Time Machine: old technology that is not so old.

[lovinglinux]

Inspired by another thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1773958) about how credit cards were billed before the Internet, I thought would be nice to post a thread about old technology that was once part of our lives. Please share yours.

To start, something that probably never existed in some countries:

Phone chips: in my country, there was a time that money inflation was very high, so it wasn't feasible to use real money to make phone calls on public phones, so we had to use phone chips. They have been replaced by magnetic cards in the 90's.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/5978500/img/5978500.jpg (http://picturepush.com/public/5978500)

[mips]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Token_coin

Brazil is mentioned in the above page.

[lovinglinux]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Token_coin

Brazil is mentioned in the above page.

Interesting.

[oldos2er]

I thought would be nice to post a thread about old technology that was once part of our lives. Please share yours.

The rotary phone! Black and white tv! My little transistor radio! My dad's slide rule!

[JDShu]

Cassette tapes/VHS
Zip drives
MDs

[lordadi]

Vinyl - 45s/33s

[mips]

Vinyl - 45s/33s

I love vinyl.

[kev77]

Sinclair microdrive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Microdrive

Rabbit phone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_(telecommunications)

[halibaitor]

VIC 20 computers by Commodore.

I learned to program machine language on mine. :D

[Maheriano]

When I was a teenager it was:
www.metacrawler.com
www.hotmail.com (pre-Microsoft)
ICQ
www.alamak.com

Prior to that it was Commodore 64 and Colecovision.

[mr-woof]

my zx spectrum and commdore 64 :)

[Maheriano]

I remember there was a time where I actually paid a company to deliver video media to my household. Ha, wow, those were the old days!

[forrestcupp]

Pentiums


I was hoping this was going to be a thread about John Titor.

[Lucradia]

Pentiums


I was hoping this was going to be a thread about John Titor.

Motorola Processors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_6800#Motorola.27s_history_in_semiconducto rs

[Ric_NYC]

Hummer

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3223/06hummerh2ftsid.jpg






Just after 9:00 AM, the last Hummers to be produced here rolled off the line. The smaller H3T had been in production for just a year and a half. Now, they're finished. http://www.ksla.com/story/12533107/last-hummer-rolls-off-line-at-shreveport-gm-plant?redirected=true

[forrestcupp]

Hummer
http://www.ksla.com/story/12533107/last-hummer-rolls-off-line-at-shreveport-gm-plant?redirected=true

That bites. I like Hummers.

[mips]

I was hoping this was going to be a thread about John Titor.

I'm still here, just changed my name as the guys in the black suites are after me.

[jerenept]

Pentiums


I was hoping this was going to be a thread about John Titor.

Intel Inside, but can it divide?!?

[lisati]

The rotary phone!

I remember living in an area which didn't even have that: all calls were placed through an operator. "Number, please!" The phone company upgraded the system in about 1972 to use rotary dials, and later to use touchtone (DTMF).

[walt.smith1960]

Pentiums



Anybody remember the NEC V20? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEC_V20 16Mhz Babeee!! :p.

[Macskeeball]

dot matrix printers (in elementary school)
electric typewriters
Cassette tapes
VHS
Dial-up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1AQcGGSec)
3.5" floppy disks
physical word processor devices (in school)
transparency projectors
CRT monitors
SCSI
Hand cranked car windows
NeoGeo Pocket Color, Gameboy Advance
Film cameras, including a Polaroid.
Arcades (occasionally)
Handheld devices with monochrome displays (GameCOM, Palm Zire, Nokia 2115i, 4th gen iPod, cheap gaming systems that were made for one specific game such as baseball)
Computer mice that used balls instead of optical or laser
Mac OS Classic (7.5.1-7.5.5, 8.5.0-8.6, 9.2.0-9.2.2)
Windows 95 and 98
www.hotbot.com
Cars without wireless key entry
Netscape Navigator
HyperCard
Boombox
Payphones

My mom still has her vinyl records, and my dad had a WebTV and portable TV that was black and white. In eighth grade, my history teacher played something with an old film projector a few times, and I once saw my granddad do the same thing with a silent film. My 10th grade biology class watched something on LaserDisc once. I took a COBOL class in college a few semesters ago.

[Bandit]

Cassette tapes/VHS
Zip drives
MDs

I still have unopened Zip Disk, Mini Disc and VHS tapes brand new in original packaging. Whats this make me?

[c-1000]

maytag did not stop producing old "wringer-style" washing machines until 1984.

