The Apollo Guidance Computer had RAM of 4KB, a 32KB hard disk. It was fairly compact for its time, measuring 60cm x 30cm x 15cm, but weighed around 30kg. Current computers are much lighter, at least 1000 times as fast and have storage capacities that are millions of times those achievable in 1969.
I remember I was working for Reader’s Digest in New York. The boss came in and announced that they were getting a new computer with a half of a Meg (512kbs) of Ram. We scratched our heads wondering what we would do with that much memory. We were currently running an (IBM 360/40) room size computer that had 56 kbs of ram to devide up to run two programs at once.
And what has our civilization done with this incredible power? Expand our minds and education to end poverty and help create a new post-scarcity utopia?
Nope. We spend hours generating memes on YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit while continually lowering the bar on what qualifies as interesting and meaningful content.
Yep and all my friends laughed at me when I told them one day we’d be holding communicators a.k.a. phones in our hands because I’m a Star Trek fan I don’t think they’re laughing anymore but I am
You don’t know how truthful this was back in the day… I remember a scout happening with a large box that you could climb in… and the idea that this was a home computer Ha Ha… Now Our Cell phones can do what we dreamed of…
I remember going to my dad’s work in the early 70’s at TRW. Computers that took up whole rooms that were very cold. And a card reader that read thousands of cards with holes in them. My dad taught a computer to whistle a song and taught one to say yo.
My mom was one of the first mere mortals to have a pc in our home. We were so fortunate. I remember watching and learning as she would write programs for simple word processing programs.
I was amazed at actually care ad be aware of the evolution of technology from the punchcards forward. Disney used to showcase future technology at Epcot. They had these ideas that we would be able to video call people, carry computes around, use computers to design structures. It all seemed so ‘science fiction’…but it was all happening behind the scenes.
I wish my great grand mother who was born in 1899 could be here today to have a conversation with me again. She was just blown away by man on the moon!!!!! Imagine what she would think about all that we have now?
I remember one of my great life lo g friend dad works with computers back in the late 60 and early 70 and told us that same thing we laugh and say yea right. Well Hank you was correct to back you pass long before seeing how far thing have come
I remember those days and the old Fortran and card punch. The neat thing is that if you put and old radio next to it there would be the neatest sounds coming out of it.
I worked with one of these in the Army and our NCOIC would tell us to learn them because some day there would be one in every home. I used to tell him he was full of Sh_ _ ,I would never have one in my home. Lol, now I carry it in a case on my belt. SGT Wies you were right!!!
I remember huge rooms for what were called mainframe computers. We kept the AC very cold because of the heat buildup. The people working in the room were jackets! Now our laptops do much more computing and can access more data. Especially with the internet.
When I was Telecommunications Operator in the Army and using a whole room computer, I had no idea I would be carrying a computer/cell phone in my pocket some day. I remember that the computer overheated so bad, we had to keep the room so cold, we had to wear puffy coats to stay warm.
I remember “way-back-in-the-days” when technology required/demanded huge equipment be in climate-controlled rooms! My husband worked on development of the first printed circuit for IBM that changed that need.
Dena Martin I remember when you took me to your brother’s work and showed me their computer room. Much like this! We’d never have guessed how small those computers would become… 😀
I remember the first “computer” I ever saw filled a large room with numerous tape machines lining all four walls and punch card programming and it couldn’t do what the average computer can do now. This was in 1969/70. This was at Sanders Associates in Nashua, NH.
Remember working at control Dara and this happened. Building logic boards from individual connecters. They were huge. Then came flow soddering logic boards.
I remember punching cards to feed the information or to retrieve the information. Whow! A computer was a full room.
We have seen a lot over the past 50 years. We didn’t even know what a cell phone was! I had carried a box that had a phone
You carried it over thee shoulder. Because it was so big! Now, well it’s amazing! I have one on my wrist and in my hand. My PC is out dated. They live on laptops.
I would have never imagined. Computer, TV’s (Flat?). My families was a big black and white. I was the remote control! Just got rid of my big TV that was color! What we have seen in yhe past 50, 30, and even 20 years how Technology can grow. What will be in the next 10 years. I can only imagine!
I remember when Computers first came into a hospital I worked in. There was one entire floor dedicated to the mainframes- my husband had worked with guys in the phone company who predicted the very thing!
I didn’t get a cell phone for a very long time. In fact, I had to use my home phone to call my cell phone when I couldn’t find it….which was often. Anyway, I thought in woman in the bathroom was talking to me, from the other stall,….even tho I didn’t know her. She finally said….i am talking on the phone not to you. Lol
But at least you can’t drop a giant computer in the toilet.
The Apollo Guidance Computer had RAM of 4KB, a 32KB hard disk. It was fairly compact for its time, measuring 60cm x 30cm x 15cm, but weighed around 30kg. Current computers are much lighter, at least 1000 times as fast and have storage capacities that are millions of times those achievable in 1969.
Remember when the show “Get Smart” had a portable phone in a shoe and had a rotary dial?
Heh. Even the low end smart phones today would’ve qualified as a supercomputer in the 1990s and before.
Still cannot do it, always afraid I’ll wipe with the wrong object in reach 😎
Trouble is, I remember when they were like THAT!!!!!
That’s what I’m doing right now!
I remember I was working for Reader’s Digest in New York. The boss came in and announced that they were getting a new computer with a half of a Meg (512kbs) of Ram. We scratched our heads wondering what we would do with that much memory. We were currently running an (IBM 360/40) room size computer that had 56 kbs of ram to devide up to run two programs at once.
