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Message no. 1
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 11:13:23 +0200
>or replace their mpcp with a pentium <I swear 4/2= 1.9998999888999>,

Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's book has
some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac in his uncle's
basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still using the processor of
that in his current deck? (Of course I can't find it in the book anymore :( )


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Expect nothing
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 2
From: robert frazine <shade@*****.EDU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 08:20:35 -0400
well, I did notice. I did the figuring...and unless he is lying, the
premier decker of the land is nigh on 55 years old.(I think the actual
age is 51.)
Message no. 3
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 09:49:37 -0400
>>>>> "robert" == robert frazine <shade@*****.EDU> writes:

robert> well, I did notice. I did the figuring...and unless he is lying,
robert> the premier decker of the land is nigh on 55 years old.(I think
robert> the actual age is 51.)

She'd be that former Echo Mirage decker who died in _2XS_ I think it
was. She was definitely up there.

--
Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> \ When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be
PGP Public Key: Ask for one today! \ returned to its special container and
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ratinox/ \ kept under refrigeration.
Message no. 4
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 09:51:49 -0400
>>>>> "Gurth" == Gurth <gurth@******.NL> writes:

Gurth> Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's
Gurth> book has some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac
Gurth> in his uncle's basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still
Gurth> using the processor of that in his current deck? (Of course I
Gurth> can't find it in the book anymore :( )

So, what's wrong with that? I mean every Macintosh in the world has a
quad or more Apple ][s in them driving the serial ports (two per port).

--
Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> \ Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
PGP Public Key: Ask for one today! \
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ratinox/ \
Message no. 5
From: Menard Steve <menars@***.UMONTREAL.CA>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 12:40:48 -0400
On Fri, 28 Jul 1995, Gurth wrote:

> >or replace their mpcp with a pentium <I swear 4/2= 1.9998999888999>,
>
> Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's book has
> some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac in his uncle's
> basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still using the processor of
> that in his current deck? (Of course I can't find it in the book anymore :( )

It's in the part about the Nexus, and he does seem to be DREKHOT,
NOVAHOT, and even a little more. Are you, like me, afraid of the way the
SR matrix is going? I've heard rumors about cybershamans and then there`s
the comments in the Denver book. Decking without ASIST, Matrix Spirits.
curdles my blood just thinking about it.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- |\_/| Still The One and Only Wolfbane! ---
--- |o o| " Hey! Why ya lookin' at me so weird? Ain't ya 'ver seen a ---
--- \ / decker witha horn ?" --- Scy, Troll decker with a CC ---
--- 0 Steve Menard menars@***.UMontreal.Ca ---
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 6
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 10:01:36 +0200
>well, I did notice. I did the figuring...and unless he is lying, the
>premier decker of the land is nigh on 55 years old.(I think the actual
>age is 51.)

I found the bit in the book again, and he'll turn 57 in 2056 :) This seems a
bit odd, as all the novels tell about decking being a young-person's game...


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Expect nothing
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 7
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 10:01:38 +0200
>Gurth> Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's
>Gurth> book has some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac
>Gurth> in his uncle's basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still
>Gurth> using the processor of that in his current deck? (Of course I
>Gurth> can't find it in the book anymore :( )
>
>So, what's wrong with that? I mean every Macintosh in the world has a
>quad or more Apple ][s in them driving the serial ports (two per port).

Did I say there was anything wrong with im having a 50-year-old chip in his
deck? Didn't think so...

Now that I'm thinking about this, it's a _bit_ odd actually... Cyberdecks
are supposed to use optical chips and stuff, right? I'm assuming that a
~2010 computer is still electrical, so how does he fit this chip into his
2060-vintage cyberdeck (I know, it's only 2056, I'm assuming FJ uses a deck
that's a bit ahead of the times :)


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Expect nothing
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 8
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 23:51:15 +0930
Gurth wrote:
>
> >or replace their mpcp with a pentium <I swear 4/2= 1.9998999888999>,
>
> Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's book has
> some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac in his uncle's
> basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still using the processor of
> that in his current deck? (Of course I can't find it in the book anymore :( )

It was just after he reposted a message from the time of the Awakening. The
quote you are thinking of goes like this:
>>>>>>[I was twelve. I am now considerably older than that. For the
record,
I downloaded it using an old, sorry-state Mac Firestorm I found in my
uncle's basement. That machine's main processor now resides in my deck,
though it's doing tertiary sub-level assignment work. Any deck without it
feeles uncomfortable.]<<<<<< --FastJack(19:51:29/5-21-55).

