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.
They should film that story and show it every Christmas.
Xander ,'Same Time, Same Place'
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!
Ginger - May 08, 2009 5:45:09 am PDT #9928 of 25501
"It didn't taste good. It tasted soooo horrible. It tasted like....a vodka martini." - Matilda
Gudanov - May 08, 2009 5:46:35 am PDT #9929 of 25501
Coding and Sleeping
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.
tommyrot - May 08, 2009 5:48:58 am PDT #9930 of 25501
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
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.
Calli - May 08, 2009 6:04:38 am PDT #9931 of 25501
I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul—Calvin and Hobbs
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?
Theodosia - May 08, 2009 6:05:38 am PDT #9932 of 25501
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"
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.
Gudanov - May 08, 2009 6:06:37 am PDT #9933 of 25501
Coding and Sleeping
I just have the phone I can get for free from Verizon, but my Dad has an iPhone and really, really likes it.
Connie Neil - May 08, 2009 6:08:09 am PDT #9934 of 25501
brillig
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.
Jessica - May 08, 2009 6:08:15 am PDT #9935 of 25501
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
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.)
Vortex - May 08, 2009 6:09:35 am PDT #9936 of 25501
"Cry havoc and let slip the boobs of war!" -- Miracleman
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.
omnis_audis - May 08, 2009 6:27:57 am PDT #9937 of 25501
omnis, pursue. That's an order from a shy woman who can use M-16. - Shir
wait a second!
and maybe check b.org on itMaybe? MAYBE! That's the best part of the iPhone, I'm checking b.org all the time, and can actually keep up in Bitches. ;)
Seriously, the iphone is great. Battery life really depends on what you need. For instance, no bluetooth, turn it off, and save a TON of battery. If you get a lot of calls, and do a lot of email/surfing, the battery will drain. High graphic apps will also drain the battery. If you have sketchy AT&T coverage, it sucks. If you have lots of AT&T coverage, no problem. All in all, I love my iphone (but I'm also an apple whore, so... take that with a grain of salt).