Widows 7 Or 8?

[TomGoodheart 373]

LOL First (and really only) language I learned was FORTRAN IV when at university. I never saw the hardware - that was in another building - and everything was input using punched cards. Seriously tedious just getting the thing to draw a simple shape, so it's amazing to think that people did actual work on the thing!

My second job we had an upgrade and they showed us all this box a bit smaller than a suitcase and told us it held 5GB. I was blown away by that. FIVE GIGS!

Of course nowadays the next door neighbour's cat has more processing power in the chip on his collar than was needed to run the spaceshuttle. Trouble is, everything just eats the stuff. We'd be able to do so much more if only we could find a way to write programmes for a machine that has, let's say, only 128kB .. oh, wait ...

[DaveG38 385]

Great time line David! BTW...if you were involved in all those different software/System changes, you must be nearly as old as me! Ha,Ha!

I stole the timeline from Wikipedia

My first computing experience was was with CP/M (anyone remember that - Digital research) using a Z80 card in an Apple ][, we had a massive brute of a hard disk with the amazing capacity of 5MB!

Later we migrated to DOS and then Santa Cruz Xenix - using a Tandon AT with a 100MB disk (this hardware cost £2000 in 1986)

My favourite operating system has to be RiscOS running on an Acorn Archimedes, though Amiga Dos was interesting

So yes Bob, I am that old, and I haven't written a line of code for over 20 years now,so everything getting a bit rusty

David

Too cool David.

I started with a TRS-80, with two floppy drives (one for the Operating system), with a fabulous 48k Memory board. Then on to a Olivetti PC with PCos operating system, then IBM PC, then IBM XT (5 MB disk), Multiple IBM AT's, Dell (multiple), and currently have a HP Omni27, Multiple channel, with Beats Audio! It been a great ride!

When I first started in electronics it was tube technology, then tranisters, Then integrated circuits, then large scale IC's, then PC's on a chip (286,386.486, etc), and now multi-Core, and multi channel...

Your TRS-80 sounds just like the ICL DRS8801 I first used around 1979/80. A basic word processor using large floppy discs and with two drives, one of which was used to load the operating system. It had a brown screen and yellow characters on screen and the delete function worked the opposite way to a modern PC - the cursor had to be ahead of the character to be deleted. It took me a little while to get used to the change when my first real PC arrived in 1990 or so.

[RLC35 288]

Great time line David! BTW...if you were involved in all those different software/System changes, you must be nearly as old as me! Ha,Ha!

I stole the timeline from Wikipedia

My first computing experience was was with CP/M (anyone remember that - Digital research) using a Z80 card in an Apple ][, we had a massive brute of a hard disk with the amazing capacity of 5MB!

Later we migrated to DOS and then Santa Cruz Xenix - using a Tandon AT with a 100MB disk (this hardware cost £2000 in 1986)

My favourite operating system has to be RiscOS running on an Acorn Archimedes, though Amiga Dos was interesting

So yes Bob, I am that old, and I haven't written a line of code for over 20 years now,so everything getting a bit rusty

David

Too cool David.

I started with a TRS-80, with two floppy drives (one for the Operating system), with a fabulous 48k Memory board. Then on to a Olivetti PC with PCos operating system, then IBM PC, then IBM XT (5 MB disk), Multiple IBM AT's, Dell (multiple), and currently have a HP Omni27, Multiple channel, with Beats Audio! It been a great ride!

When I first started in electronics it was tube technology, then tranisters, Then integrated circuits, then large scale IC's, then PC's on a chip (286,386.486, etc), and now multi-Core, and multi channel...

Your TRS-80 sounds just like the ICL DRS8801 I first used around 1979/80. A basic word processor using large floppy discs and with two drives, one of which was used to load the operating system. It had a brown screen and yellow characters on screen and the delete function worked the opposite way to a modern PC - the cursor had to be ahead of the character to be deleted. It took me a little while to get used to the change when my first real PC arrived in 1990 or so.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS560US560&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1920&bih=947&tbm=isch&imgil=-gPZR0du6qyPhM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcRa718mzZWM-Y8oJdsgrj8mpig24CZYkdwRHTVqGhfH_-CFMIa-7w%253B1160%253B841%253Bk9qtviDgfJtjHM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fclassiccmp.org%25252Fdunfield%25252Ftrs80%25252Findex.htm&source=iu&usg=__HVxB4FKZAPN969xbjoQcpanv0pE%3D&sa=X&ei=RpIxU5HCIuGyyAHbuoDQBw&ved=0CEsQ9QEwBw&q=trs80%20processor#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=-gPZR0du6qyPhM%253A%3Bk9qtviDgfJtjHM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fclassiccmp.org%252Fdunfield%252Ftrs80%252Fh%252Fm3front.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fclassiccmp.org%252Fdunfield%252Ftrs80%252Findex.htm%3B1160%3B841

