On Oct 4, 3:32 pm, "R.A.Omond" wrote:
David in Normandy wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren says...

In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| Sounds like a VAX. Instead of soap, put roundup in it.
|
| or VMS.

Now, that is getting a bit too geekish :-)

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

DEC VAX VMS. Sweet memories of a "proper" operating system.

I swear more than half the contributors to this group are either current
or ex IT.

Hey, and one of us (i.e. one of me :-) is still a current
VMS consultant !

VMS - when downtime is not an option.

hiya Roy:
hahahaha; did not take you long to notice;
I was about to e-mail you to say that VMS just got mentioned in URG.
ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big things
and made noises and had flashing lights.

In article .com, Des
Higgins says...
ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big things
and made noises and had flashing lights.



And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

On Oct 8, 5:49 pm, David in Normandy wrote:
In article .com, Des
Higgins says... ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big things
and made noises and had flashing lights.

And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

in 1988, I bought a 600mb disk for a vax and it was huge and cost
between 12-15kIrish pounds which, at that stage was about
10-13ksterling.

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com, Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Oct 8, 6:28 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com, Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.




Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article . com, Des
Higgins says...
Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

:-)

I've still got backups of some Fortran software I wrote on punched paper
rolls. There is probably no equipment left on the planet to load the
software now (unless it is in a museum).

More recently I've got stacks of backups on 5.25" disks but no hardware
to read them any more. My archive on 3.5" disks are also heading the
same way with only one computer left in my possession capable of reading
them.

Makes you wonder just how recoverable various important National
archives are? We take it for granted that various paper based records
can go back several hundred years, but what of digitally stored records?
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
In article . com, Des
Higgins says...
Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

:-)

I've still got backups of some Fortran software I wrote on punched paper
rolls. There is probably no equipment left on the planet to load the
software now (unless it is in a museum).

I never did get a Fortran prgram to run, but I did once enter a very brief
program into a 16 bit GEC computer using the instruction keys on the front
panel.

"CWatters" wrote

I never did get a Fortran prgram to run, but I did once enter a very brief
program into a 16 bit GEC computer using the instruction keys on the front
panel.

I know someone who used to hard wire programs with soldering
iron............
Jenny

On Oct 8, 6:50 pm, David in Normandy wrote:
In article . com, Des
Higgins says...

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

:-)

I've still got backups of some Fortran software I wrote on punched paper
rolls. There is probably no equipment left on the planet to load the
software now (unless it is in a museum).

More recently I've got stacks of backups on 5.25" disks but no hardware
to read them any more. My archive on 3.5" disks are also heading the
same way with only one computer left in my possession capable of reading
them.

Makes you wonder just how recoverable various important National
archives are? We take it for granted that various paper based records
can go back several hundred years, but what of digitally stored records?

Rough rule of thumb for determining storage media:

Data to be kept for one year: magnetic/electronic
Data to be kept for ten years: Optical
Data to be kept for one century: ordinary ink on paper
Data to be kept for one millenium: Papyrus, Vellum, or similar

If you want longer than that, you are probably going to need baked
clay tablets (or arrange for regular transcription).

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 8, 6:28 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com,
Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big
things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

I MAKE wax tablets - and the styli.

A couple of years ago we made some for a top computer 'expert' who later
attended a US computer convention and caused astonishment and more interest
than the speaker when everyone else in the audience opened their lap tops
and he pulled out his codex of tabulae :-)

Mary

On Oct 9, 10:35 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Oct 8, 6:28 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com,
Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big
things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

I MAKE wax tablets - and the styli.

A couple of years ago we made some for a top computer 'expert' who later
attended a US computer convention and caused astonishment and more interest
than the speaker when everyone else in the audience opened their lap tops
and he pulled out his codex of tabulae :-)

Mary
gasp :-)
do you have to keep them in the fridge on a hot day or keep them away
from mice?

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 9, 10:35 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Oct 8, 6:28 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com,
Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big
things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

I MAKE wax tablets - and the styli.

A couple of years ago we made some for a top computer 'expert' who later
attended a US computer convention and caused astonishment and more
interest
than the speaker when everyone else in the audience opened their lap tops
and he pulled out his codex of tabulae :-)

Mary
gasp :-)
do you have to keep them in the fridge on a hot day or keep them away
from mice?

??

The melting point of beeswax is c70C. Mice aren't interested, not that we
have any as far as I know. If we have they're finding nutrition somewhere
else.

Mary

On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:57:27 -0700, Des Higgins
wrote:

On Oct 9, 10:35 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Oct 8, 6:28 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com,
Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big
things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

I MAKE wax tablets - and the styli.

A couple of years ago we made some for a top computer 'expert' who later
attended a US computer convention and caused astonishment and more interest
than the speaker when everyone else in the audience opened their lap tops
and he pulled out his codex of tabulae :-)

Mary
gasp :-)
do you have to keep them in the fridge on a hot day or keep them away
from mice?

On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:57:27 -0700, Des Higgins
wrote:

On Oct 9, 10:35 am, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
"Des Higgins" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Oct 8, 6:28 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com,
Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big
things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Tape?? Tape?? Luxury; in my day we had to take the hot valves from
the glass blowing department and design our own circuits and invent
computers and keep the operating system in our heads (backwards
because that was how you loaded it). We had to wait 40 years before
tape was invented. We had wax tablets and small boys as back up.

I MAKE wax tablets - and the styli.

A couple of years ago we made some for a top computer 'expert' who later
attended a US computer convention and caused astonishment and more interest
than the speaker when everyone else in the audience opened their lap tops
and he pulled out his codex of tabulae :-)

Mary
gasp :-)
do you have to keep them in the fridge on a hot day or keep them away
from mice?


If they melt, you can make them into very good earplugs, and when
you're finished with them a few drops of mint oil and they make
spiffing chewing gum - which can be composted in the end.
But the wastrel that you are would now know anything about that...
Cat(h) (I think Desmond is taking the Michael. He only does it very
very rarely and you have to be really careful to notice.)

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
| In article .com, Des
| Higgins says...
| ahhhhhhhhh when computers were easy to use and were proper big things
| and made noises and had flashing lights.
|
| And carrying a backup disk to the fire safe made your arms ache!

Ah, you youngsters! Mountable disks are a recent development, and
traditional backups were on tape.

Yes, do you remember when Radio 4 had a programme on (I think) Saturday
afternoons which was only of interest to computer owners. It broadcast a
series of whizzes and beeps which could be taped by the listener and
understood by his/her computer.

Ah, Radio 4 isn't what it used to be ...

Mary