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Thread ID: 141558	2016-01-10 23:17:00	How has your computing changed over the time?	Nomad (952)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1414306	2016-01-11 08:07:00	How far back do you want to go? I did a programming course (FORTRAN !!!) on an IBM 1130 in about 1967, then an operator and then programmer on IBM mainframes. First PC SANYO 555 in about 1985? then various PCs up to date. Main change apart from the size of the hardware is that once I would happily spend days trying to nut out a hardware or software problem. These days I mostly just want the b----y things to WORK! Still do a bit of programming MS Access, but mostly now just a user.	Tony (4941)
1414307	2016-01-11 18:47:00	The main thing for me was the transition from command line OSes to GUI's. I started out with a commodore 64 and had to learn commands for everything, (load * ,8,1 seems vaguely like the loading a disk or tape directory). DOS is command line. C64s didn't have an operating system at alll - it was just running Basic. DOS is an OS....but not a GUI. I liked DOS. It did what you said and just sat there awaiting further instructions. None of this thinking it was in charge doing **** in the background like todays Windows. And look how small it was, neat, small programming. Now, we get spaghetti and patches.	pctek (84)
1414308	2016-01-11 19:06:00	From wiki: As is common for home computers of the early 1980s, the C64 incorporates a ROM-based version of the BASIC programming language. There is no operating system as such. The KERNAL is accessed via BASIC commands. The disk drive has its own microprocessor. This means that no memory space is dedicated to running a disk operating system.	pctek (84)
1414309	2016-01-11 20:51:00	Well ok I'll concede the point that the C64 didn't truly have an OS, but basic still has a command line and you still have to know commands to get the PC to do anything so the effect is much the same. I'd forgotten about GEOS someone else mentioned but did actually have that as well so my GUI experience pre -dated windows by quite a bit, and DOS seemed a little out of date when I first encountered it. There was of course Dosshell with limited functionality. I remember loading up windows 3.11 for workgroups on my 486 and then not finding anything to do with it, I still had to close it down and revert to DOS to run any of my software or games. And I had to have a boot menu with multiple memory configurations to run various software due to the 640K base memory limit. I was a lot more involved with the working of things with DOS.	dugimodo (138)
1414310	2016-01-11 22:07:00	I remember loading up windows 3.11 for workgroups on my 486 and then not finding anything to do with it, I still had to close it down and revert to DOS to run any of my software or games. And I had to have a boot menu with multiple memory configurations to run various software due to the 640K base memory limit. I was a lot more involved with the working of things with DOS. But wasn't that part of the fun? My Sanyo 555 had 256k memory, 2 5.25" floppies, no hard drive and a tiny green screen. There was only Sanyo DOS, but it had a really nice Basic that had some graphics primitives that allowed you to plot stuff wherever you liked on the screen. It also bundled WordPro, CalcPro and DataPro. DataPro was remarkably good for its time. You set up a database and automatically got a data-entry screen and report facilities. I created an entire personal finance suite out of just that + DOS batch commands. I think I had more fun with that machine than any one I've owned since.	Tony (4941)
1414311	2016-01-11 23:48:00	I first touched a computer keyboard around 1977/78 in my physics class at college. It was a radio shack foldable (like laptop), and it was loaded with linear regression. The same PC also at University again with regression programs. But really used them daily when started work around 1983. 286/386 I think initially, and used word perfect (a marvel time saver at the time - remember the "reveal codes"?) and Lotus 1-2-3 daily. Also edlin editor, DOS, and Norton utilities (the undelete was a great feature). Did not have own PC until 1998 /99 - windows 98 from the Green PC company, really for my young family. Had heaps of educational games. At work I use to read/distribute PCMag around 1984 - 90's. The "after hours" section was a good read. We were lucky - Carter Holt gave us everything PC at the time. i had 3 to work from. -Here's a extensive time line (www.pcmag.com) from PCMag - 30 years of the PC. Browse issues at Google Books... (goo.gl) But personally started with PC games, found it was a waste of hours, and then joined forums to be involved. I felt I gave a lot to the net - so wanted something back. So learnt niche blogging, SEO, content marketing, and made good money through adsense/affiliate marketing, selling photO's/art (big stock photo site, etc). But enjoy research, and save money too by learning to fix/make things. Never got into true gaming/hardware mods, builds, etc. Just internet of "all things"...	kahawai chaser (3545)
1414312	2016-01-12 00:31:00	It also bundled WordPro, CalcPro and DataPro. Whoops - they were actually Wordstar, Calcstar and Datastar. I thought the names didn't look right. Still good programs though.	Tony (4941)
1414313	2016-01-12 18:11:00	I remember loading up windows 3.11 for workgroups on my 486 and then not finding anything to do with it. LOL! Same. Couldn't see the point of it. Had to wait until Win95 to get any use from it.	pctek (84)
1414314	2016-01-12 23:47:00	LOL! Same. Couldn't see the point of it. Had to wait until Win95 to get any use from it. Win3.x was seen almost as the devils work by some DOSers , especially when I was at AK Tech . It was loathed and never mentioned , except for 1 young(ish) lecturer . Win95 really bought PC's into peoples homes , as something usefull & fun. Even if only for games .	1101 (13337)
1414315	2016-01-13 05:17:00	Started out with a hand-me-down 486. It was stuffed, until I discovered that in transit the heatsink fan was dislodged. Happy days followed. I had good years using Win 8, but even happier with XP then Vista. Nowadays I'm almost in love with Win 8.1	Greg (193)
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