The above is my first PC, the Tandy TRS80 model III. It was Z80 based, and I added acoustical modem, that was used with a telephone handset to get on line. Talk about the iron age! LOL!

[RLC35 288]

Great time line David! BTW...if you were involved in all those different software/System changes, you must be nearly as old as me! Ha,Ha!

I stole the timeline from Wikipedia

My first computing experience was was with CP/M (anyone remember that - Digital research) using a Z80 card in an Apple ][, we had a massive brute of a hard disk with the amazing capacity of 5MB!

Later we migrated to DOS and then Santa Cruz Xenix - using a Tandon AT with a 100MB disk (this hardware cost £2000 in 1986)

My favourite operating system has to be RiscOS running on an Acorn Archimedes, though Amiga Dos was interesting

So yes Bob, I am that old, and I haven't written a line of code for over 20 years now,so everything getting a bit rusty

David

Too cool David.

I started with a TRS-80, with two floppy drives (one for the Operating system), with a fabulous 48k Memory board. Then on to a Olivetti PC with PCos operating system, then IBM PC, then IBM XT (5 MB disk), Multiple IBM AT's, Dell (multiple), and currently have a HP Omni27, Multiple channel, with Beats Audio! It been a great ride!

When I first started in electronics it was tube technology, then tranisters, Then integrated circuits, then large scale IC's, then PC's on a chip (286,386.486, etc), and now multi-Core, and multi channel...

Your TRS-80 sounds just like the ICL DRS8801 I first used around 1979/80. A basic word processor using large floppy discs and with two drives, one of which was used to load the operating system. It had a brown screen and yellow characters on screen and the delete function worked the opposite way to a modern PC - the cursor had to be ahead of the character to be deleted. It took me a little while to get used to the change when my first real PC arrived in 1990 or so.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS560US560&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1920&bih=947&tbm=isch&imgil=-gPZR0du6qyPhM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcRa718mzZWM-Y8oJdsgrj8mpig24CZYkdwRHTVqGhfH_-CFMIa-7w%253B1160%253B841%253Bk9qtviDgfJtjHM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fclassiccmp.org%25252Fdunfield%25252Ftrs80%25252Findex.htm&source=iu&usg=__HVxB4FKZAPN969xbjoQcpanv0pE%3D&sa=X&ei=RpIxU5HCIuGyyAHbuoDQBw&ved=0CEsQ9QEwBw&q=trs80%20processor#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=-gPZR0du6qyPhM%253A%3Bk9qtviDgfJtjHM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fclassiccmp.org%252Fdunfield%252Ftrs80%252Fh%252Fm3front.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fclassiccmp.org%252Fdunfield%252Ftrs80%252Findex.htm%3B1160%3B841

The above was my first Computer. A Tandy TRS80, Model III. This was about 1981. It has a Z80 processor, and was as slow as a turtle! I hooked a acoustical modem to it (used with a telephone handset) to get on line. It was the beginning of a era for me! LOL!

[Peckris 579]

I remember a Project Manager stopping me on the stairs in the late 80s and proudly announcing that after an upgrade each employee now had a workspace/storage area of 2 GIGABYTES! I looked at him blankly. What's a gigabyte?

[Peckris 579]

Oh yes - I just remembered the make of my first PC : it was a "Beltron". Yeah, you never heard of it either

[Fubar 71]

This was my first computer. Fortunately I managed to sell it on when 'er indoors kicked off about losing the front room.

[Fubar 71]

Then I migrated to this. Just a bit more compact.

[Peckris 579]

PC1.jpg

This was my first computer. Fortunately I managed to sell it on when 'er indoors kicked off about losing the front room.

