for hours :-)

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:30:55 pm
content: Quote from: firehopper on December 23, 2013, 01:19:38 pmStill alive and up-to-date ;-)2:240/1661

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:41:40 pm
content: Norton UtilitiesPC Tools

author: Joule Thief
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 05:51:10 pm
content: Lotus 123 macroXT and AT compatableadd an extra 64K for just $299

author: carpelux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:17:53 pm
content: Ahh - CP/M sweet memoriesPIP destination=source

author: Alana
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:24:38 pm
content: Norton Commander kinda disapered with DOS/W311

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:38:12 pm
content: Funny, I was using it until win98, as it was so much better than Exploder. Too bad it did not move, a dual file window was very usable, just it did not support long file names ( or at least the one i was using did not) and could wreak havoc on a system with more than 1G or disk space when it ran out of cylinders.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:47:51 pm
content: Quote from: Alana on December 23, 2013, 06:24:38 pmDownload Total Commander

author: manticore00
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 06:51:44 pm
content: ComdexBack in my teenage years I convinced my dad to take me to one of the last Comdex trade shows in Las Vegas.

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:10:11 pm
content: COMAL

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:26:06 pm
content: Quote from: Tepe on December 23, 2013, 04:34:36 pmIt was a serial disk drive, it even had it's own 6502 CPU onboard, yet it was slower than the C64 tapes with turbo loaders. Whoever designed it should have been shot. Also having to LOAD "*",8,1 would wipe out your own BASIC program with a pile of crud DIR listing.I had a BBC Model B back then and the drives were like lightning compared to that POS. I even found a way of saving BBC BASIC libraries of code to disk and *LOAD'ing them at random bits of memory space as a kind of paged RAM from disk, in order to run my own BBS software. Those were the days. If only Acorn implemented "half-brite" and so had 16 colours like the C64 instead of those lousy flashing colours.Commodore only got serious with the release of the Amiga. Sadly that fat bastard Jack Tramiel ditched it so he could "compete" in the PC market (hahaha... doomed to failure).Such a shame that Atari didn't take on their own designers invention and went for the cruddy ST as retaliation.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 07:32:53 pm
content: MicrosoftWindows XFlash

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 08:53:09 pm
content: Quote from: jancumps on December 23, 2013, 05:41:40 pmAnd XTreeGold.Though I still use ZTreeWin, successor to XTreeGold.

author: SLJ
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:07:56 pm
content: "stat" - Took me awhile to remember not to use dir on one of my CP/M machines to view the files. I also waited and forgot to press "b" to get it to boot.Wordstar still works like a champ on it though.

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:13:09 pm
content: Ah, the memories... I really need to have a play with my good old 386 machine and DOS over the holidays. I admit it, I'm deeply in love with MSDOS, for all its faults.I've still got an operational 10Base2 network at home. These days it's just there to connect the HP Laserjet 4 to the network. The stupid NIC in the printer and my 3Com switch won't talk to one another. I had a media converter lying around so chose that route.MFM drives were lovely, remember the great sounds they made? I particularly liked one of the 20MB Miniscribe drives sounds, it's still often used in movies as a sound effect. I've got one left, a Seagate ST225, it's awesome to hear that one spin up.

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:13:14 pm
content: Quote from: Cdngreybeard on December 23, 2013, 05:12:01 pmI cut my teeth on baudot teletypes.... and who else remembers the term : TV TypewriterThat was an upgrade

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:19:34 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on December 23, 2013, 07:32:53 pmDon't you mean X Windows ?? that would be X, the X Consortium , XLIB programming, and the Xt (X toolkit)..Later we were graced with MWM and Motif, then CDE (The Common Desktop Environment)[ Oh, and not to forget OpenWindows, and Display Postscript, both from Sun ][ and there was Apollo, SGI, Solbourne, all doing their own thing ]

author: krux
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:21:51 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on December 23, 2013, 06:21:26 amDon't forget Twinax.. it was coax cable that had two center conductors, which was used on old IBM green screen terminals... annoying stuff to work with... though as a UNIX guy, I still use the term VT100 quite often.Of course there is frame relay, fddi, line printers, reel to reel tape, wire wrap (though it's still used some in prototyping, and old phone equipment)

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:23:40 pm
content: Now it comes back to me!Adjusting the interleave on your new MFM disk and doing a low level format using debug to access the controllers BIOS.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:23:43 pm
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on December 23, 2013, 09:19:34 pmI mean Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 9, etc.

author: carpelux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:27:48 pm
content: Quote from: krux on December 23, 2013, 09:21:51 pmTalking about cables, dont forget Token Ring. It used a cable which was almost impossible to distinguish from a water hose.

author: AmmoJammo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:29:26 pm
content: Quote from: Macbeth on December 23, 2013, 07:26:06 pmIncredibly, the disc drive/C64 can be modified (and added to) to load a whole program in about 2 seconds flat!

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 09:33:30 pm
content: Ah, someone said CP/M - the memories!I'll add good old "PIP" and HDOS - the Heathkit Disk Operating System - I believe some of the programmers later went on to work for Microsoft.SET HDOS STAND-ALONEIt is now pitched dark. If you proceed, you will likely fall into a pit.

author: Terabyte2007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:02:06 pm
content: How aboutBBSandSysop. I was Co-Sysop of the Blazing Inferno BBS. Those were the days... I mention BBS to my kids, and they look at me likeOh, yeah!PC Pursuit. O0

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:17:14 pm
content: What about Leisure Suite Larryand by far my all time favourite Elite!!

author: manzini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:33:03 pm
content: yesterday I asked Santa for a multitech (now acer) mpf-II, more nostalgic than practical matter for "my" Christmas.But to be more practical for my kids, hahaha, also have ask for this:The smallest, has not known the cd's, so I imagine his face, 25th morning when they see me with the mpf-II and cassette tapes, and waiting minutes to see a bored green screen with dummy letter-games.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:40:17 pm
content: Quote from: Terabyte2007 on December 23, 2013, 10:02:06 pmThere are a lot of telnet BBS' if you like to show your kids the good old days ;-)

author: manzini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:44:48 pm
content: Quote from: madires on December 23, 2013, 10:40:17 pminteresting !!!

author: Cdngreybeard
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2013, 10:50:28 pm
content: ... and there was The Source.

author: johnwa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:18:50 am
content: Does anyone remember the school exercise books with the list of "commonly used computer terms" on the back? Even when I went to school, they were hopelessly out of date (ALGOL, SNOBOL anyone?), but I think I saw one for sale quite recently with virtually the same set of words on it.I was going to post a scan, so people could have a bit of a laugh. However, despite extensive rummaging in the attic, I was unable to locate one. Perhaps someone else can take a picture and upload it?

author: Terabyte2007
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:27:52 am
content: Quote from: madires on December 23, 2013, 10:40:17 pmI knew there was a couple here and there, but I did not know their was a lot of them! Is there a list anywhere you know of?

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:36:32 am
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on December 23, 2013, 10:17:14 pmDon't have either of those, but I just loaded up Samantha Fox Strip Poker on the 1541. Check out the graphics!

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 02:08:49 am
content: @GK...LOLI remember years ago my brothers were showing me this C64 program that had a picture of a scantly dress woman. When you moved the joystick back and forth the clothes would start scrolling down revealing her naked body. To get the clothes to go lower thereby revealing more nakedness you had to wiggle the joystick faster. So fast in fact that you ended up hunched over with the joystick in your lap moving your hand furiously... Like an idiot I didn't realise the joke until they burst out laughing

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 02:35:29 am
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on December 24, 2013, 02:08:49 amLOL, yeah, there were several games like that, played the exact the same way. The most famous was probablySex Games. Humorous and censored video here:Pretty sad really, but EVERYONE I knew who had a C64 back in the day had a pirated copy. The games final scene was pretty bad.Now look where we have taken such a wholesome thread topic...................

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 03:03:37 am
content: Quote from: manzini on December 23, 2013, 10:44:48 pmTelnet Zork is quite fun, even though I was not even a part of that era.... Never wanted to buy a TRS-80 more than when I tried it!

author: ampdoctor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 04:04:37 am
content: How about Fortran77?And of course we should never forget the dismal failure that was Rambus.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 04:31:19 am
content: I didn't see it mentioned but did anybody else ever get to play Star Trek via TTY?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 06:37:04 am
content: Yes.....

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 07:06:08 am
content: it's starting to look like this one will be soon...x86

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 07:12:01 am
content: debugging in it's original definition.

author: JohnnyGringo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 08:53:21 am
content: 9-Track tape drives

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 09:27:09 am
content: Quote from: Rory on December 24, 2013, 04:31:19 amYes. on a volker-craig terminal.. over a 300bps modem, on TOPS-20who remembers that?

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 10:08:29 am
content: Quote from: ampdoctor on December 24, 2013, 04:04:37 amFORTRAN77was an upgrade. You don't want to know how uglyFORTRAN66was. About 1983 I had to write some code that had to run on almost anything that could talk to our gear with minimal changes, and C had not penetrated far beyond Unix yet. I know it ran on DEC RSX & VMS, DG AOS & AOS/VS, IBM Series 1, TI DX10. Can't remember what else... You heard right: at one time a dumbed-down version of FORTRAN was the most portable high level language available. It sucked pretty bad, though.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 10:20:16 am
content: And lets not forget computer icons that no longer make sense.http://www.hanselman.com/blog/TheFloppyDiskMeansSaveAnd14OtherOldPeopleIconsThatDontMakeSenseAnymore.aspx

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 11:10:42 am
content: Quoteit's still out there, if you're into retro design and repairs.Quotesadly, mine died ~5 years ago. neat little device, except for when the drive decides to clamp the heads together and shred the media, then rip the heads off the spindles.Quoteit's also still out there... we still use dumb terminals on some of our unix stuff at work.Quotei love these cards (509,905, etc)... i know they're not manufactured anymore, but i think i have like 10 of them at home.Let's see... How about AS/400? OpenVMS? SCO Unix? We still have an AS/400 server. The OpenVMS server finally died a few years back. Sadly, we still have an SCO server too.

author: johnwa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 11:22:39 am
content: Quote from: GeoffS on December 24, 2013, 10:20:16 amAnd he didn't even notice that the first television icon had the colour bars in the wrong order!Speaking of televisions, I have met quite a few computer users who are convinced that the 'save' icon is actually a picture of an old console TV set...

