My very first PC

[johnny333]

The PC World was actually quite happy with Lotus 123 and Word Perfect.

Remember working for a company that was still using Visicalc & Wordperfect 5.1 because they were too cheap to upgrade their PCs to run Windows


The problem with DOS based programs is that there is a higher learning curve involved in learning to use applications

Since they faced a high turnover of staff they had problems finding people who were familiar with the software.

 

[Shawshank]

U using window with the mouse.
The dinosaur using only keyboard, monitor with one color screen.

I am not sure staring at a BLACK (one colour) screen constitutes it being called a PC

 

[johnny333]

Pple still don't understand this. Apple is a Hardware company. There's a good reason why they do not want the Mac OS on other platforms

That is why people say Apple failed in the PC wars. The majority of PC owner aren't interested in a premium Mac.

Steve Jobs wanted to make BMWs. There are fewer BMW vs Toyota owners.

 

[Shawshank]

The interface we're using now is neither called an Apple interface nor a Windows interface. It's called GUI, graphic user interface. Yes, Apple MacIntosh had it first in the mid 80s. Microsoft and IBM were reluctant to move cause of resistance from dinosaur hobbyists (many of us here) who were hooked to command line direct control and sense of superiority over point-and-click dummie users. The IBM and DOS open architecture for software support also meant it harder to migrate and upgrade. Apple with proprietary software architecture had it easier.

By early 90s, the trend to GUI was irreversible and Windows 3 was the MS/IBM-compatible standard. By the mid 90s, the fledgeling of the internet was timelily met by Windows 95 and Netscape 3.

Xerox pioneered the GUI.

Apple copied Xerox
MS copied Apple

 

[Leongsam]

T

Steve Jobs wanted to make BMWs. There are fewer BMW vs Toyota owners.

There are fewer billionaires than there are paupers so I guess paupers must be superior.

 

[Leongsam]

Pple still don't understand this. Apple is a Hardware company.

http://rpad.tv/2010/10/15/john-sculley-talks-steve-jobs-microsoft-sony-and-more/

http://www.cultofmac.com/john-sculley-on-steve-jobs-the-full-interview-transcript/63295

Most tech blogs are focusing on Sculley’s admiration for Jobs and the enormous amount of praise he doles out in the interview. I thought it was more interesting to read Sculley talk about Apple’s competitors and influences. Here’s a clip where he discusses Jobs’ admiration for Sony:

The one that Steve admired was Sony. We used to go visit Akio Morita and he had really the same kind of high-end standards that Steve did and respect for beautiful products. I remember Akio Morita gave Steve and me each one of the first Sony Walkmans. None of us had ever seen anything like that before because there had never been a product like that. This is 25 years ago and Steve was fascinated by it. The first thing he did with his was take it apart and he looked at every single part. How the fit and finish was done, how it was built.

 

[johnny333]

It's interesting to read the old stuff.....

http://scripting.com/davenet/1997/07/08/thesureroadtobankruptcy.html

I've read every copy of Byte, MacWorld, & MacUser in the 80's where topics like Rhapsody, OS 8.0, ...was current

Back then there was no WWW just "tidbits" & some newsgroups on the net.

I can still remember when in the late 80's the internet was restricted in Spore:( I went around asking the people at the computer stores how I could get on to the internet, no one knew what the internet was

I found out that even at NUS, access to the internet was restricted.

How things have changed

 

[johnny333]

There are fewer billionaires than there are paupers so I guess paupers must be superior.

With age comes wisdom. SJ is now making products that have universal appeal.

He's going to sell many iPads to both billionaires & paupers. In Spore many "lesser mortals" will get an iPad

 

[Ramseth]

I can still remember when in the late 80's the internet was restricted in Spore:( I went around asking the people at the computer stores how I could get on to the internet, no one knew what the internet was

I found out that even at NUS, access to the internet was restricted.

How things have changed

In those days, I think public access to internet in Singapore was only available through SingTel Teleview. Yes, restricted contents. Instead of now ISPs filter out some contents on orders from MDA, those days Teleview provided a package of selected contents, much like cable TV nowadays. It was in the mid 90s that full-fledged ISPs sprang up.

 

[Glaringly]

Isn't you worked for DEC.

Don't you have Internet access from your place of work? Or at least access to UseNet?

Back then there was no WWW just "tidbits" & some newsgroups on the net.

I can still remember when in the late 80's the internet was restricted in Spore:( I went around asking the people at the computer stores how I could get on to the internet, no one knew what the internet was

I found out that even at NUS, access to the internet was restricted.

 

[johnny333]

Isn't you worked for DEC.

Don't you have Internet access from your place of work? Or at least access to UseNet?

No I didn't work for Dec, I was using Dec equipment while I was in Canada. Over there it was easy to get access to the internet. It was when I got back to Spore that I had a culture shock, censorship, no internet access , restrictions, ... I had all these email addresses of friends I wanted to keep in touch with but no internet access :(


I eventually got a job with an american MNC that provided provided internet access. Got to know people from Digital because the company was using their equipment & services.

 

[johnny333]

In those days, I think public access to internet in Singapore was only available through SingTel Teleview. Yes, restricted contents. Instead of now ISPs filter out some contents on orders from MDA, those days Teleview provided a package of selected contents, much like cable TV nowadays. It was in the mid 90s that full-fledged ISPs sprang up.