If he was 12, in 2011, that means he is either 55 or 56 at the time of this
post.

(Oh, yeah, page 74, 6 pages into the Nexus section)

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 9
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 23:54:11 +0930
Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
>
> >>>>> "Gurth" == Gurth <gurth@******.NL> writes:
>
> Gurth> Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's
> Gurth> book has some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac
> Gurth> in his uncle's basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still
> Gurth> using the processor of that in his current deck? (Of course I
> Gurth> can't find it in the book anymore :( )
>
> So, what's wrong with that? I mean every Macintosh in the world has a
> quad or more Apple ][s in them driving the serial ports (two per port).

Apple II chips (6800s?? I'm not really familiar with the hardware level)
are only two decades old... let's see what they're using in another 20. :)
(Of course, all machines are logically equal, anyway... :) )

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 10
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 23:58:44 +0930
Menard Steve wrote:
>
> It's in the part about the Nexus, and he does seem to be DREKHOT,
> NOVAHOT, and even a little more. Are you, like me, afraid of the way the
> SR matrix is going? I've heard rumors about cybershamans and then there`s
> the comments in the Denver book. Decking without ASIST, Matrix Spirits.
> curdles my blood just thinking about it.

It seems to me that FASA have taken a two-bob each way stance... if they
see that magic in the Matrix isn't popular, then these kids are just
brain-fried lunatics, who can't cope with reality. If they get the feeling
that it's a good idea, then maybe these kids are on to something...

OTH, unless you actually PLAY deckers who have been literally raised in the
Matrix (or better yet, the Super-Matrix of the Nexus), then you can just
forget about it and ignore it.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 11
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 00:25:02 +0930
Gurth wrote:
>
> >well, I did notice. I did the figuring...and unless he is lying, the
> >premier decker of the land is nigh on 55 years old.(I think the actual
> >age is 51.)
>
> I found the bit in the book again, and he'll turn 57 in 2056 :) This seems a
> bit odd, as all the novels tell about decking being a young-person's game...

It's probably like computing these days... most of the work-horses of the
industry are bright, intelligent young men (some women, and increasing),
but the REALLY famous ones are people who came up in the Sixties and
Seventies.

Basically, while most people burn-out, after a time, some people just
thrive and keep getting better with age. (BTW, Dodger is older still...)

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 12
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 20:34:53 +0200
>It's probably like computing these days... most of the work-horses of the
>industry are bright, intelligent young men (some women, and increasing),
>but the REALLY famous ones are people who came up in the Sixties and
>Seventies.

To be famous, you don't need to be good at something (look at a typical top
40 hit list for at least 39 examples :) FastJack OTOH is old _and_ good.

>Basically, while most people burn-out, after a time, some people just
>thrive and keep getting better with age. (BTW, Dodger is older still...)

Yeah, but physically he's in his early twenties... If FJ isn't a spike baby
(which seems likely), he's running close to becoming an OAP now :)
BTW, one thing that also struck me was that he said "I was twelve, I'm
considerably older now" ... Would he simply mean "I'm 56 now" or
"Things
happened to me that I don't want you to know about" ? (Unleash the
conspiracy theories now :)


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
I'll never get excited again --Me (1995)
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 13
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 20:35:17 +0200
>Apple II chips (6800s?? I'm not really familiar with the hardware level)

I thought an Apple II used the same processor as a C64 -- 6504 or whatever
they're called. Not that it matters --I wans't too interested in hardware
when we still had an Apple II at home :)


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
I'll never get excited again --Me (1995)
GC3.0: GAT/! dpu s:- !a>? C+(++) U P L E? W(++) N K- w+ O V? PS+ PE Y PGP-
t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)
Message no. 14
From: Stainless Steel Rat <ratinox@***.NEU.EDU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 10:47:03 -0400
>>>>> "Robert" == Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
writes:

Robert> Apple II chips (6800s?? I'm not really familiar with the
Robert> hardware level) are only two decades old...