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:15:53 pm
content: I also like the TV with rabbit ears one. It's probably US specific. Here in the UK most TVs are connected to a large yagi array on the house roof. Very few people use indoor aerials and in that case, they're mostly loop or a mini-yagi, a telescopic dipole (is that what the rabbit ears are?) is rare.

author: manzini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:21:15 pm
content: Well, my 640Mbyes Fujitsu MO (Magneto-Optical) firewire of course are alive O0I never will miss the hateful RPG programming language. Although even today for IBM AS400 keep asking programmers.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:21:59 pm
content: Quote from: MatCat on December 23, 2013, 03:33:54 am0,0012 GB of space ! What's that in TB :-)

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:29:06 pm
content: Quote from: nitro2k01 on December 23, 2013, 09:40:47 amIn our country, the awareness is better. We have AZERTY, and are surrounded by countries that have QWERTY and QWERTZ, so buying a cheap laptop on the webshop of a company 100km from here, can cause trouble.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:33:22 pm
content: Token Ring and OS/2IBM WangarattaAt IBM Wangaratta, I installed the very first copy of OS/2 in Australia on a PC AT. We had a diskette replication facility in Wangaratta and I pinched a pre-release copy of OS/2 the very morning the diskette images arrived. I felt like king dick later that day when I could print on my dot matrix printer at the same time as running other DOS commands. Another first was installing the very first token ring network in Australia using two PCXT's on the manufacturing line. 4 Mbps! That tiny network grew to about 600 machines.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:39:28 pm
content: Quote from: Galenbo on December 24, 2013, 12:29:06 pmI have had to use a French keyboard a few times. Damn near impossible to get used to. Worse than driving on the wrong side of the road in down town Rome!cheers,Dave

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 12:56:09 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 24, 2013, 12:39:28 pmIt is, even for us, nearly impossible to program C on it, so I switched to Qwerty.Azerty's everywhere around here. But It's only good to type letters about Wine and Cheese.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:00:45 pm
content: A few others...Microchannel architectureEISAOS/2 WarpReasons why OS/2 died...1. No innovation in marketing OS/2 by IBM.2. It could only run 16 bit Windows applications.3. The dreaded BSOD (more often than on Windows 95).4. Overpriced.5. Idiotic menu hierachy.6. Bill Gates was far shrewder all any IBM executive.7. Greed (also the reason why micro-channel architecture failed).If IBM had the foresight to give every university student in the world a free copy on OS/2 Warp 2.0, maybe things would be different.Did you know...1. Microsoft actually wrote OS/2.2. By far the world's biggest customer of OS/2 was... IBM.3. Apparently (a rumour only) one reason for the success of Protel (Altium) was that the founder stuck with Windows 3.1, against advice he should switch to OS/2.4. It was illegal for IBM'ers to buy competitors products for work. Hence we used OS/2 up until about 1998. IBM could not admit to its employees it had screwed up badly with OS/2, however eventually much to its own embarrassment it had to ship Aptiva PC's with Windows installed.

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:15:51 pm
content: Quote from: Galenbo on December 24, 2013, 12:21:59 pmLet's see, a DD HD disk with Amiga FFS would be 512 bytes/sector * 22 sectors/track * 2 tracks/cylinder * 80 cylinders/disk = 1802240 bytes/disk.That's 1802240/(2^40) TB or ~0.0000016 TB.(DOS tended to use only 18 sectors/track for DD HD so that would be 9/11 times the above figure)Note how I managed to sneak in terms like sectors and cylinders...

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:25:57 pm
content: 8" shugarts

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:27:17 pm
content: Quote from: Tepe on December 24, 2013, 01:15:51 pm

author: Tepe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:29:02 pm
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on December 24, 2013, 01:25:57 pmRAMAC

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 01:53:45 pm
content: At one point I had to program some equipment my company built to talk 3270bisync.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 02:30:20 pm
content: Quote from: Rory on December 24, 2013, 04:31:19 amYou can also watch Star Wars in ASCII: telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 03:21:27 pm
content: Quote from: madires on December 24, 2013, 02:30:20 pmThat thing is still up? Awesome!... hey didn't the Star Wars logo used to be done with @@@ characters instead of 888's?

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 04:51:57 pm
content: I've got a bone to pick with:Quote from: GeoffS on December 24, 2013, 10:20:16 amBookmarks: It will be a very long time until people don't know what a paper book is, and because of that, the same thing applies to bookmarks, not only that, but the fact that it doesn't have to relate soley to paper books, and can be applied to electronic books will continue it on even further. The word contains book and mark, if you want to make multiple places in a book, electronic or paper, you use a bookmark.Address Books and calendars: Not so much address books, but calendars, these will be around for a heck of a long time too, even if it isn't a physical calendar, due to the way it is laid out, it is a very convenient way to view months and days so it will be displayed in this fashion for a long time.Manila folders: again. paper storage is mandatory in a lot of places, not going anywhere and even if it does, they are still great at storing other things aside from documents, like labels, so until we can produce displays cheap enough to replace paper labels....Binoculars: uhhh... these seem even less likely to be replaced than any of the above things.Microphone: this type/design is pretty standard still. will be for a long time.

author: nitro2k01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 05:21:36 pm
content: Quote from: Galenbo on December 24, 2013, 12:29:06 pmPft, that shouldn't be a problem. You just need to be more AZERTYve in the way you type.On a more serious note, it should be pretty easy to pop off the key caps and move them around on anything that isn't a laptop keyboard or a newfangled thin Apple keyboard.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 05:34:50 pm
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on December 23, 2013, 09:13:14 pmDon Lancaster's TV Typewriter attached to a KIM-1!

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 06:52:26 pm
content: Here is some of my collection of obsolete terms:StatmuxData concentratorParadyne modemViterbi encodingData regeneratorFilm recorderHatboxMicropore filtersBernoulli BoxLight penDot matrix line printerTractor feedBall-head printer, like IBM SelectricDaisy wheelCrosstalkx.25 packet protocolcolorburst frequencyVR gauntletKansas City StandardROM cartridgeNIXIE readoutBootstrap code sheet, toggling in octal codes (any PDP-8 users here?)Silent 700vector graphics displaymachine code monitor in system ROMx-on, x-offtimeshareand too many more. I think most of what I know is obsolete.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 07:08:27 pm
content: Quote from: Rory on December 24, 2013, 06:52:26 pmCall me old-fashioned but I'm going to hang onto my mobile phone, WiFi equipment and hard disk drives for a while longer, if you don't mind.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 07:12:42 pm
content: Quote from: Rory on December 24, 2013, 06:52:26 pmI stripped one of those recently, uses a TMS9000 processor in ot.Anybody remember ETI had a DIY computer using this chip? The ETI Cortex.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 07:15:34 pm
content: Speaking of drives, I find SSD acronym, while not technically obsolete, very annoying. I mean, what's there to "drive" anymore? It's kind of contradictive.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2013, 08:49:55 pm
content: Quote from: Zbig on December 24, 2013, 07:08:27 pmPerhaps I should have said Viterbi encoding as a marketing point... now I suppose it's ubiquitous.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 12:39:52 am
content: ECBDIC and the Hollerith punch card code. I once knew both fluently. EBCDIC was a different encoding to ASCII, used on IBM mainframes. The latter was used on punch card processing machines.With punch cards, you'd write a program, drop the desk of cards on the floor, pick them up and sort them out, process the batch, get the printout, fix the bugs, rinse and repeat. Then came along the VDU.VDU... Visual Display Unit.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 02:30:10 am
content: Quote from: Zbig on December 24, 2013, 07:15:34 pmTo me "Solid State Drive" seems like electronic vehicle terminology.

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 02:53:23 am
content: Quote from: dfmischler on December 24, 2013, 01:53:45 pmBack in the day I wrote embedded software on an add-in card that used a z80, 2 SCC's, rows of DRAM, and a bunch of GALS and PALS formed the external DRAM controller for the refresh cycles and glue logic for mapping blocks into and out of smaller RX/TX windows. This was a multiprotocol convertor for the host (a Multibus host) one of the many protocols supported was the IBM 3270 bisync (along with HLDC and SDLC, and Sperry UTS protocol, which was similar to 3270 BiSync)... the add-in card allowed many users on the multibus host to appear to be like many individual and separate users sitting at either a 3270 terminal or one of many Sperry UTS terminals like the UTS-20, UTS-40 or later the UTS-60 color terminal.[.. ahhh.. the grey beard is thick in this thread, it is ! ]

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 03:20:25 am
content: ESDII remember the stringy floppy from the pages of 80 Micro magazine. I had a stack I got at a flea market when I was about 12.

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 03:22:28 am
content: Partition MagicRPG II (fixed-format programming language, column grid)"The Supervisor" (using the IBM 360 console to send commands to "The Supervisor" within the operating system)sample RPGII program:

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 03:29:43 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on December 25, 2013, 03:20:25 amKilobaud magazine.. I have but just one left from 1976

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 04:46:34 am
content: QuoteYep. On ASR-33s, Hazeltine-2000s, and TI Silent-700s, using tops10. (Any other old LIRICS/LICUS people here?)I always think about those early "computer literacy" classes, where they'd teach people how to insert floppies into the drives, and how not to bring magnets too close to them, and what to do at the C: prompt...