Has anyone here ever used Teleview

I've heard about it but don't know anyone who has used it. Did it have email?

I remember when Singtel first started offering internet access. It was costly & the application form was pages & pages & pages long with alot of legaless

In my opinion as long as the PAP is in charge, Spore's IT will suffer. Just take a look at the fibre cabling project, they expect Sporeans to pay over $100 for the privilege

 

[Ramseth]

Has anyone here ever used Teleview

I've heard about it but don't know anyone who has used it. Did it have email?

I remember when Singtel first started offering internet access. It was costly & the application form was pages & pages & pages long with alot of legaless

In my opinion as long as the PAP is in charge, Spore's IT will suffer. Just take a look at the fibre cabling project, they expect Sporeans to pay over $100 for the privilege

I had a friend who subscribed to Teleview for a while. It was expensive like S$30 or so for such limited contents. However, it was quite a novelty for those who could afford it. I figure it was more of dial-up intranet than real internet. The server had access to the real internet pages and the user accessed those pages through the intranet server. No, there wasn't e-mail.

In the mid 90s, SingNet and PacNet were the two first real full ISP. StarHub joined in a little later. M1 only joined in mid 2000s with broadband.

 

[Baimi]

I only had my 1st PC 10 years ago,
Pentium 3, 10GB HDD, 126 Ram, Windows 2000.
Cost me $2,500.
Now for $650, i can fix myself a PC.

 

[johnny333]

I only had my 1st PC 10 years ago,
Pentium 3, 10GB HDD, 126 Ram, Windows 2000.
Cost me $2,500.
Now for $650, i can fix myself a PC.

I think the biggest progress in computers is that anyone can afford & use a computer such as an iPhone, iPad. There's also no longer a need to understand the arcane mysteries of DOS's autoexec,.bat, config.sys, or Windows setup files.

 

[Glaringly]

Yes, most American MNC has access to "usenet" long before it becomes "internet" through their own internal network with the gateway in US.

And of course people who already have access to internet subscribe to local ISD because of you know what. "boobs and bottom", perhaps not your main reason.

I eventually got a job with an american MNC that provided provided internet access. Got to know people from Digital because the company was using their equipment & services.

 

[Glaringly]

I have a dialup then to my office and from there hop on to internet, no Teleview. But frankly, in those early days there isn't much to look forward, hard to locate a proper boobs and it takes forever to download, and the resolutiuon sucks.

I had a friend who subscribed to Teleview for a while. It was expensive like S$30 or so for such limited contents. However, it was quite a novelty for those who could afford it. I figure it was more of dial-up intranet than real internet. The server had access to the real internet pages and the user accessed those pages through the intranet server. No, there wasn't e-mail.

In the mid 90s, SingNet and PacNet were the two first real full ISP. StarHub joined in a little later. M1 only joined in mid 2000s with broadband.

 

[johnny333]

I had a friend who subscribed to Teleview for a while. It was expensive like S$30 or so for such limited contents. However, it was quite a novelty for those who could afford it. I figure it was more of dial-up intranet than real internet. The server had access to the real internet pages and the user accessed those pages through the intranet server. No, there wasn't e-mail.

In the mid 90s, SingNet and PacNet were the two first real full ISP. StarHub joined in a little later. M1 only joined in mid 2000s with broadband.

I bet that $30 was only for the base rate. Probably extra $$$ if a user's exceed their time limit.

Back then the value of $30 was higher, & you probably still had to pay Singtel for telephone connection charges?

What I remember was that it took years before internet access was affordable. I remember re-visiting my friends in Canada & they already had unlimited broadband services. Back then many places in the US was offering free computers & internet access. Spore will always play catchup since there's alot GLCs with monopolies.

 

[Ramseth]

I bet that $30 was only for the base rate. Probably extra $$$ if a user's exceed their time limit.

Back then the value of $30 was higher, & you probably still had to pay Singtel for telephone connection charges?

What I remember was that it took years before internet access was affordable. I remember re-visiting my friends in Canada & they already had unlimited broadband services. Back then many places in the US was offering free computers & internet access. Spore will always play catchup since there's alot GLCs with monopolies.

Yes, it was S$30 p.m. flat for basic package, to add extra features pay some more. However there no time limit as far as I recall, because those years phoneline charges were p.m. flat unlimited too. It was after the introduction of SingNet full-scale ISP dial-up that SingTel changed the phoneline charges to basic plus time based.

 

[johnny333]

Yes, most American MNC has access to "usenet" long before it becomes "internet" through their own internal network with the gateway in US.

And of course people who already have access to internet subscribe to local ISD because of you know what. "boobs and bottom", perhaps not your main reason.

Interestingly thing about DEC is that they used their internet connections for internal long distance calls. This was before the days of skype or VOIP.

The company I was working for used it to transfer large amounts of data from the various mini/mainframe computers to the HQ in the US. The yearly cost of the Spore centre for phone/data lines is over half a million dollars. The company has backup lines with British Telecomes, Satellite, Singnet,... all this costs $$$.

The interesting thing about accessing the internet from the work place is that it is not censored. Can connect to all sites including those censored ones.