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usonian

(22,988 posts)

5. 80's computers were more fun.

Reply to Peacetrain (Original post)

Wed Aug 13, 2025, 10:30 AM

Aug 2025

I built a career from my "hobby"

BTW: the Pickett N600-ES was a NASA-issue model for moon landing days.

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Attilatheblond Ptah Ms. Toad erronis TexasTowelie republianmushroom littlemissmartypants Bernardo de La Paz Silent Type NNadir Dem2theMax CaptainTruth Peacetrain RandomNumbers

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So I got a hard time from a younger relative about how to use a computer when we first got one.. [View all] Peacetrain Aug 2025 OP

Hahaha! SheltieLover Aug 2025 #1

Back in those days I loved my slide rules. Tried a few varieties including circular. erronis Aug 2025 #2

I still have a few, including a circular one. The advantage is that the outer scale is 3 times longer than the diameter Bernardo de La Paz Aug 2025 #16

Yeah, I had one in H.S. that came with a cheap vinyl pocket protector Conjuay Aug 2025 #33

Wow, I didn't know that. My dad had one. electric_blue68 Aug 2025 #17

Love the reports of young people meeting up with a slide rule! Attilatheblond Aug 2025 #3

Better yet, ask them to rebuild the carburetor. indusurb Aug 2025 #4

Timing belt? Is that what holds pants up, but only for a certain amount of time? Attilatheblond Aug 2025 #6

Germans can tell time on analog clocks Old Crank Aug 2025 #41

80's computers were more fun. usonian Aug 2025 #5

Boy, anything with 5+ bands really fires up my geek juices. erronis Aug 2025 #39

I presume you mean scales on the slide-rule for "bands" usonian Aug 2025 #46

Yep - scales. I knew there used to be a term in the brain but it didn't bubble up soon enough. erronis Aug 2025 #47

Glad that you survived. usonian Aug 2025 #48

Oh hell, they can't even read cursive! Totally Tunsie Aug 2025 #7

WW2 :( fernlady Aug 2025 #8

And many professions had their own slide rules sorcrow Aug 2025 #36

Glad I saved my abacus. Sneederbunk Aug 2025 #9

I remember seeing "Apollo 13" in the theater . . . hatrack Aug 2025 #10

I love that movie. Scientists were the heroes! yardwork Aug 2025 #14

This is one of my favorite scenes from that movie. WinstonSmith4740 Aug 2025 #20

It's the same thing that made The Martian so appealing - a movie about people solving problems . . . hatrack Aug 2025 #27

Yeah, the audience can laugh all they want.... sdfernando Aug 2025 #30

I took about 50 of my fellow NASA employees to a matinee showing of Apollo 13 lapfog_1 Aug 2025 #52

I designed and built my first microprocessor based computer in high school. hunter Aug 2025 #11

All of those computers and other technology were invented by and developed by Boomers. MineralMan Aug 2025 #12

On a Teletype Model 33? LiberalArkie Aug 2025 #29

IBM 1620. MineralMan Aug 2025 #49

Thank you! usonian Aug 2025 #37

My first encounter with a "computer" was a tabulator, sorter, printer programmed with plug boards. erronis Aug 2025 #40

I'm so old I know people who refused to surrender their use of slide rules. NNadir Aug 2025 #13

Proverbs 16:18 littlemissmartypants Aug 2025 #15

Had to Rebl2 Aug 2025 #19

For the followers of Eastern religion: usonian Aug 2025 #38

What makes you think that this is of interest here? ... littlemissmartypants Aug 2025 #44

I had a circular slide ruler LogDog75 Aug 2025 #18

Spock Celerity Aug 2025 #21

Slippery Stick Liberal In Texas Aug 2025 #22

I've seen videos of the millennials trying to use a dial phone....it's hilarious! PortTack Aug 2025 #23

No kidding. I showed my dial telephone to a young colleague. FuzzyRabbit Aug 2025 #25

I wonder if engg undergrads still are taught how to use Vernier Calipers jfz9580m Aug 2025 #24

I was a whiz with the slide rule and loved logarithm tables. LiberalArkie Aug 2025 #26

I learned ot use a slide rule in High School, and in my very first engineering class in college. Happy Hoosier Aug 2025 #28

We went to the Moon with slide rules. Turbineguy Aug 2025 #31

And built Little Boy/Fat Man, the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, the Model T . . . hatrack Aug 2025 #42

Put a man on the moon using them. paulrevere2018 Aug 2025 #32

Move! mdbl Aug 2025 #34

Great story! You should put it all in handwriting and the young 'uns would never be able to read it FakeNoose Aug 2025 #35

Similar Story ProfessorGAC Aug 2025 #43

They'd be lost if you gave them a manual typewriter, a stack of blank papers, and an ink ribbon. Talitha Aug 2025 #45

I monitored multiple mainframe systems 12 hours a night Skittles Aug 2025 #50

I've never used a slide rule. sakabatou Aug 2025 #51

LOL...I think at one time or another, we ALL had a TI-83. Totally Tunsie Aug 2025 #54

Newest of the new. Modern technology. Early adopters. The Tandy 5000 Norrrm Aug 2025 #53