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 07:56:08 am
content: Quote from: westfw on December 25, 2013, 04:46:34 amI've found that lots of people used the Hazeltine 2000s and 1500s but I've found very few people that have used or have even heard of the Hazeltine mod-1 ... we had about 30 of these in the offices and in the field (for news gathering).... They were great for full page editing locally and hitting the send button to send a page of data back to home office, and they had several local pages of stored data, full screen editing, bold, italics, double wide characters. They also had the standard full duplex dumb tty mode. They were 8080 based, one single combined full size, CPU, memory and CRT controller board in the base, the keyboard was fully detached from the main unit and was cabled. I used to have full schematics, but I can't find them anymore.. I eventually had one at my home hooked up to my Altair (upgrade from the ASR-33)

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 06:54:53 pm
content: RambusRIMMISDNsadly, modem is still used...Information Superhighway

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 06:57:05 pm
content: Quote from: echen1024 on December 25, 2013, 06:54:53 pmRambus' patents are apparently still valid and just yanked the rug under ddr

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 09:46:09 pm
content: Quote from: echen1024 on December 25, 2013, 06:54:53 pmISDN = "I Still Don't Know"Did anyone *ever* know, I wonder?

author: carpelux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 10:41:40 pm
content: The Sinclair Spectrum is on every ones lips right now on this forum, so here's some outdated terms related to that old computer.MicrodriveInterface 1

author: Jope
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2013, 11:10:25 pm
content: Quote from: Macbeth on December 23, 2013, 07:26:06 pmIt wasn't the designers fault, it was planned to be much faster. You should read the book'On the Edge: the Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore', it contains the story about it. I cannot remember exactly what went wrong, but I think some guy at the manufacturing plant thought that some data lines were redundant on the schematic/layout, or something like that.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 12:35:56 am
content: Quote from: staxquad on December 25, 2013, 03:22:28 amBack when DOS used FAT-12 and you had 32MB partition limits.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 12:44:42 am
content: Should be outdated...FOLDER. A term used by those Microsoft controls. The correct term is DIRECTORY.ASSEMBLER LANGUAGE. There never has been any computer language called Assembler. It is called ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE. Anyone who says "I wrote it in Assembler" don't know what they are talking about.ARIAL FONT. A bug infested sans-serif Microsoft default font that was created by IBM. One example of a bug is the upper case 'I' is the same as a lower case 'L'. Moreover, compared to Times New Roman, it lacks ease of comprehension.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 01:02:03 am
content: Plugboards.These are mechanically programmable boards used in vintage IBM unit record equipment. Different programs could be loaded into a machine by swapping out the panels. The machines were full of vacuum tubes (valves), wire contact relays, cams lifters, gearboxes and motors. Hopelessly unreliable, and often intermittent faults were very challenging to debug.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 01:31:40 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 26, 2013, 12:44:42 amWould you consider a butt load of assembler directives such as .if, .else, .endif etc...assemblerlanguage, ie. language for consumption by the assembler?

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 01:34:36 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 26, 2013, 01:02:03 amI remember those from the Univac 1004, the first computer I was exposed to.

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 02:16:23 am
content: Quote from: Hero999 on December 24, 2013, 12:15:53 pmInterestingly, rabbit ears still work fine for HD broadcasts. Some time back, I decided to quit spending $100/mo for cable TV that nobody watched, but the kids wanted to watch the ball drop on TV last year, on new year's eve. So I found a pair of rabbit ears with 300 ohm twin-lead and connected that to a 300-to-75 ohm transformer (yes, I still have a few) to change it over to coax. Plugged it in, and now I get all the local stations in perfect HD. Not bad for being about 20 miles away from the TV towers.It's funny reading about all those "obsolete" computer terms. I still have a 20mb MFM drive stored somewhere, and I actually used it for storage way back when.My "SSDD-to-DSDD" converter was a hole punch and a ruler (or a second floppy to use as a template if I as in a hurry). I have an Apple ][ DuoDisk in the garage. Seems like that was around the time when 1200 baud modems just came out, but lots of folks still used 300 baud or 110 baud. Beagle Bros made some neat software, and software came with big, paper manuals.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 02:58:15 am
content: RUNPOKEPEEKLine numbers as structural elements of programs.Manually parking hard disk heads before shutting down.

author: Jope
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 03:00:50 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 26, 2013, 12:44:42 amIt has been called 'folder' because of the Windowsdesktop metaphor.QuoteYou are wrong. It has also been called assembler language for decades. Look at this programming guide from IBM (from 1970):A Programmer's Introductionto IBM System/360 Assembler Language

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:08:23 am
content: Assembly or assembler... doesn't matter. Real programmers use "copy con program.exe".

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 07:20:57 am
content: Quote from: tsmith35 on December 26, 2013, 05:08:23 amUse soldering irons.https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/677635/programmers.jpg

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 12:06:45 pm
content: Quote from: Jope on December 26, 2013, 03:00:50 amI believe I am right. I researched this in detail a few years ago by tracing the history of assembly language programming and early computing history. After I supplied enough evidence, the open source community which provides Notepad++ changed "Assembler" as one of their syntax highlighting languages to "Assembly". An Assembler is effectively the tool that produces machine code from human readable instructions written in a language called Assembly. However, as someone correctly pointed out, assembly language source code can contain assembler directives.Just because IBM once called it Assembler does not mean it is right. IBM made many blunders over the years, many which were never made public. I know first hand, as I worked for them for many years.But here is one big mistake I made... I worked for IBM for too long. Not an outdated computer term, but an outdated computer company. Now a shadow of once was what a good company.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 03:42:32 pm
content: Quote from: mrflibble on December 24, 2013, 01:27:17 pmOh wow! All my nostalgia leaked out of my heart at once! I remember those hidden cylinders at 81 and above! Amiga forever!

author: TheBay
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 04:43:31 pm
content: Parking the Winchester, haven't done that for years!MFM, RLL, ISA, Vesa Local Bus, Dos4gw, memmaker, "It is now safe to turn off your computer"Conventional memory/Extended memoryFake cache chipsHercules GraphicsCGA/MGA/EGA/TTLHard CardWANG, Olivetti, AST, CompaqSIMMSPanasonic/mitsumi/sony compatible cd rom cards.I could continue...

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:01:37 pm
content: win 3.11Quote from: Stonent on December 26, 2013, 12:35:56 ami still use Partition Magic to partition hundreds of GB of my many HDDs (totalling Terrabytes all, FAT32. no i'm not interested in NTFS, not yet), and including my recently bought 128GB SSD. whats the deal with you?Quote from: VK3DRB on December 26, 2013, 12:44:42 amare you really sure? istr DIRECTORY is the original name back during DOS and Win311 days, and then the name got changed to FOLDER during Win98 until today.Quote from: VK3DRB on December 26, 2013, 12:44:42 amthen in truth there is no outdated terms, if there is an answer, the answer is NIL, because no one has ever heard of it. you can say whatever you like and its not outdated since we heard it.

author: Kjetil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:25:19 pm
content: What sadly seems to be outdated (at least none of the new IT folks I've met the last years) are the brilliant tales of theBOFH. I haven't seen anEtherkillerin years either . Neither of these should be outdated though, they have just faded into historyI also miss my 3DFX Voodoo-cards, BeOS and 56k voicemodems.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:31:03 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on December 26, 2013, 05:01:37 pmYou should use NTFS as your primary partition. The only real use for FAT32 is on removable media, since ever modern operating system can read it. It's limited to a partition size of 256GB and the maximum file size is 4GB, is more prone to fragmentation (slower, is less stable (file loss/corruption is more likely) than NTFS and doesn't support any real security features.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:47:43 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on December 26, 2013, 05:01:37 pmAnd that would be pretty much all FAT32 is good for... bite the dust, that is...

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:50:42 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on December 26, 2013, 05:01:37 pmI use "Disk Management" in XP, Vista,W7, W8 since I'm on Windows, and can partition to my heart's content (but if I have to merge/split, have to unallocate/allocate which is fine with me, copy disk first then partition and move, safer), so no need for Partition Magic (never sweat more than when I used Partition Magic on the fly and didn't know if the program would complete with data intact. If I remember correctly I did have a few that said can't continue).I'm on NTFS for larger partition sizesscreen shot of Disk Managementhttp://cquirke.mvps.org/ntfs.htmNTFS may be faster...- smaller RAM footprint as avoids large FAT held in RAM- indexed design more efficient for many files per directory- small file data embedded in dir level, avoids seek to data chain- above factors make fragmentation less onerous than for FATxx- 4k cluster size matches processor's natural paging size...or slower...- extra overhead of security checks, compression, encryption- small clusters may fragment data cluster chainsNTFS may be safer...- transaction rollback cleanly undoes interrupted operations- file-level permissions can protect data against malware etc.- automatically "fixes" failing clusters on the fly (controversial)...or more at risk...- no interactive file system checker (a la Scandisk) for NTFS- no maintenance OS for NTFS- malware can drill right through NTFS protection, e.g. Witty- transaction rollback does not preserve user data- transaction rollback does not help other causes of corruption- more limited range of maintenance tools- automatically "fixes" failing clusters on the fly (controversial)NTFS may be more space-efficient...- smaller cluster size than FAT32 above 8G- may include data of small files within the directory level- NTFS's bitmap structure is smaller than FAT32's dual FAT- sparse files and compression can reduce data space usage...or less so...- NTFS has large MFT structure- larger per-file directory metadata spaceI would use NTFS where:Users have professional-grade IT admin, including backupUsers need to hide data more than they need to salvage itApplications require files over 4G in sizeHard drive exceeds the 137G barrierBut while NTFS has no maintenance OS from which...Data can easily be recoveredFile system structure can be manually checked and repairedMalware can be scanned for and cleaned...I would avoid the use of NTFS in consumer PCs.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 05:58:30 pm
content: Quote from: staxquad on December 26, 2013, 05:50:42 pmThe only reasonable justification for your statement I could think of is that you do paid consumer IT support for a living...

