Things you don’t see anymore...

[John]

Just on the theme of calculators:

PDAs
Pocket Computers like this one:

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Modern luxury. At work I wrote FORTRAN programmes to control test equipment then manually transferred them to paper tape. I put the paper tape into a reader then spent quite a while establishing a phone call to New York before sending my code down the line where it was transferred to one of the few computers in the world capable of running it. After it was compiled (hours or days later) they called me and we established a phone link from the computer to my test equipment. When it worked - great. When it didn’t work the fun started trying to find out what was wrong: my programming, punch tape error, line corruption on the way to the states, compiler error, line corruption on the way back to the U.K., or test equipment fault. I very soon learnt to make sure there were no errors in my programming!

Not quite the same. - but for years I did critical path project planning. After spending weeks manually drawing the planning networks onto A0, we'd have to write all the nodes, durations, relationships and descriptions on paper, send that to a processing house with a main frame who, in entered the data and ran the programme (which would take from hours to day depending on number of activities. We'd receive reams of the blue & white eye-line paper, have to check the accuracy of the input and then analyse our critical path, update and start again.

It was a process that now happens in real time on a desktop.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Just on the theme of calculators:

PDAs
Pocket Computers like this one:

I had a company supplied Sharp version of that which attached to a printer (late 70s) amazing how we have moved on.

 

[Ted]

While we’re on about computers...

Music ruled 132 column fan fold paper.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Those computer printed pictures made up of ASCII characters......

 

[John]

While we’re on about computers...

Music ruled 132 column fan fold paper.

Is that the paper with green lines and perforations?

I can remember drawing / painting on that at nursery quite a few weeks or so ago.

 

[Ted]

Is that the paper with green lines and perforations?

I can remember drawing / painting on that at nursery quite a few weeks or so ago.

That’s the one!!

 

[John]

That’s the one!!

Amazing how fresh the memories are from when you are 4 or 5!

 

[moonloops]

Shops

 

[James Copeland]

Telex machines

 

[Chrishazle]

Once upon a time I'd take my hand written morning report up to the radio room, then head down to the galley for breakfast. By the time I'd had brekky there would be a draft copy of my morning report on my desk - the radio op had typed it up on the telex machine, cutting a paper tape as he did. I'd do any required corrections, take the draft back to the RO and he'd make the corrections then send the report to my onshore mangement while I went back to the office for coffee etc. Excellent system, seldom if ever any problem getting the report away before 7!

Progress called computer reports came, which meant logging on to the onshore system via something slower and less forgiving than a dial-up modem (anyone remember those??!) and had me sat in front of the PC typing and hoping, having started at 6am, that I could get it finished and sent before 7.30, or I'd get a roasting from my onshore boss for being late with my morning report - and at 6am I was only adding the report from 3pm as I'd had to input an afternoon report!!

How long ago was this - well, the first computer reporting system was trialled in 1985, but as a contractor I was moved to another rig so payroll guys suffered the trial, but I still suffered the system in the early 1990's with the Dutch part of the same company!

 

[markjay]

Cap guns.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Typing pools with lots of lovely ladies.....

 

[bes1110]

Spud guns

 

[Peter103]

Pea shooters.

 

[RonFleet]

Is that the paper with green lines and perforations?

I can remember drawing / painting on that at nursery quite a few weeks or so ago.

When I was programming back in the 70s and 80s, this paper was known as "lineflow".

 

[Deleted member 126251]

When I was programming back in the 70s and 80s, this paper was known as "lineflow".

We called it "eyeline"..

 

[Deleted member 126251]

18 year old virgins .....

 

[Monkeylegend]

An exciting F1 race worth watching.
The old guy who came round on his modified bike sharpening knives, scissors, garden shears etc.
Coal lorry delivering sacks of coal.
Clackers.
An exciting F1 race wor............. oh already mentioned that.

 

[ToeKnee]

Fish and chips in newspaper.