[BrandonC19]

I still have unopened Zip Disk, Mini Disc and VHS tapes brand new in original packaging. Whats this make me?
Awesome.

[josephmills]

The Novation CAT
http://weblog.sitepros.net/stuff/novation.jpg

Oregon Trail
http://nerdbastards.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tumblr_l0mruio1ou1qzcd5ro1_400-300x300.jpg

Doloren
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N-4ASXXQfUg/TJD4m2PruSI/AAAAAAAABvs/u4iKnZmu01M/s1600/1981_Delorean_DMC12.jpg

tapers tapes

http://www.vitallight.com/Tape-Trading.jpg


simon says

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_v62jMl9LWLg/S_1KobBgchI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/N3MaIehvTjY/s1600/simon.gif


view watcher

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/110165672_8dabed2450.jpg

[Brian0312]

Damn, I was gonna say Oregon Trail on the Apple II. That was the shiznit. Loading whole OSes on the computer during boot from a single floppy. Floppy disks (the 5.25" ones that actually were floppy). CRT's. Dial in BBSes. 640K. Vinyl, Tapes and CDs. Yes CDs. Beta, VHS and DVDs. Blockbuster. Pagers, car phones and bag phones. DOS for Dummies (hey we all started somewhere).

[JDShu]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/110165672_8dabed2450.jpg

I think they actually still make these, but it definitely made me nostalgia. Hmm speaking of toys, there was the Virtual Boy and the R-Zone that never really took off.

[mister_p_1998]

Party Line telephones
Reel to Reel tape recorders! (Mono!)
BBS's
Walkmans
Video games on cassette (CBM64)
Phone boxes
VCR's
b/w TV

[josephmills]

Blue Boxes
http://www.atariarchives.org/deli/blue_box.jpg

cave man blue box

http://viewsaskew.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/capn-crunch-bosun-whistle.jpg


pager

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sZ-HtnjiVcw/TQb__pw0EfI/AAAAAAAABQA/zBAh_PRaUEw/s320/beeper.jpg

bag phones(analog)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RjIfyFo27lA/TLsM2GAxC1I/AAAAAAAAADs/G2lQlqNuJQE/s1600/motorola-bag-phone.jpg

[mips]

tapers tapes

Is Darien Lakes near Darien, CT? Was watching a Dominick Dunne thing about a high school rapist last night.

[josephmills]

Is Darien Lakes near Darien, CT? Was watching a Dominick Dunne thing about a high school rapist last night.

no darin lake ny usa it is now six flags. sorry to bring up flash-backs

oh and
Portable Horoscope Computer

http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/horoscope_computer.jpg

[Grenage]

pager

Bah, pagers are still cool, I have one in my draw!

[Khakilang]

My dad's car cooling system was a 6" fan.

[Bandit]

bag phones(analog)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RjIfyFo27lA/TLsM2GAxC1I/AAAAAAAAADs/G2lQlqNuJQE/s1600/motorola-bag-phone.jpg

Dude! I wondered were my phone ran off too...


God Bless the 80's!

[Ric_NYC]

The Concorde


From NYC to Paris in half the time.


http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/8592/airfranceconcorde468x35.jpg (http://img848.imageshack.us/i/airfranceconcorde468x35.jpg/)



First flight 2 March 1969
Introduction 21 January 1976
Retired 26 November 2003
Status Retired from service
(Wikipedia)

[aeiah]

Blue Boxes
http://www.atariarchives.org/deli/blue_box.jpg



did you ever use one? i remember downloading a version in software in the mid-90s but im pretty sure it didnt work :(

[Gremlinzzz]

The first forum of communication,the smoke signal!:D

http://ubuntuforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=196186&stc=1&d=1309275311

[forrestcupp]

How about the Theramin?

http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/theremin.jpg

[Gremlinzzz]

morse code

awful close to boolean algebra
http://www.tekmom.com/buzzwords/binaryalphabet.html
i smell a law suit:D

[lovinglinux]

The Concorde


From NYC to Paris in half the time.


http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/8592/airfranceconcorde468x35.jpg (http://img848.imageshack.us/i/airfranceconcorde468x35.jpg/)



First flight 2 March 1969
Introduction 21 January 1976
Retired 26 November 2003
Status Retired from service
(Wikipedia)

In 22 days we can add the Space Shuttles :-(

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/5985128/img/5985128.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis_space_shuttle)

[mips]

The Concorde


I'm not happy about it's demise, we are left with mediocre.