6502s; the 6800 is something else. And try more like 30 years old these
days. The 6502 was one of the earliest I/O port controller chips made by
Motorola.

Robert> let's see what they're using in another 20. :) (Of course, all
Robert> machines are logically equal, anyway... :) )

They'll still be using 6502s for I/O controllers; that's what they were
originally invented to do and they do it well. Why fix it if it ain't
broke?

--
Rat <ratinox@***.neu.edu> \ Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
PGP Public Key: Ask for one today! \
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/ratinox/ \
Message no. 15
From: Stephanos Piperoglou <sneakabout@**********.HOL.GR>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 16:41:00 +0200
On Fri, 28 Jul 1995, Gurth wrote:

> >or replace their mpcp with a pentium <I swear 4/2= 1.9998999888999>,
>
> Has anybody else noticed how old FastJack is? The Denver player's book has
> some comments by him, telling about how he found a Mac in his uncle's
> basement some 30-40 years ago, and that he's still using the processor of
> that in his current deck? (Of course I can't find it in the book anymore :( )

Remember in the story in the back of VR it's noted that Lucifer is
middle-aged too.
_________________________ ______________________________
______/ Stephanos J. Piperoglou \____/ sneakabout@**********.hol.gr \______
Aspiring Linux hacker, computer nut, RP gamemaster, sci-fi fan, High School
student, amateur writer, forensics champion, A-level candidate, math adept,
science geek, rave fan, people person, pleasantly plump, or in other words:
GCS/S/M/L/PA d- s++:++ a16 C++++ UL++>++++ P+ L+++>++++ E- W++ N+ K w--- O-
M+ !V PS+ PE++ Y+ PGP++ t+ 5++ X+ R+++ tv b++ DI? D+ G++ e->++++ h! r y?

...QED
Message no. 16
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 19:23:16 +0930
Stainless Steel Rat wrote:
>
> Robert> let's see what they're using in another 20. :) (Of course, all
> Robert> machines are logically equal, anyway... :) )
>
> They'll still be using 6502s for I/O controllers; that's what they were
> originally invented to do and they do it well. Why fix it if it ain't
> broke?

In a word... speed. Apple was looking at custom chips for their FireWire
ADB replacement, and although they dropped that (for compatability
reasons), I think they're still going for something with more grunt.

(I'd look it up, but my copies of "Apple Directions" are on my Develop CDs,
and my CD-ROM is on the other side of the room at the moment. :) )

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.
*** Finger me for my geek code ***
Message no. 17
From: Mark Steedman <RSMS@******.EEE.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 18:16:53 GMT
Gurth writes
>
> >Basically, while most people burn-out, after a time, some people just
> >thrive and keep getting better with age. (BTW, Dodger is older still...)
>
> Yeah, but physically he's in his early twenties... If FJ isn't a spike baby
> (which seems likely), he's running close to becoming an OAP now :)
> BTW, one thing that also struck me was that he said "I was twelve, I'm
> considerably older now" ... Would he simply mean "I'm 56 now" or
"Things
> happened to me that I don't want you to know about" ? (Unleash the
> conspiracy theories now :)
>
possible but low on proof.

How about leonisation, its not as if 'diverting' 2.4M yen would be a
problem for FJ.
>
> Gurth@******.nl

Mark
Message no. 18
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: FastJack (was: Re: I hate deckers: A guide.)
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 10:12:41 +0200
>> BTW, one thing that also struck me was that he said "I was twelve, I'm
>> considerably older now" ... Would he simply mean "I'm 56 now" or
"Things
>> happened to me that I don't want you to know about" ? (Unleash the
>> conspiracy theories now :)
>>
>possible but low on proof.

I know. There's hardly any data on FJ anyway, is there? What we know is that
he was 12 in 2011, works out of Denver, and is one of the best-ever deckers.
Those are what I remember from the sourcebooks, I don't think there's much
more hard data on him.

>How about leonisation, its not as if 'diverting' 2.4M yen would be a
>problem for FJ.

Could be...


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Sponsored by nobody
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t(+) 5 X R+++>$ tv+(++) b+@ DI? D+ G++ e h! !r(--) y? Unofficial Shadowrun
Guru :)

Further Reading

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