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All the talk about computers and editing...I find this so interesting.
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Apr 23, 2013 18:14:42   #
ggttc Loc: TN
 
In 1969....

"The Lunar Module had about 4 Kb of RAM, this is significantly less than your average scientific calculator. The original computers on the space shuttle weren't that powerful either, most of the computing power on the later space shuttle flights was done from what essentially amounts to a space tough-book. Also a Furbie (talking bird toy from the 90s) has more RAM than the LM (Lunar Module) and the the CSM (Command Service Module) put together."

Best regards to wikipedia.

Most of the computations were done by slide rule. Most in the control center had a B.S...a few PHD's ..the average age was 26.

I have 8 gigs on my vaio...and these guys made it to the moon and back...with a little help from some geeks.

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Apr 23, 2013 18:33:27   #
Searcher Loc: Kent, England
 
ggttc wrote:
In 1969....

"The Lunar Module had about 4 Kb of RAM, this is significantly less than your average scientific calculator. The original computers on the space shuttle weren't that powerful either, most of the computing power on the later space shuttle flights was done from what essentially amounts to a space tough-book. Also a Furbie (talking bird toy from the 90s) has more RAM than the LM (Lunar Module) and the the CSM (Command Service Module) put together."

Best regards to wikipedia

I have 8 gigs on my vaio...and these guys made it to the moon and back...
In 1969.... br br "The Lunar Module had abou... (show quote)


The very first home computers were the Sinclair ZX80 and the ZX81 which contained one kilobyte of memory and could be programmed to play chess. Did these machines ever make to the States?

These were followed up by the Sinclair Spectrum, The Commadore and a host of others. The most powerful of the lot was the Amstrad with 64 kilobytes of memory and a built in tape drive. These latter machines were the be all and end all in domestic computing.

I'm glad I was around in that era, I learned machine code programming which is unheard of now, but really spelled out how computers work.

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Apr 23, 2013 18:47:22   #
ggttc Loc: TN
 
Searcher wrote:
The very first home computers were the Sinclair ZX80 and the ZX81 which contained one kilobyte of memory and could be programmed to play chess. Did these machines ever make to the States?

These were followed up by the Sinclair Spectrum, The Commadore and a host of others. The most powerful of the lot was the Amstrad with 64 kilobytes of memory and a built in tape drive. These latter machines were the be all and end all in domestic computing.

I'm glad I was around in that era, I learned machine code programming which is unheard of now, but really spelled out how computers work.
The very first home computers were the Sinclair ZX... (show quote)


I learned a little bit of basic on a commadore 64...

Reply
 
 
Apr 23, 2013 18:51:46   #
creativ simon Loc: Coulsdon, South London
 
ggttc wrote:
In 1969....

"The Lunar Module had about 4 Kb of RAM, this is significantly less than your average scientific calculator. The original computers on the space shuttle weren't that powerful either, most of the computing power on the later space shuttle flights was done from what essentially amounts to a space tough-book. Also a Furbie (talking bird toy from the 90s) has more RAM than the LM (Lunar Module) and the the CSM (Command Service Module) put together."

Best regards to wikipedia.

Most of the computations were done by slide rule. Most in the control center had a B.S...a few PHD's ..the average age was 26.

I have 8 gigs on my vaio...and these guys made it to the moon and back...with a little help from some geeks.
In 1969.... br br "The Lunar Module had abou... (show quote)


So where have you bin ? :lol:

Reply
Apr 24, 2013 06:12:40   #
JBTaylor Loc: In hiding again
 
Searcher wrote:
The very first home computers were the Sinclair ZX80 and the ZX81 which contained one kilobyte of memory and could be programmed to play chess. Did these machines ever make to the States?

These were followed up by the Sinclair Spectrum, The Commadore and a host of others. The most powerful of the lot was the Amstrad with 64 kilobytes of memory and a built in tape drive. These latter machines were the be all and end all in domestic computing.

I'm glad I was around in that era, I learned machine code programming which is unheard of now, but really spelled out how computers work.
The very first home computers were the Sinclair ZX... (show quote)


They made it over here as the Timex/Sinclair. Maybe also just the Sinclair too.

Over here, the Radio Shack TRS-80 might have come out first.

Reply
Apr 24, 2013 06:28:01   #
BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida
 
JBTaylor wrote:
They made it over here as the Timex/Sinclair. Maybe also just the Sinclair too.

Over here, the Radio Shack TRS-80 might have come out first.

