🚀 go-pugleaf

On Wed, 27 Jun 2018, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

> On 2018-06-27, AndyW <An...@nojunqmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I think a lot of people who get misty eyed over old computers have never
>> tried to go back and use them.
>> I used to use a pr1me system at university and I was in awe of it.
>> I had the chance to use one a few years ago and it is rubbish. Similarly
>> I dug out an old CP/M machine and it is not at all as much fun how I
>> remembered it.
>
> Last year I cleaned the rat droppings out of my IMSAI, re-formed the
> electrolytics, and powered it up.  Unfortunately, the boot EPROM has
> suffered bit rot.  Someday, in my copious free time (hah!), I'm going
> to find the BIOS listing and an EPROM programmer (and cobble together
> that hack that lets you use a 2716 in place of a 2708, which is
> almost impossible to find or program these days) and get CP/M running.
>
>> I have been spoiled by GHz of speed, GB of memory, TB of disk space and
>> Mega-mega pixels of screen resolutions.
>
> Not to mention emulations that would run rings around those old machines.
>
>> Compilation time of a few seconds is not the same as setting the program
>> to compile and popping off to the pub.
>
> I remember that.  Two consumer-grade reel-to-reel tape units with hacked
> motor circuits, fed by a surplus Bell 202 modem - and a TTY35RO for a printer.
>
>> Nostalgia is a lovely country until you go there and visit.
>
> Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
>
When they had the SF Worldcon here in 2009, I wrote somewehre about it. 
It included something like "the future is better than anticipated, but not 
nearly as good".  I should look up the exact quote.  IN some ways 
anticipating the future was exciting, living it is less so, even if we 
have so much more gadgetry than anyone imagined.

   Michael