Remember when...

4GHZ_or_bust · Jun 2, 2008

...back when 80MB hard drive used to go for about $2000 new?

...back when RAM was so expensive there were creative aftermarket "tree" style adapters that lets you reuse multiple 30 pins SIMMs into one 30 pin slot or 72 pin slot.

...back when 72-pins composite RAM were cheaper because they were made of recycled chips from 30 pins SIMM

...back when a "cheap" tape backup were a SCSI adapter to hook up to VCR and use regular VHS tapes as backup media. I think VCR back then was around $150 or so new.

...back when "cheap" scanner used printer with a scanner head in where printer head used to be. I think I still have one for Imagewriter II printer somewhere...

...back when Turbo button mean almost double the CPU clock speed.

...back when less than $50 per MB was considered cheap for memory sticks (I remember snapping up a $125 4MB 72 pin SIMMs, USED, when new were $200)

...back when most people who went on BBS used 300 bps modem because a newer 1200 bps was too expensive.

...back when you had to manually dial in the BBS then hook the telephone to the modem when you recieved the tone.

Anyone else here as old as I am?

larrymoencurly · Jun 2, 2008

Or back when CPUs ran 99% slower and computers were only 1/3 as fast as they are now?

CGR · Jun 2, 2008

Thank SOOO much for making me feel old

Old Thrashbarg · Jun 2, 2008

back when Turbo button mean almost double the CPU clock speed.

I don't remember that part... I do remember when the turbo button made the computer run slower... down to ~XT/AT clock speed for the old programs that used the CPU clock speed for timing functions.

Although I do also recall some old Socket7 and early PII boards having a turbo mode which upped the bus speed to 68 or 70mhz over the standard 66.

SIMMs? Bah, that's newfangled sorcery. I still have a few 64k DIP chips kicking around, from the old XT-class machines. Back when upgrading the RAM meant pulling out the chips from the motherboard (9 of them per bank... the 8 for the usable memory and one for parity) and socketing the fancy new 256k chips back in place.

I also still have my old black-face 40MB SCSI hard drive from my old XT-286... Y'know, the ones that had the plastic faceplate and LED built onto the front to match the IBM-style computer cases? It was soooo cool, too, because it was a 3.5" drive (and only 2" tall!), instead of the usual 5.25" hard drives of the time.

don256us · Jun 2, 2008

I can remember most of those. RAM trees. Those were the days. I can remember looking at those with lust.

Add to that the memory programs. "Double your RAM" with software. Today we call that a page file.

I too thank you for reminding me that I'm old. I can feel a late mid-life crisis comming on.

Krypto · Jun 2, 2008

Do you remember adding Math Co-Processors to your 286's?

4GHZ_or_bust · Jun 2, 2008

Oh geez I forgot about separate math co-processors. The last one I saw was a 387 to go with the 386sx I once had.

That reminds me, remember when Intel released overdrive version for 486, they ran a series of tv ad with a big flashing vacancy sign over the coprocessor socket? I think I have the Intel promo tape somewhere I need to hook up the VCR to my PC and digitize them.

Diddyu · Jun 2, 2008

I remember that stuff, except for using vhs tapes for scsi storage, 300bps connections, and manually dialing the BBS.

Ninth · Jun 2, 2008

I'll add one to the list, because of my terrible memory, the only thing so satanic it would have imprinted it in my head...

Remember dot matrix printers?

don256us · Jun 2, 2008

Ninth said:
I'll add one to the list, because of my terrible memory, the only thing so satanic it would have imprinted it in my head...

Remember dot matrix printers?

Remember them?! Hell I have one!

ScottinIndy · Jun 2, 2008

Sadly, I remember those days well, I remember the BBS's, I remember actually gettting a 1200 baud modem and I thought I was hot S... The pages actually started loading instead of the lines just loading one at a time. I also remember paying $160 for 2 megs of Ram ( It doubled my IBM to 4 megs). I also remember getting Prodigy and REALLY getting connected to the rest of the world. It was actually some fun stuff back then believe it or not.

ratbuddy · Jun 2, 2008

ScottinIndy said:
Sadly, I remember those days well, I remember the BBS's, I remember actually gettting a 1200 baud modem and I thought I was hot S... The pages actually started loading instead of the lines just loading one at a time.

When I went from my 1200 modem to a 2400 with v.42bis and MNP5, I was in friggin heaven. ANSI graphics actually displayed as a screen full of stuff rather than line after line slowly coming on screen.. It was awesome, and well worth the $250 it cost

EmAn · Jun 2, 2008

I remember quite a few of these!

Pandam00nium · Jun 2, 2008

I only remember the turbo button on my case. Even had a digital display on the front panel to show you the speed boost.

blakehenry00 · Jun 2, 2008

Melan said:
I only remember the turbo button on my case. Even had a digital display on the front panel to show you the speed boost.

I still have a working turbo button on a veryyyyy old case, the led screen still works too, I may get pictures if I can find it.....

4GHZ_or_bust · Jun 3, 2008

dot matrix? I still have a Commodore 803 somewhere. But forget dot matrix, think daisy head! Fixed font size and style and no graphics at all! Now try playing D&D on a computer that doesn't use monitor and only prints out on daisy head printer.

Now I know I am really old.

Ridenow · Jun 3, 2008

don256us said:
Remember them?! Hell I have one!

I feel better, at least I am not the only one.

4GHZ_or_bust · Jun 3, 2008

A snip from Intel promo video tape I found. No sound I think my config is wrong or my VCR's busted all I got was loud buzzing noise.

sobe · Jun 3, 2008

Not the oldest of things, but I liked those blue man group Intel commercials

Niku-Sama · Jun 3, 2008

4GHZ_or_bust said:
...back when RAM was so expensive there were creative aftermarket "tree" style adapters that lets you reuse multiple 30 pins SIMMs into one 30 pin slot or 72 pin slot.

i have a pair of these still!

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