- Jan 19, 2020
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'87. But my pops had a partner in one of the businesses that worked for IBM. Reckon we were the first folks within over a dozen counties to have a real PC in the house (early 80's). I was fortunate in hindsight.
- Jul 5, 2021
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But can you no look with either hand?The trick I learned to count to 100 on my fingers helped, but I could really only add up numbers. I could never do real calculations ... but I can no-look on the keyboard number-pad
The cubicle I was in when I first went to one of the "Big 8 " firms was set up so that I could really only put my 10-key on the left (and this was pre-PCs on every desk). So, I adapted. Still better with my right, but faster than most with my left.
- Jul 5, 2021
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My HS girlfriend's dad worked for IBM and they had one in their house. I was an '85 grad.
- Jun 20, 2022
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*sigh* ... I couldn't even get good with one of those gaming pads with my left. I still use WASD and a mouse even though I got a decent one. Set it up, kept trying, but never was worth it. Still wish I'd been able to get up to speed with that thing.But can you no look with either hand?
The cubicle I was in when I first went to one of the "Big 8 " firms was set up so that I could really only put my 10-key on the left (and this was pre-PCs on every desk). So, I adapted. Still better with my right, but faster than most with my left.
Also a year behind Sancho. The Apple IIe's were put in my junior high the year I started. Got to sign up to learn on them once a week the first year and took an elective in 8th to learn on them. Then took a programing class on PALs as a freshman, but didn't ever become good at that part.
I also took typing as a sophomore (couldn't take it before I think, don't remember details) Was a one-semester class. Started with an electric ball typewriter, then we got brand new Royal 410 electronic typewriters half-way through the class. Those were fun.
Between growing up with plugged in rotary phones and 13-channel TVs, only seeing Satellite phones on shows, playing my first video games in Arcades and then to have an Atari 400 at home, having my Sony Walkman at recess, to bringing a Commadore 64 on my first tour, having a pager at my first job after the military, to using a Sony Discman, to getting my first Nokia brick after the first iteration of AT&T was broken up ... and now sitting at my two screen desktop, with my Kindle, my cell phone, the connected watch all in front of me at the same time ...
We're living in interesting times.
- Jul 5, 2021
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Ah, yes: typing. The class that kept me out of my HS top 10 (and probably top 5) - bitch told me I had an A- at the end of the year then gave me a B+. IBM Selectric II, I think (ball, like what you described). Took a Brother with case to college with me and picked up spare cash typing other peoples' papers on occasion.
We got some form of PC in 8th grade or 9th (jr high) and we would go every week or so and put in a 5.5 floppy and play a game on the green CRT screen shooting "+" signs at airplanes that i think were made like this:
/
/ /
<====<\ \
\
It's been more than forty years, so can't really remember. Only programming class I had was Cobol as a Freshman in college. Number 4 out of about 500, but it wasn't what I was planning to do.
Had Pong, an early Atari and was one of the first kids I know of that got to play Space Invaders in the arcade at the alley where my dad bowled. Preferred Galaga, and there was this other one I can't remember the name of where you used a rotary controller and fired at things coming down different geometrically shaped alleys. Fun times.
This damn site won't recognize the spaces in front of the damn wings and I can't get the indent function to do it right.... You get the fucking idea....
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Ah Tempest. Loved that game. Played it the first time at the '82 Worlds Fair in Knoxville. Back when arcades were truly magical places. Great memories.
- Jun 20, 2022
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Damn, that takes me back. Missile Command and Centipede were the ones I played the most at arcades ... and we had a special knob attachment for our later Ataris to play games like Tempest.
However, most of my time at arcades was spent at Pinball machines or Skeeball though. Man, I wore the Buck Rogers machine at the Straw Hat out! And I'd amassed so many tickets from the local amusement park arcade that when my then-pre-teen cousin visited when I was in my 20s I told her she could have whatever she wanted from the prize counter ... she picked a good one. Only cost a few thousand tickets. (The worker wasn't happy with me, but kept smiling for my cousin)
One of the most painful moments for me (philosophically speaking) was when the last pinball machine was taken out of the place I bowl league at (in fact, apparently it was so painful a memory I can't remember if it happened before closing for the pandemic or after reopening). Anyway, probably hadn't played it more than once or twice a year when it happened, but still ...
EDIT: Almost forgot. Got my first boombox with tickets from that same arcade ^_^ That also came with me and my Commodore.
You genX guys make me feel young again.
- Dec 27, 2017
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I had to look that up 'cause I thought you were talking about Robotron, but I remember it now. I sucked at that one (and Robotron for that matter ...)
- Jan 7, 2022
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Now I want to listen to some The Who.
- Jun 20, 2022
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- Jan 19, 2020
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My elder brother. First one on the forums I can recall that didn't say "boomer". Snowflakes don't understand that our parents born post-WW2 are the baby boomers... we were born into 'Nam (Fort Sill baby myself).
- Jan 7, 2022
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No wonder people think I'm nuts, right? Maybe I am, just maybe...
Peace
- Jan 16, 2023
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No wonder people think I'm nuts, right? Maybe I am, just maybe...
Peace
Very happy to see you're with us today.
These stories are important to remind us not to take things for granted.
*respect*
- Jun 14, 2020
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If someone calls you boomer it's not about your physical age.
- Jan 19, 2020
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Well bud, I refuse to recognize Snoflake imposed slangs for those that already existed for decades... nor "preferred pronouns". To each their own though.
- Jun 14, 2020
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Well, I'm a boomer myself in my country which isn't the same generation as in your country. This "slang" is just an answer of the young people to simple minded opinions expressed by people, mostly baby boomers, which the speaker individually perceives as narrow-minded, outdated, negatively derogatory, or condescending. Often these are statements related to technological progress, global warming, the definition of minorities or general attitudes and values of the younger generations. So, if you call people Snowflake it just confirms their perception about you as a boomer. It's a typical generational conflict. On the one hand, the generations that brought about today's situations and, on the other hand, those who have to live with these situations. The fact that the boomers feel attacked by the allegations is in the nature of things.