How old you are...

[Romeosc]

I remember when:

Phones had dials
TV stations went off air at midnight

 

[KarenNWendyn]

Here’s another perspective from the field of medicine.

I went to medical school in the ‘80’s. Back then, Reserpine and Aldomet (alphamethyl dopa) were both standard treatments for high blood pressure. Ibuprofen and Naproxen were only available by prescription. There was no “opioid crisis” and medical marijuana was not yet a thing.
Gold shots were standard treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Drug companies were not advertising on TV (that started in the late ‘80’s).

And ALS was mentioned only in a couple sentences in my medical text book (maybe that hasn’t changed).

 

[ShiftKicker]

I am loving that this thread has almost (not quite!) devolved into the technological version of the Monty Python "Yorkshiremen" skit.

 

[bigmark1954]

I spent my career in engineering at Motorola. My main focus was data and voice communication. I have most of the old radios, brick phones, pagers, modems (when a 9600 modem was bigger than a shoe box). My team designed and implemented most of the world's cellular networks.
Loved being in the field! Then I became director of international engineering. That's when all the fun ended!
So, I'm old!

My first cell was the size of a brick and I thought I was a cool mofo. It was about $500 and the service very expensive.

I used it all the time and the first bill I got was $390 cuz I made long distance calls to order inventory for my business. After that learning curve I didn't use it much, but I was still a cool mofo!

 

[KarenNWendyn]

But here are a few other remembrances:

Milk used to be delivered in glass bottles.

We did fine without cellphones.

People took notes by hand.

Handwriting (cursive) was even taught in school.

I went to college with an electric typewriter, a bottle of whiteout, and a Texas Instruments calculator (Hewlett-Packard made the competitor calculator). We bought our textbooks at the campus bookstore (nothing was “online”).

I used to watch Monty Python, but I don’t recall the Yorkshireman skit. Sounds funny.

 

[mpnatx]

"Ibuprofen and Naproxen were only available by prescription".

Karen, during high school, I worked as a pharmacist apprentice. I could fill prescriptions under a Pharmacists supervision. The laws have changed since then. I remember we sold cough medicine and others with codeine right on shelves.
"I went to college with an electric typewriter, a bottle of whiteout, and a Texas Instruments calculator"

I went to college using a slide rule. No calculators yet. No internet either!
Again, I am old!

 

[bigmark1954]

The 80's are a bit of a blur, I partied with rock stars and dated super models. I miraculously had a very successful business and kept up with the professional part of my life. Everything else in my personal went to sh!t.

I feel lucky to have even survived the 80's. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and wish I could do it all over again. I would definatley do it a lot differently.

I sugar coated this post because the fine details are somewhat ugly.

 

[Romeosc]

We used sliderule @ Georgia Tech

 

[Chincoteaguer]

Greg;

"Ah! But did you have to work with Autocoder? Punch cards?"

Did not work work Autocoder but it was around.

Punched cards were another whole kettle of fish. I started as a keypunch operator. For younger folks, keypunching is not a boxing term.

From keypunching I progressed to EAM (electronic accounting machine) equipment which was totally punched card oriented.

By the way, no one has mentioned magnetic tape.

Ernie

 

[GregK]

The first of these will only be appreciated by the hardcore or oldtime geeks, the second will drawn equal amounts of pity and scorn from everyone.

1) I actually saw a VAX/VMS system infected by the WANK worm*.!

2) In the very late 70's or the very early 80's, right after i got a CompSci degree (BSCS), I blew an interview with Microsoft to become a printer driver programmer.

*You can Google it, if curious.

 

[Clearwater AL]

Marty, I have used a lot of Motorola equipment. As a user.

I hold six FCC licenses, Global Marine Distress and Safety System Operator, (GMDSS).
GMDSS Maintainers License, Ship Radar License, Marine Radio Operator License, General Radio/Telephone Operators License and Advanced Class Amateur Radio License.

So much of it was Motorola equipment.

Ooops... I was a little late following up on Marty's post from page one. Sorry to the others.

 

[mpnatx]

Ernie, I learned about punch cards in high school when the first data processing department was established. I also remember the large rooms full of reels dedicated to the collection and storage of data.

Greg, you've earned my pity on number 2.

Romeo, slide rules were pretty cool back then. Took a while to master. What a pleasure when affordable calculators came out.

Al, fun hobby. We had a Motorola museum on campus. I enjoyed taking kids and freinds and giving them the tour. They have all the old stuff there.

Mark, Glad you survived the 80s. Sugar coated? Let's hear the good stuff!

A lot of memories that I haven't thought about in a long time. Great thread!

 

[Chincoteaguer]

Here is a word picture of a computer from the early to mid 60s.

A console the size of two washing machines side by side with a built in counter top keyboard, a pedestal control board with numerous switches, and enough counter space for a bookkeeper.

At least 3 more core memory cabinets lined up against and the same size as the console.

Ther were 8 magnetic tape drives: 1 binary run tape drive for programs and 7 data tape drives each the size of a refrigerator.

A high impact hammer driven printer at the end of the cabinets and about the same size.

Mounting and dismounting the vacuum contolled data tapes was an art form that was well recognized at the time.

This definetly qualifies me for the "as old as dirt" moniker.

 

[GregK]

Chincoteaguer,

My first *federal* IT job at FtMeade had my 'desk' out on the computer room floor, next to a TU77 and a TU78 tape drive.
Edit: an extra hint for the geeks, I'm an old DECie.

And people thinking vacuum cleaners are noisy!

 

[Chincoteaguer]

Greg;,

"And people thinking vacuum cleaners are noisy!"

Wearing hearing aids in both ears today mainly because of high decibel noise in computer rooms.

Not familiar with TU77 and TU78 nomenclature but you've obviously been there and done that.

Ernie