Any one else miss the old days of computing?

[hc4361]

When you had to park your hard drive (if your pc had one) before turning the pc off, format the floppy disks (two sizes!) before using, use cmd and switch codes to do anything.
No automatic saving of your work so all could be lost in a second.
No desktop icons, shortcuts.
Programs came on floppy disks and took an age to install. No plug and play peripherals.
Then later on that horrible screech when the modem was connecting to the dial up internet.

Now any old fool can use a new pc straight out of the box, it's that simple. I'm very happy that new computers are much cheaper than my first one, though.

[Mick-Talbot]

I doubt anyone does.

[hc4361]

Just me, then

[bibblebub]

Having a program on paper tape only was a great way to learn binary which was necessary for null'ing out typos.

[hc4361]

Yes, you're right.

And why was computer paper green and white striped?

[chi-chi66]

well I'm one of the 'silly old fools'...only bought one 4 years ago...never
touched one before in my life..so there is a mountain of stuff I don't know.

[craft1948]

I never worked with a PC until 1992 so was glad of all the help I could get.

[hc4361]

But chi chi, bet you could use it effectively within a day or two of opening the box.

[Prudie]

As a student I had to learn Algol. Punch every line onto a card and leave the cards for a day until the Computer dept had processed them and sent them back with an error!
I certainly don't miss loading games via a cassette recorder and waiting for 20 mins accompanied by that awful noise before I could play.

[hc4361]

My Microsoft Dos book was huge, and seemed to be full of gobbledegook.

[chi-chi66]

I have learnt with mini~me help..and on this site from people asking questions.

I don't understand the terminology.. but I suppose it is simple compared to
what you have mentioned.

[ChuckFickens]

I look back on some of it with nostalgia, but I love current advances in computing and software as it gives me challenges in my work and new stuff to learn.

[tiggerblue10]

I used them at work from about 1993 onwards. Got my my first pc in 2000. It was a Tiny.

[hc4361]

How do you find new tech challenging, Chuck?
Most of it is as simple to use as a tv, comparatively speaking.

[hc4361]

Can you remember how much it was, Tigger?

[Prudie]

Can't agree there hc you only have to look at the qs on this site. The internet and security type problems are unbelievably complicated. Never in a million years could I get my head round it.

[Mick-Talbot]

My first comp was a tiny, tigger. Reminded me of R2D2 when it was connecting to the net.

[ChuckFickens]

"Most of it is as simple to use as a tv"

It's not really... it may be that simple to use as the end user, it's not always that simple to configure behind the scenes.

[tiggerblue10]

Can't remember hc, but I know it was near enough £1000. I'd been saving for ages.

[tiggerblue10]

I remember the noise Mick. Took flippin ages to connect as well.

[hc4361]

That sounds about right, tigger. Certainly a lot more than a month's wage back then.