Being a Computer Dummy Ain't Easy!

[Bird]

the old TRS-80 Color Computer (Trash-80 to some)....that brings
back memories

At the time I got mine, a friend and neighbor across the alley was a vice president of one of the biggest banks in Dallas and his wife worked for Ross Perot's EDS. They were both computer experts. His job at the bank was everything related to electronic funds transfer. And when he got down with back trouble, he resigned from the bank, and while lying in the floor at home, he wrote a basic language program on a TRS-80 model III computer that he sold to other banks. And after finally having back surgery that fixed his problem, the bank talked him into coming back to his old job.

Yep, we referred to them as Trash 80s, but they were actually quite good computers and I was sorry to see Radio Shack get out of that business.

 

[dfkrug]

Yep, we referred to them as Trash 80s, but they were actually quite good computers and I was sorry to see Radio Shack get out of that business.

As I recall (may be a bit faulty), the original TRS-80 was the #1 computer
in the world (quantity) at one time, and its processor (Zilog Z-80) was
#1 too... Not for long.

 

[Soundguy]

Hey, Chris, I know I'm getting old and slow, but you're a little younger. The name of that game was simply Gorillas.

I',m working at low power here.. been flat on my back with acute bronchitis since monday evening.. have sinus and ear infections.. so I'm not quick on the draw right now.

To the other poster.. if you are refering to punch cards.. while they were out of style when i was young.. I have worked on a few card wallopers.. face down, 9-edge first mean anything?

soundguy

 

[Bird]

flat on my back with acute bronchitis

You have my sympathy. I've been there, but it's been a long time ago. Hope you get well soon.

 

[jinman]

. . . acute bronchitis

There ain't nuthin' cute about bronchitis.

Get better Chris! ...and that's a order.

 

[jinman]

OK, I'll bite; what's a plugboard?

Bird here is a link to the exact plugboard I learned to program. You did the programming and then fed in a stack of punched cards with data. The first one of these I ever saw was at Cooke County Junior College in the mid-'60s. It was pretty old even then, but they used it to produce some student records. It had type on several long bars that were postioned vertically and then a hammer would strike them to produce print. I don't remember all the details, but I do remember the plugboards and learning how to program them to do basic math functions.

Here's a link to some info on Wikipedia.

IBM 402/407 Accounting machine Plugboards

Edit: And here's a link to the description of the IBM 402:
IBM 402 Accounting Machine

 

[Bird]

Punchcards, I've seen, but the plugboards and that accounting machine are something I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of before. Incidentally, the nice young salesman I dealt with at Best Buy had no idea what a daisy wheel printer was.

 

[Soundguy]

Bird and Jinman

I came down with it monday afternoon.. though it was alergies.. so went to work a double on teusday, after pulling a double on monday.. ( mistake )..I did manage to get to the DR at lunch on tuesday though. this is sure some bad stuff... I moved over to the guest bedroom to keep the wife from getting it....

soundguy