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 06:13:30 pm
content: Quote from: Zbig on December 26, 2013, 05:58:30 pmit's from a website, the link is above the text

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 06:18:12 pm
content: Quote from: staxquad on December 26, 2013, 06:13:30 pmAh, okay, sorry about that.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 07:06:03 pm
content: Quote from: Kjetil on December 26, 2013, 05:25:19 pmNo, no, they haven't. A couple of new ones are written every year by Mr. Travaglia. They are commissioned by an on-line IT newspaper, and are nicely archived at the newspaper's site since 2000.http://www.theregister.co.uk/data_centre/bofh/So you have to catch up with 13 years of BOFHs. See you in a week

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 07:06:29 pm
content: I much prefer to boot up from CD or USB drive an image ofhttp://gparted.org/livecd.phpIt also comes with Memtestx86+ to do a thorough job of testing your RAM without having an OS loaded.If I have to mess with disks in NTFS, then I prefer to use the console DISKPART command than the GUI disk management stuff.

author: Kjetil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2013, 07:09:09 pm
content: Quote from: Bored@Work on December 26, 2013, 07:06:03 pmThat's good to hear then, I thought he stopped writing a few years ago (I have read until 2009 or so). They should really be part of the course litterature for IT support workers, we certainly learned a lot from those stories :-)

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 12:55:23 am
content: Outdated Electronics Stores in Melbourne (all effectively defunct)...Ellistronics (Arguably the best ever in Melbourne. A one stop shop, at low prices.)Stewart Electronics (That's where you went to get that rare IC)Rod Irving Electronics (Dodgy computers)McGraths (For those serious about electronics)United Trade Sales (Second hand PCB bargains)Japanese Transistor Supply (Plenty of 2SC transistors there)Radio Parts Group (I bought my first CB there - a Roberts 23 channel AM with a half wave ringo)Ham Radio Supply (I bought my first radio receiver there - an FRG-7)GFC Electronic Imports (I bought my first transceiver there - an FT290R)Bail Electronics (A respected Yaesu dealer who shifted to Wangaratta)Dick Smith Electronics (Absolutely hopeless - they don't even know what a #$%^*! resistor is. They lost to plot years ago.)Tandy Electronics (Gift wrapped pretty packed resistors at $1.99 for two)

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 02:11:24 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 27, 2013, 12:55:23 amAh, sad memories of Sydney's long gone surplus electronics shops. Who remembers:Deitch Bros, on Oxford St in the city.Sheridan Electronics, in Redfern.WIA trash & treasure, ParammattaCavions in Molloy St, Bulli.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 02:52:38 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on December 27, 2013, 02:11:24 amRadio House in the city

author: TheBay
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 03:03:17 am
content: RadioShack/Tandy in the UK.Miss those places. It's so nostalgic visiting those places when I'm in the US.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 03:12:17 am
content: Quote from: TheBay on December 27, 2013, 03:03:17 amGone in Australia too.

author: staxquad
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 03:21:41 am
content: Quote from: GeoffS on December 27, 2013, 03:12:17 amAnd in Canada, Radio Shack vacated and their stores replaced by TheSource selling about the same as what Walmart has in it's electronics department: TVs, cell phones, batteries, cameras, blank DVDs, etc.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 07:54:02 am
content: Quote from: staxquad on December 27, 2013, 03:21:41 amSpeaking of outdated technology, do many people still use optical media these days? I've just got a fist full of usb sticks, a number with write protect functionality.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 09:09:48 am
content: Also outdated electronics magazines...ByteAmateur Radio ActionCB ActionElectronics AustraliaElectronic Today InternationalAnd outdated clubs...The Australian Radio DX Club (One of the world's premium HF radio DX clubs with international membership)AUSOM (Apple Users Society of Melbourne)MICOM (Microcomputer Club of Melbourne)All Gone. A shame really.But we now have the EEVBLOG, where like minds can meet together from around the world. We still have Elektor and Silicon Chip. And we can look up datasheets on the information superhighway. Much better than the old days of having to spend a mint on databooks. The choices at our fingertips to pursue our interests in electronics or computing are vast and wide. We have never had it so good.

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 09:14:31 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 27, 2013, 09:09:48 amNot to forget UnixWolrd.I have a 1985 issue with Bill Gates praising the Xenix operating systems

author: Kjetil
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 09:22:59 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on December 27, 2013, 09:09:48 amLike so? From the rather large bunch of old electronics magazines at the electronics club here.Old magazinesbykjetilv, on Flickr

author: chrisc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 09:33:03 am
content: Quote from: GreyWoolfe on December 23, 2013, 03:32:51 amMy first programming course was in the 1970's and used marked sense cards. The school did not have a computer so the cards were sent to a local university. We would get the printouts back one week later.So, effectively, my compile/run/debug cycle was 168 hours. This somewhat encouraged me to avoid syntax errors

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 11:17:29 am
content: Quote from: staxquad on December 27, 2013, 03:21:41 amRadio Shack was doing that long before The Source (Circuit City)...

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 11:48:35 am
content: Tape Reperforaters!

author: jippie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 12:28:04 pm
content: Anyone mentioned the dreaded:"NOOO!! Don't pick up the ph...!!"SKREEEEEK@#$%YHNO CARRIER<CLICK>Or these:Line printer escape sequenceEpson FX-compatibleMagnetic-core memoryBand printer

author: hiddensoul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 12:29:51 pm
content: Quote from: AlfBaz on December 23, 2013, 02:40:49 pmIf you are going to go down that road what about just LOAD on the C=64You could go and solder up a new computer while the tape loaded

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 12:53:09 pm
content: Quote from: hiddensoul on December 27, 2013, 12:29:51 pmPRESS PLAY ON TAPE

author: jippie
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 02:32:41 pm
content: Quote from: tsmith35 on December 26, 2013, 05:08:23 amYou forgot the "/B" for binary, otherwise your MSB would be dropped.

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 03:05:09 pm
content: Quote from: jippie on December 27, 2013, 02:32:41 pmNo wonder I never got any good at programming...

author: Kevin.D
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2013, 03:42:30 pm
content: A few well known lines from my old config.dos and autoexec.bat from the old dos gaming times .Config.sysdevice=C:\dos\himem.sysDevice=C:\dos\emm386.Exe Rambuffers= 20Autoexec.Batset sound =C:sblaster 16Set blaster = a220 I5 D1 H5 P330

author: kx5
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 01:27:18 am
content: Is the slang name "LAMER" still in use?

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 01:32:10 am
content: Quote from: Kevin.D on December 27, 2013, 03:42:30 pmI'm reasonably sure there was a T in the set blaster statement as well.

author: Alana
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:01:31 am
content: I think CD/DVD will not get outdated so soon. Its still preferable way to install new OS, at least for me.

author: hiddensoul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:06:50 am
content: Quote from: Alana on December 28, 2013, 02:01:31 amWell it might by bluray data especially if M$ need more space for the bloatware OS release cycleBut people will just call them discs even though CD is now going DVD is prime for software and in the future it will be BRay all optical media at least

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:23:48 am
content: ... don't ya miss when ....... the Epson dot matrix printer paper got stuck and proceeded to punch arectangle through the paper, from left edge to right edge as the head triesto print all your source code on the same line

author: moepower
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:26:54 am
content: Mainframes. I think they are now called serversOldest computer I have:Amstrad pcw 8256 from when I lived in UK in the late 80s. 4 MHz CPU and 256 k ram. Bloody good word processor for its time.

author: hiddensoul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:35:48 am
content: Quote from: moepower on December 28, 2013, 02:26:54 amNot really a mian frame usually ran dumb terminals that were basically a keyboard and screen, all the lifting was done by the 'mainframe' the closest thing to this is a thinclient system as may be used in a supermarket were the cash registers are not full computers just a stripped down hardware interface to the central machine in the backroom or even head office in some cases

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:48:14 am
content: RS232 breakout boxes, and patching the handshake lines to get some piece of gear to talk right.ABEL and PALASM languages for defining PALs. Do PALs even exist anymore?PEELs. I quite liked those.XACT. What Xilinx originally called their CAD system for FPGAs. Which were called LCAs back then.Hands up those who kept their entire library of printed data books. As opposed to throwing them all out and relying on the net, as many I knew seemed to do. Not a wise move IMO.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 03:17:36 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on December 28, 2013, 02:48:14 amAnd on the same note, gender changers and null-modem cables... Has anybody mentioned Centronics parallel interface?I have a set of the yellow/orange TI databooks, and the blue Nat Semi analog databooks. I also have a set of the IC-Master books. Still occasionally useful.Remember the SK, NTE and ECG substitution guides? Still have 'em. Still use 'em occasionally since a lot of past repairs were done with these sloppy subsitutes.All that paper reminds me of when we looked up figures in compiled books of trig and log tables. Don't get people started with sliderules...

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 05:59:51 am
content: Quote from: hiddensoul on December 28, 2013, 02:06:50 amEhh, with the drive to go slimmer/thinner, the mechanicals of optical drives often make them too big. So manufacturers provide these for re-installing the OS;https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/677635/IMG_20131229_043246.jpgI feel that the way removable optical media operates is archaic, the fact it has to maintain a certain optical quality is a pretty big flaw, combined with the need for somewhat precise mechanicals, it can lead to reliability issues.Then there is the general useage strategy, where it is either read only or is "erasable", don't get me started on UDF and packet writing...

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 06:21:30 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on December 28, 2013, 02:48:14 amYou mean like these. Just unpacking them, but running out of bookshelf space. I have some that date back to the early 1970's, and they are not available online at all.

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 09:58:38 am
content: Quote from: codeboy2k on December 28, 2013, 02:23:48 amStill using a "high speed" dot matrix printer at work. I get that occasionally when it doesn't realize there's a jam.Sorry for the commercial, it was all I could find.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 10:33:21 am
content: Heh. I wrote some (mainframe-side) graphics drivers for an early printtronix printer, circa 1980. I had no idea they were still in business. "Line printer" is probably a term that isn't used very often any more, though I do expect that there are some really impressive "high speed printers" out there in places where the whole "many distributed lower speed printers" concept is less appropriate...

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 10:51:38 am
content: It is a pretty awesome printer, for what it does... I queue up a ~100 page job, and it just sits there buzzing along with the occasional gap for a form feed. A couple minutes later, I tear off the paper and walk away with a stack of paper. I can't imagine them doing colour or graphics very well, if it all, but for plain-text done quick, they work great.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 11:02:42 am
content: I remember a few Epson (?) colour dot matrix printers, where they used a 4 colour CMYK ribbon with a lifter to get the right band into the printhead. Slower than watching paint dry for colour output, and not exactly stellar colour performance, you could at best use it for coloured text and simple line art in colour, photo resolution was a great hope, but only if you were willing to print a banded job and stick it together into a giant poster viewed from far, where it would be almost viewable.

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 02:21:03 pm
content: Quote from: kx5 on December 28, 2013, 01:27:18 amYou were 'elite' (in fancy ASCII) when you were allowed access to the private areas on the local BBSes to where the warez and other dodgy files were.

author: hiddensoul
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2013, 09:18:22 pm
content: Hmmm line printers remind me of the *nix error "LP1 IS ON FIRE"form wikipedia...The "on fire" message probably originated in the late 1950s, when high speed computerized printing was still a somewhat experimental field. The first documented fire-starting printer was a Stromberg-Carlson 5000 xerographic printer, installed around 1959 at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and modified with an extended fusing oven to achieve a print speed of one page per second. In the event of a printing stall, and occasionally during normal operation, the fusing oven would heat paper to combustion. This fire risk was aggravated by the fact that if the printer continued to operate, it would essentially stoke the oven with fresh paper at high speed

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 05:26:19 am
content: Quote from: chrisc on December 27, 2013, 09:33:03 amI remember at RMIT in 1977, I would write a program in BASIC on IBM 80 column punch cards...10 print20 goto 10The result was a massive amount of free blank fanfold paper - great for doing calculus on.The bonus was you got to have a nice chat with the spunky Greek girl Cristina from the RMIT Computing Centre service desk.The computer there was a Control Data Cyber 72. One massive machine for its day. Nothing worse when you got "syntax error" after submitted a deck of cards.

author: C
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 06:14:42 am
content: how aboutldosturbodosDiablo daisy wheeland I have not seenxyzzyanywhereC

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 06:21:34 am
content: Just looked up the 'Minidictionary of Computing' Oxford 1986.Which someone just put on my desk for no apparent reason.No sign of the terms :TCPIPInternetor even ARPANETroute, ing, erbut they did have:protocolnetworklatency

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 06:57:19 am
content: Quote from: C on February 15, 2014, 06:14:42 amThe Hewlett Packard HP3458A 8½ digit multimeter recognizes XYZZY as a command via HP-IB and responds "I see no cave here."

