It's hard to remember how I got along pre-Internet, even though I can still bore my kids with "When I was a kid we didn't have..." stories.
Willow ,'Showtime'
Buffistechnology 3: "Press Some Buttons, See What Happens."
Got a question about technology? Ask it here. Discussion of hardware, software, TiVos, multi-region DVDs, Windows, Macs, LINUX, hand-helds, iPods, anything tech related. Better than any helpdesk!
When I was in college, there were only mainframes. The then brand new and exciting HP scientific calculators cost $300. I used a slide rule. I wrote my papers on a portable manual typewriter. I rode dinosaurs to class and it was uphill both ways.
The then brand new and exciting HP scientific calculators
Reverse polish notation! I had, still have, a HP scientific calculator though it wasn't $300. Nobody ever wanted to borrow my calculator more than once.
In college I had a programmable TI-55. Ten memories! 31 programming steps! Rechargeable battery! 11 digit LED!
Oh, and a Radio Shack PC-1 pocket computer. With about 1.4k memory, programmable in BASIC. I also had the printer/cassette interface.
I'm thinking of upgrading my cell phone (good for making phone calls, period, but works in Senegal) to a smart phone of some sort. Blackberry, iPhone, etc. I want to be able to check my email, twitter, and maybe check b.org on it. Does anyone have any recommendations/warnings? Or is this low-end enough tech that I should Natter it instead?
I used to rent a typewriter at the Student Center to write my papers on.
We also learned with sliderules in my advanced Math classes in HS.
I just have the phone I can get for free from Verizon, but my Dad has an iPhone and really, really likes it.
I had a good business in college typing other people's papers for them (my college years: '79-83). Plus we found our used books by the thousands of ads plastered on the dorm walls and in the corridor outside the bookstore. I got a large percentage of my books used, and I sold most of mine.
For mobile internet, I haven't seen anything that even comes close to matching the iPhone. (Maybe the G1 - I haven't really played with one for long enough to get a feel for it.)
Downsides to the iPhone: kind of crappy as an actual phone, locked to AT&T, AWFUL battery life, no buttons. (And no copy-paste or MMS until the 3.0 upgrade scheduled for this summer.)
Yes, if you plan to do a lot of typing, the iPhone's kind of a pain. Good for websurfing, checking email with short responses, and always having your tunes.