Old Tech thread

In the 90s the first server I built was a 486x100 with 16meg and was considered a monster.
 
reiver33 said:
In the 90s the first server I built was a 486x100 with 16meg and was considered a monster.
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In about 1981 I remember programing with a ZX80 and running out of memory just typing in a program. But then it had a huge 1k. 16 Meg would be a supercomputer at that time. :giggle:

It's amazing how for granted we take todays computer's massive storage spaces!
 
After learning all about Sinclair Basic and Machine Code on the ZX81 and Spectrum machines. I upscaled to what I still consider to be a "proper" home computer - the Sharp MZ80A in 1983.

Not only was it fully integrated (keyboard, cassette deck and monitor) but had a fairly decent 48K of RAM (good for the times) and a decent processor. Still had a green on black screen with some lumpen graphic resolution and basic sounds.

But what I liked most was how easy it was to load and save games and other applications too and from cassette tape. No more fiddling about with volume levels and hoping for the best. And the keyboard was pretty excellent too, which made for writing programs and learning new languages like Super-Basic, Pascal Interpreter and Disassemblers.



 
A bargain

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I still have my slide rule but I lost the leather case it was stored in. Smart HP calculators were okay to use during tests, the only trick was being able to afford one. I had one of those Sinclair computers and soldered a keyboard to it, didn't like the little keyboard. One of these days I will have to get a bluetooth keyboard for the phone. I have several black model 500 rotary phones, they work great when the power goes out. Might even have a yellow one somewhere. Couple of old electric fans with a simple screen made of a few 16 gauge wires covering the blades, you can stick your hand inside the cage. I guess it was there to protect the fan blades.
 
An who can forget (regrettably), Amstrad's emailer telephone device!

Developed at the turn of the millennium by Alan Sugar's faltering Amstrad company. It was an emailing messenger machine that you attached to your home landline to browse the web and create emails via the built-in LCD (this was in the days before mobile phones could send and receive emails). This device wasn't very mobile but the concept was there - the only problem was that it had to be plugged into a phone socket.

Cheap device, but expensive to use as I recall (the company I used to work for bought half a dozen for a proof-of-concept); slow and hugely unreliable. And probably helped sink the Amstrad name!


 
Back in the late 70s early 80s I was a big fan of Sir Clive Sinclair (not least for his ZX80, ZX81 and Spectrum computers). As such I was suckered into buying some of his other offerings (see below)

The Black Watch was pretty cool back in the 70s because LED watches were all the rage back then.

The calculator was also very useful for my "O" level mathematics lessons at school (a step up from the old slide rule and log book, even though calculators were banned in exams - which never made any sense to me!)

The C5 - less said about that the better! Although to be honest the concept was good; but the practicalities less so.







 
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