Date   : Thu, 18 Nov 2010 07:48:16 -0600
From   : jules.richardson99@... (Jules Richardson)
Subject: [OT] Who'da thought...

Rick Murray wrote:
> And thinking, hasn't it all come a long way?
> 
>    1200/75            ->  megabits
>    2MHz CPUs          ->  multiple cores at >2GHz
>    32K                ->  1Gb minimum
>    64K addressing     ->  hundreds of gigabytes
>    tapes for storage  ->  half terrabyte harddiscs as standard
> 
> 
> Yet, you know what? I kinda miss the simplicity of the BBC era machines. 

I hear ya. I'm fond of pointing out that I'm no more productive with a modern 
computer at several GHz than I was with a system of 20 years ago. I still use 
it as a tool for the same sort of stuff, and it doesn't let me write code any 
faster or send an email any quicker. The only difference is that I stood a 
good chance of fixing the 20 year old machine when it went wrong, but the 
modern system turns into a big ol' boat anchor when it screws up. It's a lot 
to give up just for instant Asians and naked kittens, or however you put it.

I really, really hate over-complicated sh*t that doesn't give me any real 
benefit. I'm not a luddite because I'm all for technology - but technology 
that's simple, well-documented, and solving well-defined real-world problems 
without a billion bells and whistles to get in the way.

(oh, re. 64Kb links - I worked for a company that had one in 1996, for over 
100 users. Even worse, it wasn't always-on, but some kind of pay-by-the-minute 
deal, so they'd turn it on for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple 
in the afternoon. Then it got upgraded - I can't remember what to, but it was 
terribly fast in comparison - and everyone went a bit loopy :-)

cheers

Jules