I'll add this to the list,
http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/21/sr71blackbird.jpg




How about the Theramin?


Thanks, first thing in this thread I never heard of and had to google ;)

[Maheriano]

You guys want old school? I have 8 inch floppy disks, not those new fangled 5.25. I've got a box of these at home.

http://www.dvdyourmemories.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1970_Floppy_Disk.gif

[forrestcupp]

Thanks, first thing in this thread I never heard of and had to google ;)My dad actually acquired a theramin. It's pretty cool.


You guys want old school? I have 8 inch floppy disks, not those new fangled 5.25. I've got a box of these at home.

http://www.dvdyourmemories.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1970_Floppy_Disk.gif

Wow. I forgot about those huge floppies.

[keithpeter]

Hello All

I'd like to add

Typewriters (the mechanical kind). I still use one now and again for envelopes.

Acorn Archimedes computers. Surfing the Web in 1990 with a 12MHz processor...

Fax machines. Really useful when teaching maths on distance learning courses 20 years ago. Students would send homework in, I'd mark it and suggest ways of solving problems and fax it back with some follow up questions. It worked for us.

Random comment: I recently had to encourage a couple of students to use their smart phones to take a photo of some revision notes we had made during a tutorial so they could both have a copy.... I use my phone to 'back up' my paper diary and other notes on a regular basis. I store the images on my drop box account.

[walt.smith1960]

Hello All

I'd like to add

Typewriters (the mechanical kind). I still use one now and again for envelopes.

Acorn Archimedes computers. Surfing the Web in 1990 with a 12MHz processor...

Fax machines. Really useful when teaching maths on distance learning courses 20 years ago. Students would send homework in, I'd mark it and suggest ways of solving problems and fax it back with some follow up questions. It worked for us.

Random comment: I recently had to encourage a couple of students to use their smart phones to take a photo of some revision notes we had made during a tutorial so they could both have a copy.... I use my phone to 'back up' my paper diary and other notes on a regular basis. I store the images on my drop box account.

I read that after the SEC instituted records retention requirements on the financial services industry(Oxley-Sarbanes?), fax use saw a mini-boom. Email and electronic files transmission leave a trail. Fax does not, beyond the phone #.

[Dustin2128]

In 22 days we can add the Space Shuttles :-(

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/5985128/img/5985128.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis_space_shuttle)
Figures I'm in florida after they moved ahead the launch date from today. :evil:
But yeah, various magnetic storage mediums like VHS, casette, floppies etc., crt displays, dial-up, hummers I guess, freedom.. ;)

[lisati]

Anybody remember the NEC V20? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEC_V20 16Mhz Babeee!! :p.
I managed to seriously mess up a community group's database by throwing together some software partly written in ASM for a machine with one of those without realizing that not everyone in those days had machine that could cope with 80286 op codes - my machine had a '286 and ran the software perfectly. If memory serves correctly, the V20 (or was it the V30) could handle both 8086/8088 and Z80 instruction sets and had some means to switch between the two.

Party Line telephones

Yes, I remember those!

Now where did I put those 8" floppies? Oh, that's right, I've seen them but never actually had a machine myself which could take them. I think a couple of the terminal cluster controllers at work had their microcode (or something along those lines) on them.

[keithpeter]

I read that after the SEC instituted records retention requirements on the financial services industry(Oxley-Sarbanes?), fax use saw a mini-boom. Email and electronic files transmission leave a trail. Fax does not, beyond the phone #.

Hello Walt

In the UK, in large organisations, you know you are in trouble when you get a Phone Call. Phone Calls have no audit. :twisted:

I've never seen a party line phone system, but I can remember the A and B buttons (UK specific reference)

[Bandit]

You guys want old school? I have 8 inch floppy disks, not those new fangled 5.25. I've got a box of these at home.

http://www.dvdyourmemories.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1970_Floppy_Disk.gif

You want sad, I got over 100 floppys still around and some still new. Even a hand full of Double Density ones.

[lisati]

Hello Walt

In the UK, in large organisations, you know you are in trouble when you get a Phone Call. Phone Calls have no audit. :twisted:

I've never seen a party line phone system, but I can remember the A and B buttons (UK specific reference)

We had the "A" and "B" buttons in our phone boxes over here too. I've only ever used a party-line phone on a residential phone line.

I recall reading somewhere many years ago that behind-the-scenes stuff for the New Zealand emergency phone number system was in part inspired by the UK system, but because rotary dials in NZ were numbered backwards compared to the rest of the world (0 was in the "proper" place, with the other numbers reversed), 999 became 111.