The first (pre-assembled) computer I had was the TRS-80 with 4K of RAM. Before that I had built and assembled a Heathkit H8 computer and H9 monitor. I believe it had 8K of memory onboard but can't remember for sure. I do remember that it's operating speed was 1/2 MHZ.

I purchased a Sinclair (with chicklet style keyboard) I think in late '79 and I remember that when you wanted to add additional memory they offered modules that you could plug in the back, piggy-back style. It required that you use velcro to help stablize the upgraded memory module.

I still have a functional TRS80 color computer. It requires a 5 1/4 floppy with DOS 1.0 to be loaded up first as an operating system.

Pretty cool stuff back in the day.

Reply
Apr 24, 2013 07:15:02   #
SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina
 
All I know is that my first work computer was a paper tape driven typesetting machine with a one-line screen, and our first home computer was a Commodore with Pong. Since the mid-70's I've lost track of all the different models and operating systems.

I've enjoyed the journey, and look forward to seeing how much farther I can go.

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Apr 24, 2013 08:21:46   #
imntrt1 Loc: St. Louis
 
BW326 wrote:
The first (pre-assembled) computer I had was the TRS-80 with 4K of RAM. Before that I had built and assembled a Heathkit H8 computer and H9 monitor. I believe it had 8K of memory onboard but can't remember for sure. I do remember that it's operating speed was 1/2 MHZ.

I purchased a Sinclair (with chicklet style keyboard) I think in late '79 and I remember that when you wanted to add additional memory they offered modules that you could plug in the back, piggy-back style. It required that you use velcro to help stablize the upgraded memory module.

I still have a functional TRS80 color computer. It requires a 5 1/4 floppy with DOS 1.0 to be loaded up first as an operating system.

Pretty cool stuff back in the day.
The first (pre-assembled) computer I had was the T... (show quote)


I remember getting a 32 gig hard drive back in 1990 and thinking to myself, "Wow...I'll NEVER fill this thing up."

Reply
Apr 24, 2013 08:29:23   #
jecanes Loc: Taumarunui, New Zealand
 
imntrt1 wrote:
I remember getting a 32 gig hard drive back in 1990 and thinking to myself, "Wow...I'll NEVER fill this thing up."


Don't wish to argue, but, 32gb in 1990, I don't think so! I had a 60mb drive and that was considered big!

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Apr 24, 2013 09:43:49   #
imntrt1 Loc: St. Louis
 
jecanes wrote:
Don't wish to argue, but, 32gb in 1990, I don't think so! I had a 60mb drive and that was considered big!


You are correct sir....It was 32 Meg....My hard drive is defective. I seem to remember, back then, that HD in the Gig catagory were in the neighborhood of $1000.00 a GB in cost. I saw a TB Drive yesterday for 69.00

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Apr 24, 2013 10:18:12   #
lovesphotos Loc: Colorado and Arizona
 
I always used pencil and paper and still do.

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Apr 24, 2013 11:05:15   #
BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida
 
imntrt1 wrote:
You are correct sir....It was 32 Meg....My hard drive is defective. I seem to remember, back then, that HD in the Gig catagory were in the neighborhood of $1000.00 a GB in cost. I saw a TB Drive yesterday for 69.00


It boggles the mind as to where it's all going. I can remember back when if someone asked what computer you had, you would describe it first in terms of memory and processing power but nowadays you rarely hear them described that way anymore.
It's a point that's become somewhat moot. They either say I've got a new Mac or I've got a new IBM with Linux or I have a wireless download bandwith of such and such.

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Apr 24, 2013 11:12:27   #
ggttc Loc: TN
 
Back in my newspaper days...we put out a 64 page newspaper every day with only 3 Mac SE 30's...

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Apr 24, 2013 11:18:09   #
BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida
 
ggttc wrote:
Back in my newspaper days...we put out a 64 page newspaper every day with only 3 Mac SE 30's...


Dumb question, but did you use proprietary software for publication or was it something like Aldus Pagemaker back then?

Just curious.

Reply
Apr 24, 2013 11:26:41   #
ggttc Loc: TN
 
BW326 wrote:
Dumb question, but did you use proprietary software for publication or was it something like Aldus Pagemaker back then?

Just curious.


mainly just to set type...when I started there the were still using linotype ( am I giving away my age?)...but the experiment was so succesful...that the mother company geared us up.

The first real program we did get was Pagemaker...for layout and Illustrator for ad work.

But even after those upgrades it was still cut and paste...with exacto knifes. ...and pics were developed in the darkroom and pasted...with wax ...on the page.

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