Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Observation


Isn't it strange how we take the technology we have today for granted. I was looking to see what was around me that would trigger a train of thoughts. The obvious thing was my laptop of course.

Do you remember your very first computer? mine was a Vic 20
(photo courtesy of google)
I used to programme in games from a magazine then it was a case of making sure it worked properly there would always be little mistakes in the language that had to be corrected and that was the real fun of it. I was never interested in playing the games just imputing them. I even made up my own one once. Can anyone remember what the language was called?
My very first introduction to a computer, however, was in the early 1960s. I worked in a bank in the stationery department so was never allowed near the computer. It was enormous taking up a whole room of its own. Everyone who did work in that department had to wear white coats and cover there heads.
Prior to that of course there was the ticker-tape machines, but I didn't really know anything about them.
In the 1990s I worked for a small firm and taught myself to use their computer when it wasn't in use in the afternoon. It was a dinosaur really I thing a 650 but it did help me to find my way around. Later when Helen came back from Uni she brought her computer with her and I was able to get some tuition from her.
I fought shy of going on the internet for quite a while and even when I did eventually give way I wouldn't have broadband as I thought I would never use it enough to warrant the extra cost. So it was just dial up for me. Boy I just can't imagine not being on the internet now.
My latest toy on here is Skype, it means that Helen and I can talk most evenings as if we were together and of course it is good to see my grandsons and for them to see me.

1 comment:

Jimjams said...

Great reflections on the progress of technology Mary. My dad used to type in games and record them on his cassette tape machine - Basic? the language I mean!!!

I still have some punched tape somewhere.

A place for me to put the pictures of layouts I have done that I am pleased with, to put in the poems I write and to add snippets of things that have caught my eye