Blast From the Past
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 12:23PM My first computer was an original IBM PC. I paid over $2000 for the 8088 machine equipped with two 360K floppy drives, a 10” amber monochrome monitor and no hard drive. Looking back, the technology is almost laughable, but one thing the system came with that wasn’t quickly outdated was an authentic 84-key IBM “Model M” mechanical keyboard. In fact, as I went through several hardware upgrades over the next few years, the only piece of the original system that survived was that keyboard. I cycled through 286, 386, 486 and Pentium machines. Each new machine came with whichever clone manufacturer’s default keyboard which I would try for a time then inevitably revert to my old IBM “clicker”. After 10 years, the old keyboard just got too worn and ugly to use with a shiny new computer. Plus, the old 9-pin keyboard plug got to be a hassle to convert to PS/2 and then USB. But, it never failed to work flawlessly even after multiple spills, drops and general abuse. The thing was built like a tank.
Fast-forward 20 years.
Woz Is Officially "Round th' Bend"
What the hell has gotten into the boy? I mean, we've always thought the guy was a nerdy genius in the '70s (he wanted to give the Apple I boards away) and thanked God every day it was Steve Jobs making the business decisions back then, but this is crazy on a whole new level. While they're at it, Apple could make a Windows phone too. Hell, why not a trifecta? Build a Blackberry model just to show everybody they really know how to lose billions with the best of 'em!
Woz, Woz. What are we going to do with you? Im starting to feel about him the way I feel about my 84 year-old uncle Gene who puts his shoes on the wrong feet, forgets to zip his pants and still talks to aunt Sally who's been dead for fifteen years.
Here in Texas we just say, "Bless his heart!"