[keithpeter]

rotary dials in NZ were numbered backwards compared to the rest of the world (0 was in the "proper" place, with the other numbers reversed)

Of course, they are upside down :twisted:

Saw a chap from New Zealand explaining their national e-learning system based on Moodle some years ago. I was impressed by the totally casual and matter of fact way he pointed out that the servers were duplicated on both islands 'in case of earthquake'.

[samalex]

Awesome thread... A few things I didn't see listed which I totally miss (not all related to tech):

- Dial-up BBSes and Fidonet (I know, they're still around, but they're not the same as 'back in the day')
- Using a Modem to p1ss off big sister
- 8-bit graphic games
- Gas under $1.00
- Video Stores (our community's last mom-and-pop video store just closed this week -- sad day)
- Awesome Indoor Malls (yes indoor malls are still around, but try finding one with book stores, a pet store, computer stores, movie theater, and water fountains)
- Byte magazine -- yes they're bring it back, but it won't be the same
- Computer Shopper when it was the size of a phone book
- Free Catalogs on Disk -- this was my main way to get free floppies in the early 90's
- Old online providers -- Prodigy, American People Link, Delphi, CompuServe, AOL 1.0 (nothing newer).

[lovinglinux]

Atari 2600

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/5987822/640/5987822.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600)

and River Raid

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/5987833/640/5987833.png (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Raid)

[lucazade]

To start, something that probably never existed in some countries:

Phone chips: in my country, there was a time that money inflation was very high, so it wasn't feasible to use real money to make phone calls on public phones, so we had to use phone chips. They have been replaced by magnetic cards in the 90's.



Same was here for phone chips and magnetic cards, so it is more world-wide than you thought!

My time machine is settled at ZX Spectrum and mostly Commodore Amiga: never old, are piece of art! :D

http://www.giocagiue.it/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/amiga.jpg

[Lucradia]

As for the topic title, the below are still used today, and are very old:

Parallel Ports - Used for Debugging in case the system can't debug to screen or USB or network.

Riser Cards - In case the motherboard can't handle everything, such as a parallel port at the back, you use a riser connection. Such as a pin to PCI Slot/back panel connector. These are also used for SSDs via PCI/e slots.

[Bandit]

I miss my old Tandy..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Tandy1000HX.jpg

[spcwingo]

My first computer:

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/texas-instrument_ti994a_1.jpg

The TI-99 from Texas Instruments.

[lovinglinux]

My first computer:

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/texas-instrument_ti994a_1.jpg

The TI-99 from Texas Instruments.

My first was TK 85, an unauthorised ZX81 clone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81#Clones_and_variants) produced by Microdigital Eletronica of Brazil.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/5988680/640/5988680.jpg (http://picturepush.com/public/5988680)

[sisco311]

My first was TK 85, an unauthorised ZX81 clone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81#Clones_and_variants) produced by Microdigital Eletronica of Brazil.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/5988680/640/5988680.jpg (http://picturepush.com/public/5988680)

My first one was a HC 90 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ZX_Spectrum_clones#Felix_HC_series), an unofficial ZX Spectrum clone manufactured in Romania.

[mips]

We had the "A" and "B" buttons in our phone boxes over here too. I've only ever used a party-line phone on a residential phone line.

I recall reading somewhere many years ago that behind-the-scenes stuff for the New Zealand emergency phone number system was in part inspired by the UK system, but because rotary dials in NZ were numbered backwards compared to the rest of the world (0 was in the "proper" place, with the other numbers reversed), 999 became 111.

I recall party lines as a kid. We lived out in the sticks and the manual 'excahange' where someone would connect you via cables & jacks was located in the only local shop.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/JT_Switchboard_770x540.jpg/200px-JT_Switchboard_770x540.jpg


Most of the former British colonies adopted the UK phone systems including their dial, busy etc tones.





.

[3rdalbum]

I remember having to write a modem initialization string so my modem could start dialling to my ISP. Back in those days, e-mail was through a Unix account (so you'd dialup, open a Telnet client and type Unix commands to get your e-mail).

I used to get up at 6am to watch my Dad access his e-mail through this text terminal running on his fully-graphical Mac desktop, and wonder at how cool it was that we had e-mail. Surprisingly, when native GUI e-mail clients came along and we no longer had to use Telnet, it wasn't so much fun.