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 07:00:50 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on February 15, 2014, 05:26:19 amLOL. "nice chat".But you are leaving out crucial information man. Did it land you a date or not?

author: C
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 07:06:29 am
content: Quote from: Rerouter on February 15, 2014, 06:57:19 amThe HP 9826 HPL computer and others also responds the same.The hidden question is where wasXYZZYfirst used?C

author: GeoffS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 08:59:03 am
content: I remember XYZZY as a 'cheat code' for early TRS-80 games.

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 09:39:50 am
content: I remember XYZZY as a cheat code for road rash!:-)

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 11:44:48 am
content: To the best of my knowledge, XYZZY was first used in the Crowther and Woods adventure game (usually installed as ADVENT on a DECsystem-10).

author: Prime73
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 02:06:31 pm
content: DRDOS is still aroundcheck this out:http://drdos.com/products/dr-dos/

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 10:52:18 pm
content: Quote from: dfmischler on February 15, 2014, 11:44:48 amA hollow voice says "PLUGH"

author: dfmischler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 12:49:42 am
content: Naturally, "You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike."

author: C
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 12:55:52 am
content: I have to give credit to Crowther and WoodsWith the PDP-11 copy I had access to,In addition to a great game,the game initialization sequence was a great test tool.It would shake the stuffing out of a RK05 disk drive.The 19 in equipment rack that was not bolted down would even shake.For a test of drive head alignment was a harder test to pass then the DEC diag.C

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 01:03:14 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on February 16, 2014, 01:00:02 amNo... she was probably a few years older than me. However I did meet another spunky girl at RMIT who also happened to be named Cristina and we got married. We have been married for 33 years.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 05:32:27 am
content: I almost ran off the road laughing when I drove by this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California("Zork" was better.)("Haunt" was ridiculous.)Ah, PDP-10s...

author: electrolux
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 12:18:10 pm
content: I've seen plenty of 'QWERTY keyboard'.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 05:06:08 pm
content: Quote from: Prime73 on February 15, 2014, 02:06:31 pmWow! My first DOS was DR-DOS as it was better and cheaper than MS-DOS at the time. "Doctor DOS" as I called it, though IIRC it was Digital Research.But why pay for it nowadays, when you can get FreeDOS for...

author: Sigmoid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 08:28:02 pm
content: I remember DR-DOS was awesomely popular in Germany...

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2014, 04:21:08 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on December 28, 2013, 06:21:30 amI like how the '6502 Applications' book is stored in with a big masonry drill.Parts of my data book library, that I keep just in case 'the Internet' also becomes an obsolete term (shut down, destroyed, or whatever may happen):

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2014, 06:11:23 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on February 17, 2014, 04:21:08 amThat is an awesome collectionI really wish I had bought more of them back in the day, or at least taken better care of the ones I have

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2014, 06:21:09 am
content: We literally filled a skip clearing shelves of this crap. Also remember those universal data books that were larger and twice as thick as a phone book, that used to cost a mint to buy new? Complete waste of space these days.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2014, 06:35:43 pm
content: Try finding the data on those obsolete devices online. Some are pretty hard to find, all you get is a basic sheet from dome data book that was scanned. You lose all the full characterisation of the device.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2014, 07:13:41 pm
content: You can have the datasheets, but sometimes it is more important to have the actual partsThey become obsolete, good luck trying to find a replacement custom chip from the 70's, heck even the 80's nowadays.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 12:38:32 pm
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on February 17, 2014, 04:21:08 amNo library was complete without the National Semiconductor Linear Databook. A wonderful book indeed.Another great book, a classic - better than the Tolstoy's War and Peace - was the Towers International Transistor Selector Guide.A special mention for the Intel 8031/51 databook.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 01:05:40 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on February 19, 2014, 12:38:32 pmThat has got to be the best electronics book I ever bought... an excellent collection of app notes.QuoteI have 2 versions and they came in handy a couple of months back when fixing a very old car radio as the only data I could find for the transistors in it were photos of them in peoples antique component collections

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 06:40:50 pm
content: I have old Motorola databooks, and these include the complete range of Germanium transistors they made. Even ones rated for 50A, just hate to think of how much they cost each when they were new.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 06:43:23 pm
content: I only have 1 databoook, and that is a Linear 1990 databook.

author: Fireball XL5
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 11:50:14 pm
content: Bernoulli drivePL/I

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 20, 2014, 12:13:09 pm
content: That's strange? All my references were replaced bytinycomputerized databanks.And they seem to be getting smaller every year.

author: uwezi
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 20, 2014, 11:12:47 pm
content: Did I miss this one in the list:Fuzzy logic

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 12:14:57 pm
content: It's been mentioned, but here's a picture.

author: Sigmoid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 03:48:44 pm
content: Quote from: uwezi on February 20, 2014, 11:12:47 pmFuzzy logic isn't obsolete. It's a term specific to the field of AI, and may have lost some of its hype-value (along with AI itself for that matter), but if you're studying AI, you'll come across it sooner or later.As a matter of fact, fuzzy logic was likely involved in a good number of controllers in stuff you use (car, washing machine, elevator, etc...) Some other controllers are based on neural networks.AI not dead. It just became mainstream.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 05:15:29 pm
content: Kodak Photo CD

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 05:36:48 pm
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on February 21, 2014, 03:43:28 pmYep. My last and most favourite machine was my old A1200 which I fitted a 3.5" HDD to by cramming it in the case and soldering a 2.5" to 3.5" connector together and tapping off the +12V and +5V for the molex from the internal 3.5" FDD. I also eventually got an "accelerator card", 68030 50MHz with fast ram, and a multisync monitor. That machine was a beast. I still miss it - No internet in those days. I had a SupraFAX 33.6 modem picking up all the latest from FidoNET as a FidoNET "point" and as for "RoxBox" and the international warez BBS scene...

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 06:59:33 pm
content: I still have the odd CP-M card for an old Apple ][ and 64k memory expansion for it.

author: uwezi
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 08:06:28 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on February 21, 2014, 06:59:33 pmThat's the system I learned programming on: CP/M and TurboPascal v1 and 2!!!

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 11:15:44 pm
content: Quote from: Zbig on February 21, 2014, 05:15:29 pmOr simply just Kodak

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2014, 11:48:03 pm
content: Hercules Graphics CardSuper VGAPointing Device (IBM would not lower themselves to calling it a mouse)Edlin (The worlds most "popular" editor sold with every DOS)Copy Con (The worlds' simplest "editor") CTRL-ZData Migration Facility

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 01:46:17 am
content: Not quite a term,but sadly,outdated:-Word Processor programs that let you simply change existing text from upper to lower case or vice versawithout retyping the whole sentence.I used an old DOS one years back that did this,but new ones don't let you do it.(if thereisa way,please tell me)A term I'd LIKE to see outdated--------"Caps Lock"-----aaaaRRRRRRGgghh!

author: Prime73
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 02:02:25 am
content: Are you looking for something like this?http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/change-the-capitalization-of-text-HA010210665.aspxQuote from: vk6zgo on February 22, 2014, 01:46:17 am

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 03:20:53 am
content: Yeah --something like that!I seem to remember it being a lot easier with the old program,though.There would be little need for it if "caps lock " was removed from keyboards,though.It is a relic of mechanical typewriter days.

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 03:26:25 am
content: NO CAPS LOCK? BUT THEN HOW WOULD I MAKE MY POSTS?

author: cpuerror
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 04:17:37 am
content: To start windows..C:\> winSome other terms:Mouse driverFM SynthesisDoublespace"Have you tried running memmaker?"

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 08:46:28 am
content: Forgot about a lot of that. DESQview, QEMM386, 4DOS, Helix Netroom...

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 09:09:49 am
content: Are those not more brands then terms? The relevant outdated terms would be memory managers or maybe INT27 or TSRAnd anyway, in that list should definitely be HIMEM.SYS.First thing to do on any PC: add himem and EMM368 to config.sysAnd the first TSR I worked with: you could load a calculator utility, and on a keypress it would come up over the top corner of whatever program you were running. Running TWO programs at the same time. MINDBLOWING!

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 11:05:31 am
content: Quote from: cybermaus on February 22, 2014, 09:09:49 amSound like Sidekick!Always power hungry, I was the first person in Australia to run OS/2 on a PC-AT loaded up with a whopping 2MB of RAM so I could print to my IBM dot matrix printer in one shell whilst doing work in another shell. That pre-release OS/2 had no Presentation Manager (GUI). It was just like having multiple DOS sessions. I more than doubled the speed of that dot matrix printer by simply changing the 3.59 MHz XTAL to an 8.00 MHz one.Hacking was so much fun and challenging back then. No internet to look things up, just experimentation and education from technical reference manuals. The result was a WOW factor. These days, young people lack the WOW factor that many of us older techos enjoyed.Another couple of outdated terms just came to mind:Centronics printer cableS100 bus

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 11:34:36 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on February 22, 2014, 11:05:31 amWhat? I am still using that! To drive my Roland bed plotter. So not outdated at all !

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 01:04:53 pm
content: Quote from: cybermaus on February 22, 2014, 11:34:36 amI fully agree! Got the special one with the high density connector (like SCSI) for my trusty HP LJ5P.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 04:26:42 pm
content: SCSI pass through terminators. I have 2 around along with the D25 to SCSI cable for them as well. Still have the 8 way SCSI ribbon cable as well and the Adaptec AH2940 card. Even some of the HP Scanner cards that are SCSI but are notSCSI as they only worked with the scanners and not with any other SCSI device.

