I started in 1967, programming FORTRAN via remote timesharing and midsized computers with punched cards. Back then, remote time sharing required long distance toll calls!
I became involved with microcomputers at work in 1982 (Apple II+, IBM PC-1 and HP-150). One of the Apples had a 300 baud modem, but we didn't have anything to connect to with it, LOL.
I was using BBS systems before the Internet, with 300 baud dial-up. You could doze off waiting for each line to show up on the screen. My 14 year old son operated his own BBS with a Hayes 1200 baud modem on an Apple II and I had an over the air ham radio BBS operating. Does anyone remember Double DOS? I also had Compuserve accounts.
Speaking of "double", the original "disk doubler technology" was a paper punch :-)
(Yes, I am serious! You punched a cut out in the side of a single sided 170K floppy disk and flipped it over, using the back side, giving you twice the capacity per floppy.)
When the Internet came, it was before the Web was invented, in the days of gopher and WAIS and Lynx.
Ken
On Jan 26, 2011, at 12:11 PM, Just Murray wrote:
when you tell someone you are a long time computer user (if you do say that), what does long time represent to you? Does this refer to starting in the 70s, 80s, or 90s?why do i ask? Blind curiosity, mostlyi consider myself longtime computer user, i got started about 1980, i have my people who long time was 1997. so i am just curious.how long have you been using computers? did you program them in the DOS or Basic or Fortran days? were you using the internet then (i was using compuserve and other BBSes? how long have you had broadband? (i got mine in 97 and havent turned off my computer yet). finally how fast is your broadband if you have it? i get about 32megs down and 3 up.just curious.i showed you mine, now you show me yours.~KM--Stealing! How could you? Haven't you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain what's-his-name?" ~Homer Simpson---
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