I really didn't get vi, when I first started using Unix, so I used Emacs. Now that I've learned vi, though, I'd never go back. Nothing's as fast as vi, when you know what you're doing.
I suppose you could get information about evolution from Time Magazine, but there's this thing, called "The Internet", which allows you to get your information directly from an evolutionary biologist - you know, someone who actually knows what he's talking about: http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/09/23/the-encode-delusion/
In the early 80s, my high got a few microcomputers (Ohio Scientific, if you're interested). They had a 6502 CPU, 48K of memory, and two 8" floppy drives, with a total of about 540K of storage. They came with the old BASIC Star Trek game - the one that used numbers for commands, rather than the one that used three-letter abbreviations. I loved the game, but when I heard we could actually make modifications, or even write our own games, I was hooked. I wasted so much time in the computer room over the next couple of years, they had to ban me from it, a few times.
I remember one of the math teachers proudly saying that, if we upgraded to double-sided floppy drives, we could get more than full megabyte of storage online.
I recognize that message. I have one of those in my garage and, the last time I checked, it still worked. I finally wrote an emulator for the thing, copied the roms to a modern computer, and play with that, occasionally.
I think the best part about "Tapestry" is the fact that they took a two-minute piece of a previous episode, and made a whole new (and very good) episode out of it.
It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention that Zip drives were a flash in the pan. I'm still amazed that so many people wasted their money on them, when they didn't even outlast the floppies they were supposed to replace.
8 inch drives never made it to consumer use. They were only for the big computers of the day. Things like newspaper typesetting machines.
No it's your memory that's failing. As other people have pointed out, one of the TRS-80s had 8" floppy drives. The first computer I ever used was an Ohio Scientific something-or-other - 6502-based, with 48k of memory and dual 8" floppy drives. These computers were at my high school, and they weren't multi-tasking systems, so they couldn't have cost that much.
That fact that it's not multi-user? I'd like to see a (possibly web-based) password manager that can be used by an entire IT department, to keep track of all the passwords on the network.
I'm not a creationist, but I live in a red state, so I know enough of them to tell you their answer will be "But they're still bacteria". They won't believe it's evolution, until they see a bacterium evolve into something like a human.
But on 6502 machines one did not have to wait for the vertical sync to update the video memory.
I'm pretty sure you believe that, because the only 6502-based machines you've worked with have very low resolution. (Both the C64 and Apple II were 40x24.) I have a 6502-based machine, at home, whose resolution is 64x32, and it does require you to pay attention to Vsync. It's easy to play tricks like that, when you cut corners.
6502-machines' 40-column displays are probably one of contributing factors to their reputation as gaming machines, since they don't work well for business, and most Z80-based machines at the time were 80x25.
Actually, if you go fast enough, you don't need life-extension.
I remember reading, somewhere, that if we could just reach something like 99% of the speed of light, the entire universe is only a year away, due to time dilation. I read that a long time ago, though, so it may be out of date.
Of course, I'd much rather find a way around having to accelerate, at all, like wormholes, or something. Between the acceleration time, the radiation issues, etc., there are many more problems with lightspeed, than just getting there.
The 7 year old has graduated to looking at odd things on youtube
I used to let my kids watch YouTube, too, until it became clear that quite a few of the videos on there aren't appropriate for children. Between the language - even in something as innocuous as a Minecraft video - and the borderline violence, I finally had to turn it off.
When the end users are already using Firefox, Open Office, etc., I have found that the transition goes much more smoothly with very little resistance.
Sadly, even that part is difficult, sometimes. We tried that at my place of employment, and everyone complained bitterly. As far as I can tell, no one likes to change, once they learn something; we actually have some people who are still using WordPerfect, and insist they can't do their jobs without it.
I'll be the first to admit that the US government has issues, but it's not like they're the only ones. Apparently, the Canadians are just as bad. My sister tried to cross the border a year ago, and the border patrol there thoroughly searched her car and all her stuff, insisting she must be carrying drugs. After they were done, it took her half an hour to repack everything.
Yeah, I don't really have a problem with whitespace as syntax, either.
What I don't get is that there aren't more people complaining about the syntax for functions like range(), where the lower limit is inclusive, but the upper limit is exclusive. Can anyone explain to me how that makes sense?
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I really didn't get vi, when I first started using Unix, so I used Emacs. Now that I've learned vi, though, I'd never go back. Nothing's as fast as vi, when you know what you're doing.
