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13 avril Computing My History Believe it or not, when I was in high school, I was not a computer geek. I couldn't have cared less about the TRS-80, Apple II, or the Commadore 64. Instead, I was a performing arts freak (aka drama and music fag!) But acting and singing were to fall by the wayside. It's very difficult to make a living in theatre. I didn't have the guts for it. Since I was living on my own starting at 18, I had to make a living.I started to use computers regularly in about 1985 as a part of second job at an insurance company. At the time, we all used dumb terminals connected to a mainframe via pitifully slow modems.
I moved to Seattle in 1987, and by 1990 I was asked to manage our local mainframe (why they asked me I have no idea!) My company loaned me a terminal so I could dial into the mainframe and work from home in the evenings. I managed a Data General super-mini which was networked to 3 offices in Washington. I expanded the network to 24 offices in a matter of two years. I left the job in '91, just about the time I started converting users off the super-mini and onto a PC network. During my off-time, I discovered several local gay BBS's (Bulletin Board Systems - the precursor to AOL and MSN) and started using Fidonet e-mail. It was using the BBS that caused me to catch the dreaded computer bug!
My first PC was a used Tandy 1000XT . I bought it from my sister in 1990. She happened to manage a Radio Shack store. I had a blast using the BBS systems and e-mail. For a brief time, I was a CompuServe subscriber. Then I met Gene (through work and church). We learned to flirt in the BBS chat rooms. I still have his first e-mail love letters.
In 1993 I used a CompuAdd 325 laptop, followed by a Power Mac 7100. I manually coded my first web page on the Mac. Gene and I did all our accounting on that machine, plus inventory and database management. For two years I used it on my desk at school. (teachers in Seattle didn't have computers in 1999) Finally, I gave it to a colleague. The Mac was followed by a couple Compaq machines, until the current day I use a Dell Dimension now. I also have a Dell Latitude laptop, and an Axim x51v PDA.
To illustrate the difference between my first PC (the Tandy in 1990) and today (The Dell in 2006) consider this comparison:
Tandy Dell
Processor 286 meg 2.1 Gig Hard Disk 20 Meg 240 Gig Monitor CGA CRT SVGA LCD Internet 1.2k modem 640k DSL A lot has changed in 16 years. I do a significant amount of video editing on my current machine, as well as web page design and blogging. I believe I have spent more than $10,000 on computers since 1990 not including the cost of applications and accessories. That would probably bring the total to almost $15K. WOW! That computer bug is an expensive disease!
(see pic of my first PC below) CommentairesPour ajouter un commentaire, connectez-vous avec votre identifiant Windows Live ID (si vous utilisez Messenger ou Xbox LIVE, vous avez un identifiant Windows Live ID). Connectez-vous Vous n'avez pas d'identifiant Windows Live ID ? Inscrivez-vous RétroliensL'URL de rétrolien de ce billet est : http://edenhill.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!E77963684A9E9FDE!1433.trak Blogs Web qui font référence à ce billet
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