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2014, 09:39:15 pm
content: Quote from: cybermaus on February 22, 2014, 09:09:49 amYes, they are brands more than terms, but I just happened to think of them while I was reading the thread.I guess I was just reminiscing. I've used computers for 37 years, and I've seen a lot of stuff come and go. It all blends together after a while...PCMCIA, PC Card and CardBus are more recent outdated terms. MFM & RLL hard drives, "SET BLASTER=" in autoexec, ".com" as a file extension rather than part of a domain name, "type somefile.txt|more", turbo button, WORM drives, Ad Lib sound cards, CD caddy, Kermit, token ring network, S-100 power supply, BBS, and all the rest.You know, I always wanted to get a genuine Hayes modem, but never did. Always "Hayes-compatible". I did eventually get a pair of U. S. Robotics Courier HST Dual Standard modems (16.8k with HST!) through the sysop program, but never got a Hayes.Don't forget PR#7...

author: cybermaus
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2014, 12:33:32 pm
content: By cortesy of today's xkcd: webring

author: AG6QR
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2014, 09:31:37 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on February 22, 2014, 01:46:17 amUse emacs, vi, or any other real text editor. For example, in emacs, select a region and use the upcase-region or downcase-region command. Or if you prefer, typing esc-u will make the current word all caps and send you to the next word. Typing esc-l makes the current word lower case and moves to the next word. You can also use the upcase-region, upcase-word, upcase-initials, or upcase-initials-region commands. Both emacs and vi are free, powerful, and supported on just about every computer and OS available.

author: Sigmoid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2014, 09:43:44 pm
content: Quote from: AG6QR on February 26, 2014, 09:31:37 pm...though using vi for the first time has been compared to listening to Vogon poetry while hanging from a rusty hook by one's genitals.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2014, 10:01:44 pm
content: Quote from: Sigmoid on February 26, 2014, 09:43:44 pm:q!

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2014, 04:47:15 am
content: Could be worse, you could be writing code in Notepad. Or writing a novel.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2014, 04:50:58 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on February 27, 2014, 04:47:15 amI had someone once joke: Windows was wrote in notepad.

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2014, 05:21:08 am
content: Quote from: cpuerror on February 22, 2014, 04:17:37 amMemmaker - bah!I still know my perfect autoexec.bat/config.sys by heart. Gave me 623KB free memory, memmaker never managed that much on my systems.Just last week I had to set up a Netware 3.12 server to run some legacy software. That was fun, spent a whole day cobbling together a system from scrap parts, Pentium 133, 32MB memory, SCSI.I forgot what fun we used to have installing stuff from mountains of floppy disks. There really was no "I'll just quickly install this..." 20 years ago.

author: baljemmett
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 28, 2014, 12:06:22 am
content: Quote from: david77 on February 27, 2014, 05:21:08 amWow, 32MB -- I hope you remembered that such a huge amount would need a REGISTER MEMORY in 3.12I miss NetWare; haven't had any clients that use it in years now.

author: david77
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2014, 12:22:42 am
content: Yeah, I think Netware was great. At a previous employer we had a Netware server running from the early 90ies till the end of 2012. That thing was on 24/7, I can only remember two or three times we had to shut it down because of power cuts that outlasted the UPS. It always made me nervous to power it down - you never knew if it'd come back up again and it was absolutely mission critical to the end.Granted, Netware couldn't do very much but what it was designed to do it did to perfection.Ah, thinking about that made me think about the dbase databases our ERP system (written in Clipper 5) used. I spent many an hour digging through them to usually correct user errors that the ERP software didn't allow to change. Always made the boss happy when I came up with a corrected invoice or something like that.Now I'm burdened with SAP, luckily only as a user. Not everything gets better.Anybody remember what a PITA 10Base2 networks could be? That was also in operation until September 2012.

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2014, 02:27:20 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on February 27, 2014, 04:47:15 amOr writing Pascal programs using VI. (1990, University's Unix system)

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2014, 06:21:49 pm
content: I repurposed a lot of network coax for CCTV use, as it was already installed and still good and ran throughout the building. I turned off a Netware 3.12 server last year late after looking and seeing I was the only login for more than 2 years. Still have the whole 2G drive ( actually a crippled 10G Seagate) around just in case. Also a backup of the data somewhere on the other server and a file system copy on a DVD. I did delete the backups in the microwave before tossing them out, took about an hour of place 5 disks in oven, close door, press button and watch the show for 10 seconds, open door take out 5 smoking plastic crispies and drop in bin. Rinse and repeat until done.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2014, 06:47:18 pm
content: What, no thermite?

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2014, 04:04:31 pm
content: FLEX+++

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2014, 12:25:54 pm
content: Beta versions of software don't exist anymore.It seems beta is called X.0 now, like Windows 8.0

author: uwezi
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 26, 2014, 03:48:38 pm
content: Quote from: Galenbo on March 26, 2014, 12:25:54 pmThat's not completely true: I spent last Sunday's afternoon installing and deleting Atmel's Studio 6.2beta - just to revert to the released 6.1 again....and when it comes to Windows: the beta versions are the ones with the even numbers: 98, 6 (aka Vista), 8, ...

author: iceisfun
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2014, 06:20:13 pm
content: SoftICE

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2014, 09:20:56 pm
content: Quote from: AhhhChoo on March 26, 2014, 08:57:35 pmAre you running PCB layout software on a tablet or a smart phone?

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2014, 09:37:02 pm
content: Nah, today it is either called facebook thingy, laptop, netbook, pc seems very common.

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2014, 09:39:28 pm
content: Quote from: madires on March 26, 2014, 09:20:56 pm

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 07:27:41 am
content: Quote from: uwezi on March 26, 2014, 03:48:38 pm:-)

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 09:51:52 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on February 27, 2014, 04:47:15 amI regularly write HTML in Notepad, and assembly on occasion.Real documents, I write in LaTeX(Which might be considered 'outdated' as well, given its origins?)Tim

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 11:10:31 am
content: Quote from: Galenbo on March 26, 2014, 12:25:54 pmThe first version sold to customers is called Beta ;-)Quote from: uwezi on March 26, 2014, 03:48:38 pmWindows 2000 was quite good actually, also 98SE.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 11:13:21 am
content: Quote from: AhhhChoo on March 26, 2014, 09:48:36 pmMakers still use a desktop PC, like before. (internet site maker, photoshop maker, PCB maker, 3D file maker, embedded program maker,...)Users/Consumers use tablet/smartphone, but it is false to say they don't use desktops anymore. They never did. They never would. They said they would never use a PC. And they were right. They use the screen of a mini portable PC to look at their friend's pictures of children, dogs and cats.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 11:40:02 am
content: Quote from: madires on March 27, 2014, 11:10:31 amI never used 2k much, but I understand it was based on NT, sort of a proto-XP, so there's that at least.I never had much trouble with 98SE -- it was back in the days when, system startup time doesn't take long, so, you shut down every night when going to bed, and boot it in the morning. Most days, you wouldn't even get a BSoD. If you happened to leave it running for a few days, well, that's your problem. I think the most unstable software I had was Adobe Reader 5 (amirite?).But others have had notorious trouble with 98SE. Probably as much due to hardware differences (and buggy drivers) as operator error. Which is still the case today; not much can BSoD an XP+ system, besides drivers.Tim

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 27, 2014, 06:10:39 pm
content: 98 was stable for at least a month, provided you did not do stupid things like connect it to the internet...........for that I was using RH6.0 on an old computer deemed too slow ( 133MHz Pentium) and it would run for months. Still in use running Win98 and an old depreciated ( but not going to be replaced until the hardware it controls dies, which looks like it will be never) vertical app. Note to self, must check tomorrow if it is still running, time to prune the data so the disk does not get full. Still paying for the $#!^^* dongle every month.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 09:50:46 am
content: Here is an outdated computer term and outdated company...IBM's Backup Utility.The biggest load if ill conceived crap ever invented in the computing industry.It was an IBM DOS utility to back up your hard drive files spanning over a number of diskettes. It was the only way to back up you hard disk when you could not afford a tape drive and you had files bigger than 1.44MB. So you think you could restore the files when you updated your DOS to a newer version? NO! As you tried to restore the files, you would get an "Incorrect DOS version" error, meaning you could only restore onto the same version of DOS.Bloody morons.This would have to be one of the most stupid, useless products ever invented. The idiot who architected the software should have been garotted so he could not contribute to the gene pool.No wonder IBM lost the operating system business when they hired dropkicks like those who created the IBM Backup Utility.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 10:10:21 am
content: Here is another outdated computer term...IBM's Deskstar Hard Disk. (IBM Death Star)Their 20 GB hard disk had close to 100% failure rate within the first 2 years. It was so utterly bad they created the the IBM's Disk Health Check Utility program you had to run to see if it was dying. The results of this were:No-one wanted to buy IBM hard disks any more and most computer stores refused to stock them.IBM has to abandon its hard disk business, so it sold the remnants to Hitachi.Many people lost valuable data because of this piece of monumental crap.IBM created a Hard Disk Health Check Utility that basically checked if your hard disk was about to die.The hard disk was nicknamed the Death Star in the industry.A class action against IBM ensued and the courts found IBM had misled its customers about the reliability of the drives.IBM refunded US $100 to every US victim of its crappy hard disk, but in other countries IBM had abandoned it's Deskstar customers.I think you will find Dave's $7.50 video record better design and build quality than the notorious IBM Deathstar.Personally, I have used Seagate ever since. They know a lot more than IBM about hard disk technology and quality manufacturing than IBM.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 11:14:48 am
content: Speaking of Seagate and outdated terms, y'all remember the HD controller cards of yesteryear?Today's drives have more brains than those old computers were to begin with, not even counting the gigs of bandwidth, automatic sector remapping, and megs of onboard cache.Tim

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 04:23:52 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on March 28, 2014, 10:10:21 amThe Death Star was rated to run down to 10C (Degrees Celsius). I had a 10GB in what was at the time a state of the art PC. When the temperature got to 9C it would give a 'General failure reading drive C:' error when windows booted and I would have to wait a new minutes for it to warm up before rebooting...

author: sync
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 05:16:28 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on March 28, 2014, 10:10:21 amDepends. For example the IBM DCHS was a good, reliable drive. They even worked for years without cooling and getting too hot to touch. Whereas a lot of Seagate Barracuda SCSI disks from that time died within a few years. But the Death Stars were probably the worst things in hard disk history.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 05:52:54 pm
content: I have 2 SCSI Deathstars. They were well used when I got them ( they were in a Phillip's server) and I used them for years afterwards. Eventually one did die, but the other still runs. I used the one that did die as a swap partition, and it did get thrashed a lot.

author: sync
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2014, 06:00:38 pm
content: The Deathstars were IDE disks, not SCSI.