I also remember how novel websites were. Apparently there was a website called "The big red button that does nothing" where thousands of people a day came to click on this image that did nothing. It was literally just a GIF on a blank HTML page.

And that's another thing - GIF was the only way to get an image onto your web page.

[jramshu]

I still have my Pioneer LaserDisk player and a stack of movies, of course dvd wiped them out.

[lucazade]

I still have my Pioneer LaserDisk player and a stack of movies, of course dvd wiped them out.

Wow! laser disk was gorgeous.. unfortunately pretty impossible to afford when I was young.
I wanted one only to play with Dragon's Lair and Space Ace :D

[Macskeeball]

Wow! laser disk was gorgeous.. unfortunately pretty impossible to afford when I was young.
I wanted one only to play with Dragon's Lair and Space Ace :D
Apparently the source of the image you tried to post is blocking hotlinks. You might see the image you intended, but we get something else that may violate CoC. Try downloading the image and then attaching it to your post under the advanced view.

[rickyLOLZ]

Inspired by another thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1773958) about how credit cards were billed before the Internet, I thought would be nice to post a thread about old technology that was once part of our lives. Please share yours.

To start, something that probably never existed in some countries:

Phone chips: in my country, there was a time that money inflation was very high, so it wasn't feasible to use real money to make phone calls on public phones, so we had to use phone chips. They have been replaced by magnetic cards in the 90's.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/5978500/img/5978500.jpg (http://picturepush.com/public/5978500)

Wow... Comparing to new phone chips to old ones... They were really strange.

[cprofitt]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_taqT58uKZCQ/Snf-gHA1CAI/AAAAAAAAAAk/1Vrx_TgI2Iw/s400/Texas-Instruments-TI99-4.jpgmy first home computer:

[Frantic_Earthling]

How can I forget my best computer ever:cry:: the TRS-80 Model 1 and its full-fledged DOS, well ahead of MS-DOS.\\:D/

[lucazade]

Apparently the source of the image you tried to post is blocking hotlinks. You might see the image you intended, but we get something else that may violate CoC. Try downloading the image and then attaching it to your post under the advanced view.

thanks for pointing this out... here the image was visible.
attached now.

[lovinglinux]

[QUOTE=3rdalbum;10993805]I remember having to write a modem initialization string so my modem could start dialling to my ISP./QUOTE]

Good memories. I remember the first time I connected to the Internet from my home. I had to solve issues with irq assignment then enter the initialization strings and hope for the best.

[mips]

I remember having to write a modem initialization string so my modem could start dialling to my ISP. Back in those days, e-mail was through a Unix account (so you'd dialup, open a Telnet client and type Unix commands to get your e-mail).

I used to get up at 6am to watch my Dad access his e-mail through this text terminal running on his fully-graphical Mac desktop, and wonder at how cool it was that we had e-mail. Surprisingly, when native GUI e-mail clients came along and we no longer had to use Telnet, it wasn't so much fun.

Also had scripts on my Amiga to get onto the internet back in the day.

Your dad probably used ELM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elm_(e-mail_client)) which I used while studying.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Elm.png

Besides local ELM I also had a ELM account on some Colorado University system that also had a Telnet based BBS sort of system, something Freenet back in the day.

[Ric_NYC]

KDE 3.5

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/8742/snapshot1ob.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/i/snapshot1ob.jpg/)

[Ric_NYC]

The I-Mac G3



http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9325/416cb1.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/416cb1.jpg/)

[Ric_NYC]

Microsoft's Zune... ("We barely knew you")

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/3417/newzunefirmware.jpg (http://img855.imageshack.us/i/newzunefirmware.jpg/)

[Matt 6:27]

MITS Altair 8800 - As a 10 yr. old, I helped my dad (now 82) assemble it. S100 bus, something like 4k for memory?, CP/M? Teletype for input (or better, the front programming panel)! And last time I saw it, it still ran!

http://www.vintagecomputer.net/images/poptronics_Jan1975cover.jpg

[Perfect Storm]

Sodastream.

http://www.supermaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/sodastream-217x250new.jpg

and

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6x3xxw-xghk/TTHz-MuCj7I/AAAAAAAAAW4/A6t-eIcOxg4/s1600/nc80sstuff_80s.jpg

[Penguinnerd]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Yale_card_catalog.jpg/250px-Yale_card_catalog.jpg

Library card catalog! I'm just barely old enough that they taught me how to use one when I was in 3rd grade, and threw it away when I was in 4th grade!