[UUG/MLUG] History of Computers 101 ( was: Hdd's?)

[Michael <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Well in 1985 I was only 7 and still getting in trouble for rewiring the
families Atari to see what would happen (at 3 I tried to make a computer
from an Etch A Sketch - plugging them into an outlet melts them so don't try
it). Still though when I was teaching myself computers I went out and
learned the ones with tape drives (used the same tapes as the stereo but it
didn't play well on the stereo) and ones with 8 inch disk drives and 300
baud modems that required couplers. I still think every Comp
Science/Engineering major should be forced to go back and use the old
systems just to clear their heads of the Windows virus. Besides it's
extrememly interesting stuff to study and gives you such respect for what
has been done. Teaching yourself to program old machines in assembly with
few books or tools still existant is a humbling experience. :)

On Mon, 03 Jan 2000 14:07:53 CST, EMAIL:PROTECTED wrote:

>  ** Reply to message from EMAIL:PROTECTED on Mon, 03 Jan 2000
14:34:23
>  -0600
>  
>  
>  > Way back in the olden days when 1.08GB drives cost $500, I bought one. 
Put it 
>  > in a 486 (old even for then) which of course could only read 500MB.  I
ended 
>  > up putting dos/windoze on about 300MB without any overlay software, and
put 
>  > Linux on the rest.
>  
>  When I graduated from Mizzou in 1985, it cost me ~$600 for a 10 Mb drive
with a
>  controller card. Your "olden days" don't go back too far! :)
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  Jim Bradley -- Maryville, MO USA (EMAIL:PROTECTED)





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