Haha - nicely Photoshopped. Just a pity you forgot about the reflection in the mirror

[RLC35 288]

Then I migrated to this. Just a bit more compact.

PC2.jpg

Is that a Digital PDP-11? (DEC). That looks like the usual config, CPU/ 2 Drives/9 track tape. That was a popular unit early on. It looks like you are ready for any contingency with the full set of replacement cards on top of the Tape Drive! Ha, Ha!

[numismatist 2]

Been a lot of rumours that Windows " 8 " will soon be ditched by Microsoft.

A friend recently bought " 8 " for his wife and he says its so bad he cannot

use it. A large company owning friend had to update to " 8 " for just the

one recent computer and he says the operator using that works at about

50% of his other staff . He's been trying to down grade it to Windows " 7 "

but has failed so far.......I should go for Windows " 7 " if you can find one.

[Peckris 579]

Then I migrated to this. Just a bit more compact.

PC2.jpg

Is that a Digital PDP-11? (DEC). That looks like the usual config, CPU/ 2 Drives/9 track tape. That was a popular unit early on. It looks like you are ready for any contingency with the full set of replacement cards on top of the Tape Drive! Ha, Ha!

See my reply just above yours - there's been some Photoshop jiggery pokery going on

[Fubar 71]

Then I migrated to this. Just a bit more compact.

PC2.jpg

Is that a Digital PDP-11? (DEC). That looks like the usual config, CPU/ 2 Drives/9 track tape. That was a popular unit early on. It looks like you are ready for any contingency with the full set of replacement cards on top of the Tape Drive! Ha, Ha!

See my reply just above yours - there's been some Photoshop jiggery pokery going on

I can assure you there's been no Photoshop jiggery-pokery going on at all.

It took an awful lot of looking after -

A Digico M28 with 3 Pertec 23Mb hard drives, a Pertec tape deck and around a couple of Meg of RAM.

OK if you want to do some accounts, word processing or play DND.

[Fubar 71]

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon trying to find an upgrade from XP to 7 pro with no luck whatsoever. You can get all sorts of OEM versions of 7 but no official upgrades. I won't consider 8 without having a touch screen. I've found it too difficult to use without.

My second PC, above, was another Digico based around a Z80A processor and running CP/M.

WRT the first one - look in the mirror on the second pic.

This was my third and I still have it but now with an 8 meg Winchester in place of the top floppie.

My son (pictured) is now in his 30s with a son as old as he was when this was taken. I occasionally fire the beast up to play a couple of games.

Originally adapted from the Heathkit it was changed a lot by the time this "Prince III" came along.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Fubar

[RLC35 288]

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon trying to find an upgrade from XP to 7 pro with no luck whatsoever. You can get all sorts of OEM versions of 7 but no official upgrades. I won't consider 8 without having a touch screen. I've found it too difficult to use without.

My second PC, above, was another Digico based around a Z80A processor and running CP/M.

WRT the first one - look in the mirror on the second pic.

This was my third and I still have it but now with an 8 meg Winchester in place of the top floppie.

PC3.jpg

My son (pictured) is now in his 30s with a son as old as he was when this was taken. I occasionally fire the beast up to play a couple of games.

Originally adapted from the Heathkit it was changed a lot by the time this "Prince III" came along.

Interesting stuff Fubar...thanks for the walk down memory lane!

[Peckris 579]

Then I migrated to this. Just a bit more compact.

PC2.jpg

Is that a Digital PDP-11? (DEC). That looks like the usual config, CPU/ 2 Drives/9 track tape. That was a popular unit early on. It looks like you are ready for any contingency with the full set of replacement cards on top of the Tape Drive! Ha, Ha!

See my reply just above yours - there's been some Photoshop jiggery pokery going on

I can assure you there's been no Photoshop jiggery-pokery going on at all.

It took an awful lot of looking after -

PC1-2.jpg

A Digico M28 with 3 Pertec 23Mb hard drives, a Pertec tape deck and around a couple of Meg of RAM.

OK if you want to do some accounts, word processing or play DND.

