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[steven r]

As long as we're bragging about how old we are...  

...I have a BSR X10 timer that still works. I think I might of had to replace a diode or something in it once but it's outlasted several of my wall switches. I also beta tested a DOS based program to control the old CM11A. I can't remember the name of it but I seem to remember it could download odd/even day and dusk/dawn times to the CM11A. I think you had to sync once a week or so.

...And does anyone remember Prodigy?

...How about reading and posting to news groups with a computer terminal before the internet and personal computers were around?

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

I remember Prodigy, as a matter of fact I think I just threw out the 5 1/4 setup floppies (in the original case) a couple years ago!

[steven r]

...I just threw out the 5 1/4 setup floppies...

Ah yes the 5 ¹/₄ floppies. I worked for a company that used 8" floppies. I remember tossing one Frisbee style and having it get stuck in a chain hanging from the warehouse once. Memories...

[steven r]

I even once had a 300 baud external dial up modem. It was really high tech for it's time. You didn't even have to put the phone in a cradle at all. Just call the number you needed and flip the switch when you heard the connect tone.

[-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)]

...I just threw out the 5 1/4 setup floppies...

Ah yes the 5 ¹/₄ floppies. I worked for a company that used 8" floppies. I remember tossing one Frisbee style and having it get stuck in a chain hanging from the warehouse once. Memories...

Yes... I had a couple old CPM machines once.  One had 4 8-inch floppy drives.  The other had one disk-pack drive with big (something like 20-inch diameter) disks in a plastic case with a handle.  You locked the disk into the drive drawer, closed it and waited for it to spin-up (sounded like a jet warming up for takeoff!) but hey, they stored a whopping 20 MEG!!!   

[JimC]

My first computer was a slide rule. I used that for many years before the advent of the first affordable electronic calculators.
I remember when a computer took up an entire room at one of the facilities I worked at.
Wow I sure feel old. 

[steven r]

My first computer was a slide rule. I used that for many years before the advent of the first affordable electronic calculators...

I think I still have my slide rule somewhere as well as one that my dad had. Calculators came out before I needed to use my slide rule for school. I just had a slide rule because I thought it was cool. I guess it was a "pre-geek" thing.
I remember when my dad got his 1st TI calculator. It was about half the size of a book and had red digits. It only had 5 basic functions.

NOTE TO MODERATOR: If you would like to break this topic off for us to discuss, it would be ok with me. I realize we have gotten off the main topic.

[steven r]

...I remember when a computer took up an entire room at one of the facilities I worked at....

...and had it's own dedicated AC unit. I think the one our company had even had an alarm if the temperature went too high so someone could rush in to back up or shut it down.

[dave w]

PRODIGY? did that make it out of Florida, the initial test bed area? (Knight Ridder??)

Did anyone else own the "Regulator" system from Regency Electronics? Had 100 house codes and 100 unit codes, but was compatible with X10.

...yeah I know, I am perpetuating the "off topic" message, but X10 probably prefers this over the original "Product Specifications" topic ;-)