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 08:06:34 am
content: Quote from: tsmith35 on February 22, 2014, 08:46:28 amI used all this stuff. Loved 4DOS. Some out oldies but goodies: Procomm Plus, Multi-Edit, Turbo Pascal (especially with B-Tree Filer!)

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 09:33:18 am
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on March 28, 2014, 10:10:21 amAbout equal in reliability as Quantum Fireball and Quantum Bigfoot drives.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 12:01:46 pm
content: Speaking of Quantum, growing up we had a Canon 486 machine with a 325MB Quantum in it. It made the most fun POST rhythm I've heard a drive make. If I could even mimic the sound let alone describe it, I would, but I guess this'll have to be one of those "if you've heard it, you'll know" things...Tim

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 12:17:51 pm
content: Quantum products were appropriately named. The Fireball was reasonably fast, but it ran about as hot as a meteoroid entering the atmosphere. The Bigfoot was physically big, but horribly slow (didn't they run at 3600RPM?).

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 04:42:26 pm
content: I had several Quantum LPS SCSI drives, the smallest was a LPS-52. IIRC the transfer rate was about 2-3 MBytes/s.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 08:38:04 pm
content: Quote from: Galenbo on March 27, 2014, 11:13:21 amI don't have a smart phone. I've used one before and I do think they're useful but I'd rather have a nice large screen and keyboard for most tasks.

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 09:46:31 am
content: Oh dear lord... look what I found in the trash heap at work this evening...... and 3 four-drive caddy arrays to go with it... If only there weren't all ancient SCSI.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 11:19:23 am
content: I have the later SCSI CDROM drive, with a drawer. I think the damn thing still works, but I am not going to dig out the Adaptec card, grab the cables and find a space to plug the PCI card in to see if it can still read a CD at it's high speed 2X rate. I know it will be seen as /dev/cdrom0 by the kernel as that support is still there.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 12:12:01 pm
content: Bitnet.VaxAlphaMainframeCobol

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 12:57:17 pm
content: Head load time for floppy drives.....And then adjusting it down till it almost would fail a sector read first time.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 04:38:54 pm
content: PR#3 to switch on 80 columns on an Apple //e. Also the chattering noise of an Apple //e disk drive as the computer booted (there was no track 0 sensor, they just banged the carriage against the endstop).MEMSIZE ? Which was the first thing to greet you when you turned on a Tandy TRS-80 Model 1 There's also TRSDOS which was their disk operating system.Grundy NewBrain, what I bought after the TandyCatseye pattern used to align floppy disk drive heads.The sound of a 56K modem starting up,

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 05:00:57 pm
content: 56k modem? I had some 300 baud ones, and upgraded to the high speed 1200/75 baud one later, still with manual dialling. Step up from that was a Hayes compatible one that was able to autodial and also was 9600baud.There are still a large body of internet users here in Africa to whom the internet is a dial up connection. My ISP friend also has a pool of dial up modems for customers that for various reasons ( line length, no mobile reception and not willing to shell out the cost of satellite links) still use a POTS connection and do mostly email.

author: McBryce
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 05:01:52 pm
content: - "The Ramdisk is set up in the Autoboot batch file"- "Can your V24 modem do Shotgun?"-"Which floppy drive do I put the data disk into?"Wow, things were so different back then.McBryce.Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTEC 8000X mit Tapatalk 2.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 08:21:21 pm
content: PC as in the generic term for any personal computer. Micro. ACSI. DMA port as in the one expansion port that could do DMA. MIDI is pretty much dead as a physial standard too.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 08:27:30 pm
content: "Clipper, the dBase compiler"Clipper was my favorite software in those days.Had my special toolbox for engineering stuff

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 08:34:46 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 14, 2015, 08:21:21 pmNot so sure Midi (physical) is that dead, to be honest. Even if it was, it has outlasted an enormous number of other protocols.Thankfully, the Keytar is pretty much dead though.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 09:30:33 pm
content: Has anyone mentioned the term "computer" yet? It used to be a job description, usually done by "educated women"!

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 09:44:38 pm
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on March 14, 2015, 09:16:00 pmDo you play Keytar then? ;-)

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 10:23:49 pm
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on March 14, 2015, 09:59:20 pmWe were talking about MIDI, a serial interface used in the music industry for interconnecting instruments between themselves and computers, and Keytars are MIDI instruments from that era.It's not clear what you're getting all grumpy about, I tried a bit of levity but I guess that was lost in translation :-(

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2015, 11:10:18 pm
content: D2D recording!Quote from: Howardlong on March 14, 2015, 10:23:49 pmYou ever try playing a MIDI electric guitar and getting it to work properly?

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 01:43:13 am
content: LASTDRIVE=The DOS command. Last time I encountered this was some years ago, when I needed to show someone a file from a USB device I had, using their PC. The device was supposed to appear as two drives, but only one appeared and off course the file I wanted was on the non-appearing one. At that moment I'd forgotten about LASTDRIVE, so simply couldn't show them the file.For that matter, the whole concept of giving mass storage devices letter names, and having an inherent sort order. I wish this would hurry up and die.Full user-specified names for mass store devices, with dynamic mount/unmount, and no system dependence on sort order. Please!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 06:45:34 am
content: Speaking of MIDI, who can't forgetcanyon.mid?(Attached for your listening pleasure.)Also, "shareware".My favourite application from 'back in the day' would have to be XTreeGold

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 09:02:02 am
content: We can also add SC/MP (A.K.A. Scamp) which was the first microprocessor I ever saw, that was closely followed by a UK101 which someone brought to the University Computer Club.I suppose that UHF Modulators have died out now that digital rules the air waves but I did not shed a tear at the passing of Teletext.

author: JohnnyBerg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 09:53:58 am
content: Quote from: German_EE on March 15, 2015, 09:02:02 amIt was the first microprocessor I ever used! Guess how old I amIt had a very funny instruction set. I used a teletype baudot type for printing the hex listingsIt had a punch reader to, super!

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 09:59:12 am
content: I think I was about 12 or 13 when I first set eyes on a SC/MP system, a MK14 I think it was, back in to 70s when a friend of mine had one. Although I was already programming my own hand-wired vero-boarded (non-SC/MP) micro in machine code (no assembler then, we just coded up the hex directly onto paper from our heads), I couldn't figure out how to get the MK14 to do anything. ISTR you had to multiplex the 7 segment display in software, which in itself was a barrier to doing anything at all with it as there was a fair amount of complexity involved to do the most basic thing. I wonder how many of those ended up in drawers?UHF modulators were the voodoo of the day, nobody knew how they worked, but the black and white ones looked really simple inside. The colour ones were on a different level though. Astec used to make the ones used in the UK, they had that market sewn up.Beautiful Teletype by the way, I was expecting to see them on ebay when I looked last night, nothing to be had other than parts, it looks like they must be serious collector's items now.

author: JohnnyBerg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 10:05:12 am
content: Quote from: Howardlong on March 15, 2015, 09:59:12 amWhen printing hex codes on the teletype it had to change case when going from a number to a character. So printingF9A1made a lot of noise. My parents could not sleep overnight when I was "printing" in the garage. I guess the neighbors could not sleep either. I was using it without ear protection

author: codeboy2k
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 10:36:56 am
content: I think I had the same growing up experience as you did, JohnnyBerg.I had the baudot tty too with punch and reader, down in my parents basement. I mostly used that for RTTY, clickety-clack all night long on the weekends. Later my dad bought me the Altair 8800 computer kit and I added a 33 ASR.I also got a standalone external high-speed puncher/reader from a surplus dealer. It was a big grey box, about 30 cm square on each side, and it could sit on the tabletop. I hooked that up to my altair and that was used more often since it was faster. I guess you could call that my backup server LOL.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 10:51:50 am
content: Quote from: JohnnyBerg on March 15, 2015, 10:05:12 amThe ASR33 was so clunky it made a TI Silent 700 family terminal look super sophisticated. :-) Who else did their early professional work on microprocessors using a TI Silent 733 ASR, with all their work stored on cassettes? :-)

author: Excavatoree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 01:28:02 pm
content: My first printer was an old teletype. (the EE that gave it to me built the serial interface for it and put it it a box by itself w/o the keyboard.) I think Dad still has it in my old computer room, but it's buried. (Dad's a worse hoarder than I am.) I should get it out, oil some parts, and see if I can get it working.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 03:38:28 pm
content: I think we have an I/O Error here.................Teletexthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TeletextTeletypehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletype_CorporationIn my previous post I referred to Teletext, teletypes are cool though.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 04:30:39 pm
content: The equivalent over here in Blighty were the Creed teleprinters. Basically the same thing, but five hole, were the Teletypes 8 hole?Caps only, and a letter and figure shift to switch.There were a couple of different codes we used, we knew Baudot as Murray code, and another more human readable code which I can't remember the name of, we used for writing programs and producing output on an old Elliott 803.Maintaining them was a bit of an artform, we had one guy who was an absolute wizz at it, I reckon he could have completely stripped one down to its constituent parts and re-assemble in a day.They were terribly unreliable though.Chad, now there's a word you don't hear these days. Used to be common parlance back in the dayhttp://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad_(paper)

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 07:01:01 pm
content: Quote from: justanothercanuck on March 14, 2015, 09:46:31 amIf only it caught on... The move from floppies to CDs took a step backwards in that the media was no longer protected. That flaw remained with the move to DVDs and then Blurays. At least even the Blurays are slowly going obsolete now...

author: cosmicray
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 07:09:26 pm
content: Quote from: coppice on March 15, 2015, 10:51:50 amDid mine on a KSR-33 (no papertape) with all the work stored on cassettes.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2015, 08:00:21 pm
content: Quote from: 3roomlab on March 15, 2015, 07:12:07 pmHow about the gold flashed ceramic IBM 6x86 processor I am looking at right now?Made in USA in 1995.........