Ok, I believe you! But I NEVER saw a domestic unit like that - it looks like a computer you'd find in the IT department of some small to medium company of the early 80s. My inevitable follow-up question would be, why didn't you get the Apple II, which was pre-Mac (presumably the era we're talking about), but was the leading home computer of its day or, if we're past 1981, why not an IBM PC or even a clone? Or a DEC? That unit you have there is totally OTT for home computing.

[RLC35 288]

Then I migrated to this. Just a bit more compact.

PC2.jpg

Is that a Digital PDP-11? (DEC). That looks like the usual config, CPU/ 2 Drives/9 track tape. That was a popular unit early on. It looks like you are ready for any contingency with the full set of replacement cards on top of the Tape Drive! Ha, Ha!

See my reply just above yours - there's been some Photoshop jiggery pokery going on

I can assure you there's been no Photoshop jiggery-pokery going on at all.

It took an awful lot of looking after -

PC1-2.jpg

A Digico M28 with 3 Pertec 23Mb hard drives, a Pertec tape deck and around a couple of Meg of RAM.

OK if you want to do some accounts, word processing or play DND.

Ok, I believe you! But I NEVER saw a domestic unit like that - it looks like a computer you'd find in the IT department of some small to medium company of the early 80s. My inevitable follow-up question would be, why didn't you get the Apple II, which was pre-Mac (presumably the era we're talking about), but was the leading home computer of its day or, if we're past 1981, why not an IBM PC or even a clone? Or a DEC? That unit you have there is totally OTT for home computing.

The system shown by Fubar is not a domestic unit and was probably one that was being de-installed (during a new system install), and as you probably know, those removed systems had little value, so they are sold for very little, or even given away, since they only had "gold contact" value, which was very little. As you can see, there is a oscilliscope near the unit in one of the pictures, which tells me the owner was a techie, and probably cut a deal for the unit, from one of his clients. I got one of my early units the same way. The older units were big and bulky, but still worked great in most cases, when they were de-installed and replaced with newer systems.

[Nordle11 564]

I remember a Project Manager stopping me on the stairs in the late 80s and proudly announcing that after an upgrade each employee now had a workspace/storage area of 2 GIGABYTES! I looked at him blankly. What's a gigabyte?

Hahaha amazing.

[Debbie 58]

Fubar that makes me think of bletchley park!

[TomGoodheart 373]

Been a lot of rumours that Windows " 8 " will soon be ditched by Microsoft.

A friend recently bought " 8 " for his wife and he says its so bad he cannot

use it. A large company owning friend had to update to " 8 " for just the

one recent computer and he says the operator using that works at about

50% of his other staff . He's been trying to down grade it to Windows " 7 "

but has failed so far.......I should go for Windows " 7 " if you can find one.

Many businesses (including my employers) have stuck with the tried and tested XP. Our computer at work has a Win7 sticker but that was removed and XP loaded ( )

8 really seems to have been designed for mobile device use. Unfortunately that doesn't fit what most businesses use. I think Microsoft need to decide whether they can afford to run a business and a mobile package, whether 8 needs tweaking so it will work better on conventional keyboard/ desk based setups, or whether one OS will have to go ...

[Colin G. 147]

What I find surprising is that my teenage daughter really likes Windows 8, she finds it much easier to use than any previous versions. Perhaps they have just targeted the next generation and us oldies have to adapt

[Peckris 579]

Been a lot of rumours that Windows " 8 " will soon be ditched by Microsoft.

A friend recently bought " 8 " for his wife and he says its so bad he cannot

use it. A large company owning friend had to update to " 8 " for just the

one recent computer and he says the operator using that works at about

50% of his other staff . He's been trying to down grade it to Windows " 7 "

but has failed so far.......I should go for Windows " 7 " if you can find one.

Many businesses (including my employers) have stuck with the tried and tested XP. Our computer at work has a Win7 sticker but that was removed and XP loaded ( )

8 really seems to have been designed for mobile device use. Unfortunately that doesn't fit what most businesses use. I think Microsoft need to decide whether they can afford to run a business and a mobile package, whether 8 needs tweaking so it will work better on conventional keyboard/ desk based setups, or whether one OS will have to go ...

Microsoft obviously decided they could do better than Apple (not for the first time). They simply ignored the fact that there is a good reason why Apple have two distinct OS's - one for mobile devices and one for desktops and laptops.