Mine doesn’t spit out toilet paper like that one does
And what has our civilization done with this incredible power? Expand our minds and education to end poverty and help create a new post-scarcity utopia?
Nope. We spend hours generating memes on YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit while continually lowering the bar on what qualifies as interesting and meaningful content.
My grandfather used to say that some day, you’ll be able to hang a T.v. on the wall like a painting! A man of vision!
Yep and all my friends laughed at me when I told them one day we’d be holding communicators a.k.a. phones in our hands because I’m a Star Trek fan I don’t think they’re laughing anymore but I am
I used to be the night operator for the City of Little Rock on a reel to reel system that took up an entire wall!
I remember visiting your work and seeing the big computer
“When the Crying Stops” is a good book for parents when their child decides to be estranged from them. It’s very helpful.
You don’t know how truthful this was back in the day… I remember a scout happening with a large box that you could climb in… and the idea that this was a home computer Ha Ha… Now Our Cell phones can do what we dreamed of…
I remember in the late 50’s they said a computer would never be able to fit in a office. 🤣😂
I remember these and they had to have their own room and it had to be cold in the room so they would not overheat! I’m that old😖
I remember when a “computer” was a room one walked around in to change tubes and such
I hate to admit it, but I used to work on (repair) these monsters!!! (Ft. Bragg NC and Frankfurt Germany) 😏
I remember going to my dad’s work in the early 70’s at TRW. Computers that took up whole rooms that were very cold. And a card reader that read thousands of cards with holes in them. My dad taught a computer to whistle a song and taught one to say yo.
My mom was one of the first mere mortals to have a pc in our home. We were so fortunate. I remember watching and learning as she would write programs for simple word processing programs.
I was amazed at actually care ad be aware of the evolution of technology from the punchcards forward. Disney used to showcase future technology at Epcot. They had these ideas that we would be able to video call people, carry computes around, use computers to design structures. It all seemed so ‘science fiction’…but it was all happening behind the scenes.
I wish my great grand mother who was born in 1899 could be here today to have a conversation with me again. She was just blown away by man on the moon!!!!! Imagine what she would think about all that we have now?
I remember one of my great life lo g friend dad works with computers back in the late 60 and early 70 and told us that same thing we laugh and say yea right. Well Hank you was correct to back you pass long before seeing how far thing have come
I remember them being that size and having punch cards. The little bits punched out made great confetti. I’m that old too 😆
I remember those days and the old Fortran and card punch. The neat thing is that if you put and old radio next to it there would be the neatest sounds coming out of it.
I worked with one of these in the Army and our NCOIC would tell us to learn them because some day there would be one in every home. I used to tell him he was full of Sh_ _ ,I would never have one in my home. Lol, now I carry it in a case on my belt. SGT Wies you were right!!!
I remember huge rooms for what were called mainframe computers. We kept the AC very cold because of the heat buildup. The people working in the room were jackets! Now our laptops do much more computing and can access more data. Especially with the internet.
When I was Telecommunications Operator in the Army and using a whole room computer, I had no idea I would be carrying a computer/cell phone in my pocket some day. I remember that the computer overheated so bad, we had to keep the room so cold, we had to wear puffy coats to stay warm.
I remember “way-back-in-the-days” when technology required/demanded huge equipment be in climate-controlled rooms! My husband worked on development of the first printed circuit for IBM that changed that need.
I remember working on one of these when I was in high school. Whole computer took up a three story building.
Dena Martin I remember when you took me to your brother’s work and showed me their computer room. Much like this! We’d never have guessed how small those computers would become… 😀
So true. When I was a first year medical student (1958), there was one as big as this in the physics department at Sydney University.
I remember the first “computer” I ever saw filled a large room with numerous tape machines lining all four walls and punch card programming and it couldn’t do what the average computer can do now. This was in 1969/70. This was at Sanders Associates in Nashua, NH.
I remember my head office where they were trying to get the franchisees to spend 8k on a laptop with there program on ..floppy disc
Remember working at control Dara and this happened. Building logic boards from individual connecters. They were huge. Then came flow soddering logic boards.
Except the toilet paper in the center, which still comes separately
I remember them, we had to have a “clean room” and enter via a curtain!!
I remember punching cards to feed the information or to retrieve the information. Whow! A computer was a full room.
We have seen a lot over the past 50 years. We didn’t even know what a cell phone was! I had carried a box that had a phone
You carried it over thee shoulder. Because it was so big! Now, well it’s amazing! I have one on my wrist and in my hand. My PC is out dated. They live on laptops.
I would have never imagined. Computer, TV’s (Flat?). My families was a big black and white. I was the remote control! Just got rid of my big TV that was color! What we have seen in yhe past 50, 30, and even 20 years how Technology can grow. What will be in the next 10 years. I can only imagine!
I remember when Computers first came into a hospital I worked in. There was one entire floor dedicated to the mainframes- my husband had worked with guys in the phone company who predicted the very thing!
I remember seeing a computer called a UNIVAX. My dad was in Base Supply and this thing had its own room with air-conditioning. It created punch cards.
I saw that this morning. I remember computes that were that big! What a long way we gave come!!
I didn’t get a cell phone for a very long time. In fact, I had to use my home phone to call my cell phone when I couldn’t find it….which was often. Anyway, I thought in woman in the bathroom was talking to me, from the other stall,….even tho I didn’t know her. She finally said….i am talking on the phone not to you. Lol