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 09:33:41 am
content: Quote from: 3roomlab on March 15, 2015, 07:12:07 pmWe try and forget about thoseAMD aren't far behind.

author: EEVmarty
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 09:46:45 am
content: BBSNO CARRIERTelixXtree GoldFidonetFossil DriverQemm & DesqviewOS/2Windows 3.1/3.11 / Windows for Workgroups hehehehemouse.com driver287/387 co-processorsip ram (AT 286 m'boards)Sound BlasterAcoustic Coupler

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 09:59:11 am
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 16, 2015, 09:46:45 amAll among some of my favourite things, except maybe not "No Carrier"

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 10:42:39 am
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 16, 2015, 09:46:45 amNot as outdated as you might thinkToday most BBSs got telnet access and Fidonet is still alive (I'm running 2:240/1661). OS/2 isn't dead either, I know a few OS/2 Fidonet nodes. And some nodes happily use a FOSSIL driver for the ISDN card. BTW, my ZyXEL U-1496EG+ is running fine for about 20 years now. There's also a spare EG+ and an USR V.Everything somewhere in a box.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 11:28:04 am
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 16, 2015, 09:46:45 amI can remember "helping" my dad making the latter so we could get the BBC onto the former.Hard to believe that in my lifetime there was a period when you couldn't just plug a modem into the phone line because the phone was hardwired and you didn't own it. If you wanted an extension or second phone you had to get the telco in to do it...

author: EEVmarty
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 11:55:14 am
content: Cassette data (game) tapesCRT monitors lolEXPENSIVE ram & cpu'sAny HDrive that doesn't have "TeraBytes" on it. lol256kb sim memoriesISA 8 bit slotsFull length graphics cardsMono (paper white) monitorsGreenscreen (or Amber) CRTsFAX (almost gone)games that only used 100's kb (usually on 1 disc).Dual floppy Drives - copy A: b:Commander Keen.Mouse with only 2 buttons and NO scrollwheelparallel printersdot matrix printerssigh.....

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 11:57:28 am
content: How aboutIBM Advanced Diagnostics FloppyIt was the holy grail of fixing an IBM AT and so difficult to get in those days.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 12:09:31 pm
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 16, 2015, 11:55:14 amDepends where you are, in a lot of the world IBM compatible PCs were laughed at for gaming until Doom. Commander Keen was obsolete as soon as it came out in those places, where now people actually want to play it for the retroness.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 12:14:39 pm
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 16, 2015, 11:55:14 amIn Germany fax machines are in regular use due to a special legal status regarding the evidential value (qualified sending report). My old LJ got a nice centronics portAnd dot matrix printers are also still used, often by medical offices. They got special flatbed dot matrix printers for the tons of different forms (different sizes, different paper thickness).

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 12:23:54 pm
content: Quote from: HighVoltage on March 16, 2015, 11:57:28 amI had the entire source code to that diagnostic diskette. The test code was actually quite good. I also had the source code to IBM BIOS and IBM DOS. It all fit on 200MB HDD in a machine called The Beast. My job was modifying the code to debug problems and creating automated tests. A colleague at IBM who was also a member of a cult was horrified by the name I called the machine. He believed the machine was satanic (because of the name I called it) and that computers was the start of the end for all of us.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 12:35:51 pm
content: Programming with PC Interrupts.Yup what people call BIOS had specific code to do a ton of things like reading the keyboard, parallel printer, driving the monitor, Hard Disk /Floppy controller code, DMA control, MIDI, Serial communications, Real time clock, Cassette interface, Joystick, extended memory, etc, etc, etc. Plus a bunch more of vendor specific ones.Edit: I had the complete photocopied IBM PC ROM BIOS disassembly in a binder, not sure where is at (probably my wife tossed it).And I believe Basic was somewhere in there as well.

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 01:20:41 pm
content: Quote from: HighVoltage on March 16, 2015, 11:57:28 amObviously not the same thing but it reminded me of anadisk, a floppy disk utility that I use to use. Still got it on my PC and it still runs in Win7. Don't have a floppy drive so it may not be able to actually do anything if I did

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 03:06:41 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on March 16, 2015, 12:23:54 pmYou must have had some amazing connections to IBM, to get the source code of those packages.May be it was different in the US in those days.Here in Germany it was almost unreal, how difficult it was to get a copy of this floppy.For years it was my most guarded floppy of all.

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 03:10:07 pm
content: Using DOS 'Debug' to access the BIOS to configure the 10Mb hard drive, still have that PC! I can still remember what FOSSIL stands for, does that make me old?

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 03:48:49 pm
content: I bought a new dot matrix printer this year, because nothing else works so well on multipart forms. Plus the ribbon lasts around 3 boxes of paper.

author: Sigmoid
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 03:50:40 pm
content: I recently realized, while playing around with microcontrollers, is that programming a microcontroller is exactly the same thing as programming a regular PC used to be back when I was a kid.It just got smaller.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 04:19:34 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on March 16, 2015, 03:48:49 pmDot matrix are fairly new, I would have been more impressed if you got yourself a drum printer like the one we had in the computer lab. we just had to clean the drum every so often with a metal brush.Oh and the printer paper that was white and green

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 04:32:30 pm
content: Quote from: miguelvp on March 16, 2015, 04:19:34 pmWeren't they like an OTT daisy wheel printer with a wheel for each column?QuoteThe stuff used with carbon paper?

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 04:42:08 pm
content: Quote from: Mechanical Menace on March 16, 2015, 04:32:30 pmQuote

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 04:50:47 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on March 15, 2015, 03:38:28 pmTeletext is not dead yet, still used over here on pretty much every channel. Subtitles on your ultra hd screen in huge 7x4 pixels.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 06:08:19 pm
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 16, 2015, 09:46:45 amMy new LG washing machine begs to differ ;-) It supposedly has a "debug" mode where, while prompted by the support on the phone, after you press some magic button combination and shove the phone in its face, it shrieks its diagnostic data to them.

author: JuKu
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 07:26:37 pm
content: Term: Hercules Graphics, still brings feelings. The first computer I was paid to use, you could go to the back of it and look at the individual bits.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 07:27:15 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on March 16, 2015, 03:48:49 pmWas it an OKI Microline?They have been around since the days of DOS and still being sold.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 08:03:26 pm
content: Quote from: HighVoltage on March 16, 2015, 07:27:15 pmYou just reminded me I still have one of those (ML591).

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 08:11:18 pm
content: one of my favourites - which I noticed in Microsoft docs around the year 2000, was the complete betrayal of the 'sometimes' related but completely different terms...VOLUMEGAINLEVELAMPLITUDEwhen explaining audio processing...

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 08:32:07 pm
content: Quote from: datumplaneMust've lost days of not weeks of my life trying to get ISA PNP cards to work, it was anything but plug and play.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 10:00:24 pm
content: 22 yo Student doing a graduation project at work "What was your graduation project"Me: designing and programming a SCSI interface for some optical card reader.Student: what for interface scuzy?I am getting old.

author: Neilm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 16, 2015, 10:10:47 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on March 16, 2015, 08:32:07 pmI thought the proper description was Plug and Pray

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 01:08:55 am
content: Quote from: mojo-chan on March 16, 2015, 10:09:22 pmWe called them just cassette tapes even if they held data, only Microdrive I've seen used was on the Sinclair QL.

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 08:42:40 am
content: Bit Slice (chip slice) processors. I designed a hard disk drive controller using those a long time ago. The multi 12" platter drive capacity was huge - 70 MB!

author: dtnicholls
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 09:13:37 am
content: DECnet... and up until about 2 years ago I maintained a small network still using using this protocol (and others such as NetBEUI) on Alphas running VMS. Oh the pain... lolMaking the damn things talk to both UNIX and SAMBA network locations, where each alpha was on it's own VLAN nearly drove me insane.My understanding of networking increased more than tenfold in that few years!

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 09:58:32 am
content: How aboutNorton CommanderandNorton UtilitiesThe best tools in those days to fix so many things fast.

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 10:49:15 am
content: Commander still lives on through many clones. I usemidnight commanderwhenever doing large copy jobs.EDIT: If you are a windows user a version of MC exists for you, but if you prefer a GUI alternatives they exist:http://www.ghisler.com/

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 11:01:56 am
content: Quote from: deephaven on March 17, 2015, 08:42:40 amAh, the good old days. The Intel 3000 family vs the AMD 2900 family.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 11:04:15 am
content: Quote from: Whales on March 17, 2015, 10:49:15 amI am using the EF-CommanderIt is a German made softwareI use it every day, there is no substitute for a 2 window file utilityhttp://www.efsoftware.com/cw/e.htm

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 11:13:05 am
content: HCF/Halt and catch fire.Transputer

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 11:52:29 am
content: Ah the "Quest" games from Sierra with midi output to the Roland MT32 because the soundcards sucked

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 12:22:44 pm
content: Quote from: coppice on March 17, 2015, 11:01:56 amIt was the 2900 for me. making the instruction word as wide as you like was great!

author: EEVmarty
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 12:37:23 pm
content: Norton Disk DoctorLeisure Suit Larry ;-)Lemmings

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 12:55:07 pm
content: Quote from: deephaven on March 17, 2015, 12:22:44 pmYou were lucky. I worked with both. The Intel stuff was seriously limited compared to the AMD stuff. Those were the days when AMD was THE name in DSP hardware.

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 01:24:07 pm
content: Quote from: EEVmarty on March 17, 2015, 12:37:23 pmWe used Macro Assembler to hack "Leisure Suit Larry" just for fun.Had forgotten about that one!Thanks for the reminder.

author: manzini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 01:25:15 pm
content: Doublespace / drivespacesame 20MB HD to 42MB !! Yihaa!

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 01:28:48 pm
content: Think I still have MS-DOS 6.2 on my XT (which means DoubleSpace; of course, I'd be a fool to have it installed, despite the 20MB of usable disk space). They had to change it to DriveSpace in a rushed 6.22 to avoid infringement...Tim

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 01:39:17 pm
content: Quote from: HighVoltage on March 17, 2015, 11:04:15 amAh yes, I was very fond of Directory Opus on the amiga

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 03:23:25 pm
content: Quote from: miguelvp on March 17, 2015, 01:08:55 amI was scratching my head for a while, thinking that ancient Sinclair used aMicrodrive. That one is pretty much equally outdated.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 06:09:54 pm
content: I remember those, they were around 15 years ago or so and were used to give more compact flash storage and speed.The QL one were not really drives as in a small hard drive, it was an endless tape:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Microdrive