I suppose you could get information about evolution from Time Magazine, but there's this thing, called "The Internet", which allows you to get your information directly from an evolutionary biologist - you know, someone who actually knows what he's talking about: http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/09/23/the-encode-delusion/
Arrrgghhh.
In the early 80s, my high got a few microcomputers (Ohio Scientific, if you're interested). They had a 6502 CPU, 48K of memory, and two 8" floppy drives, with a total of about 540K of storage. They came with the old BASIC Star Trek game - the one that used numbers for commands, rather than the one that used three-letter abbreviations. I loved the game, but when I heard we could actually make modifications, or even write our own games, I was hooked. I wasted so much time in the computer room over the next couple of years, they had to ban me from it, a few times.
I remember one of the math teachers proudly saying that, if we upgraded to double-sided floppy drives, we could get more than full megabyte of storage online.
I recognize that message. I have one of those in my garage and, the last time I checked, it still worked. I finally wrote an emulator for the thing, copied the roms to a modern computer, and play with that, occasionally.
I think the best part about "Tapestry" is the fact that they took a two-minute piece of a previous episode, and made a whole new (and very good) episode out of it.
It was obvious to anyone who was paying attention that Zip drives were a flash in the pan. I'm still amazed that so many people wasted their money on them, when they didn't even outlast the floppies they were supposed to replace.
Agreed.
My wife and I argue, occasionally, about which movie was worse: Ishtar or StarTrek III.
Yes, in fact, I can read my MO disks, today. Sure, my MO drive is more than 10 years old, but it still works, and the disks are still readable.
No it's your memory that's failing. As other people have pointed out, one of the TRS-80s had 8" floppy drives. The first computer I ever used was an Ohio Scientific something-or-other - 6502-based, with 48k of memory and dual 8" floppy drives. These computers were at my high school, and they weren't multi-tasking systems, so they couldn't have cost that much.
Calling that "multi-user" is stretching it a little...
That fact that it's not multi-user? I'd like to see a (possibly web-based) password manager that can be used by an entire IT department, to keep track of all the passwords on the network.
I'm not a creationist, but I live in a red state, so I know enough of them to tell you their answer will be "But they're still bacteria". They won't believe it's evolution, until they see a bacterium evolve into something like a human.
Assuming you mean "running for office", do you really think we need more creationists in Congress?
I'm pretty sure you believe that, because the only 6502-based machines you've worked with have very low resolution. (Both the C64 and Apple II were 40x24.) I have a 6502-based machine, at home, whose resolution is 64x32, and it does require you to pay attention to Vsync. It's easy to play tricks like that, when you cut corners.
6502-machines' 40-column displays are probably one of contributing factors to their reputation as gaming machines, since they don't work well for business, and most Z80-based machines at the time were 80x25.
That malicious software wouldn't happen to be called SELinux, would it?
Shhhhh! Weaker consoles are easier to emulate on PCs.
I have to admit, I was secretly of hoping that when we got LIGO online, we'd see stuff that was clearly transmissions from intelligent beings...
I remember reading, somewhere, that if we could just reach something like 99% of the speed of light, the entire universe is only a year away, due to time dilation. I read that a long time ago, though, so it may be out of date.
Of course, I'd much rather find a way around having to accelerate, at all, like wormholes, or something. Between the acceleration time, the radiation issues, etc., there are many more problems with lightspeed, than just getting there.
I used to let my kids watch YouTube, too, until it became clear that quite a few of the videos on there aren't appropriate for children. Between the language - even in something as innocuous as a Minecraft video - and the borderline violence, I finally had to turn it off.
Sadly, even that part is difficult, sometimes. We tried that at my place of employment, and everyone complained bitterly. As far as I can tell, no one likes to change, once they learn something; we actually have some people who are still using WordPerfect, and insist they can't do their jobs without it.
My favorite was always Leather Goddesses of Phobos.
I must be really cool, then. I have a working Zenith Z29 and Data General D420. :-)
I still can't believe I used to work on a screen that small.
I'll be the first to admit that the US government has issues, but it's not like they're the only ones. Apparently, the Canadians are just as bad. My sister tried to cross the border a year ago, and the border patrol there thoroughly searched her car and all her stuff, insisting she must be carrying drugs. After they were done, it took her half an hour to repack everything.
Yeah, I don't really have a problem with whitespace as syntax, either.
What I don't get is that there aren't more people complaining about the syntax for functions like range(), where the lower limit is inclusive, but the upper limit is exclusive. Can anyone explain to me how that makes sense?