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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: SD Simmons <toabo@****.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 04:35:13 -0500
>>Hmmm, I also had a Tandy thingy... It was this keyboard and Tape player
>>that you attached to your TV and could program in Basic... and that was
>it...
>
>Radio Shack TRS-80? My first computer..how I loved that thing. Zaxxon and
>baseball and learning basic at 7 or 8. Well, just copying it out of the
>book actually.
>
>Fro-the-nostalgic-at-16-assistant-fearless-leader

TRS-80's?! Now I do feel old. I went to school on those things.
Not that I'd ever be nostalgic for one of those things. Those ugly green
and black screens. Ugh. <g>



Enigma
Message no. 2
From: Bull <chaos@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 03:55:30 -0500
At 04:35 AM 12/3/96 -0500, SD Simmons wrote:
> TRS-80's?! Now I do feel old. I went to school on those things.
>Not that I'd ever be nostalgic for one of those things. Those ugly green
>and black screens. Ugh. <g>
>
I know the feeling... I learned originally with a Tandy... I remember when
the 31/2 inch disk drives became a big thing, and most of the stuff that I
know about compys today was learned on machines with no Hard Drive, and had
to have a boot disk, and everything was loaded in when you wanted to use it...

Oh well... To make this somewhat Shadowrunny...

Do your deckers ever have nostalgic idosyncracies with their decks, or whatever?

I know Bull, my Ork Decker, still uses the case from his Allegiance Alpha
(The deck that he started with), although the internal components now make a
Fairlight look like a Radio Shack...:)

Well, I'm not too worried about it getting stolen... An Ork carrying around
an Alegiance Alpha usually *really* throws off peoples perceptions... After
all, If he's an ork, he must be dumb... Threfore he can't be a very good
decker, and therefore he can't have a good deck...

Fun, huh?

Bull
Message no. 3
From: "Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 03:49:05 -0800
> Do your deckers ever have nostalgic idosyncracies with their decks, or whatever?
> I know Bull, my Ork Decker, still uses the case from his Allegiance Alpha
> (The deck that he started with), although the internal components now make a
> Fairlight look like a Radio Shack...:)
> Well, I'm not too worried about it getting stolen... An Ork carrying around
> an Alegiance Alpha usually *really* throws off peoples perceptions... After
> all, If he's an ork, he must be dumb... Threfore he can't be a very good
> decker, and therefore he can't have a good deck...

Actually this has been a lot of fun for me as a GM.
Bull hangs on to the case of his old deck, as well as a few simple
chips.
The old chips are really doing anything anymore, they're just there for
simple functions like the on/off switch, etc. and because they're
familiar to Bull.

Simple personality quirks like these are great role playing devices for
me as GM.
For example, Bull's son Billy is also a decker, (basically he's an Otaku
who also knows how to use a "real" cyberdeck too.)
Little Billy is always pestering his Daddy to "Pull those old chips!
They're slowing your fourth level subroutines by 0.0039%!"

Fun!
Speaking of Cyberdecks.
Anyone have any ideas for how to have a decker set up a lasting
subroutine on a host?
Would it have to be done through a frame?
Or could a high enough success add permanent programming to a host
system?

Bull has on occaison snuck into systems, and wanted to arrange things
like email spies that search for certain topics and then dump it all to
him.
Or another thing we commonly use is a blind message drop.
Basically a program that looks for messages to Bull & Co. on several
hosts, and then transfers them without allowing a trace.

So far I have just been winging the tests Bull makes to do these things,
and I think he's catching on that I'm bluffing! :-)

Any opinion as to IF/HOW a decker could do this kind of stuff?

Steven A. Tinner
Message no. 4
From: David Fallon <dfallon@****.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 02:55:51 -0800
> Actually this has been a lot of fun for me as a GM.
> Bull hangs on to the case of his old deck, as well as a few simple
> chips.
> The old chips are really doing anything anymore, they're just there for
> simple functions like the on/off switch, etc. and because they're
> familiar to Bull.
> Fun!
> Speaking of Cyberdecks.
> Anyone have any ideas for how to have a decker set up a lasting
> subroutine on a host?
> Would it have to be done through a frame?
> Or could a high enough success add permanent programming to a host
> system?
>
> Any opinion as to IF/HOW a decker could do this kind of stuff?
>
> Steven A. Tinner

My opinion on the situation is to just do it as a "sustained" test, along
the lines of WW or such. Repeatedly compare his straight computer skill (or
matrix programming, or whatever), against the security level of the node,
totalling sucesses minus the threshold of the system. Blue is 0, green is 1,
yellow is 2, and red is 3. This roll is done repeatedly over the span of a
few days, (Repeated breakins to the system, and all of the hassle that
entails), where the decker can make one attempt per day to "add" to his
creation. Once the decker has a certain number of sucesses, depending on how
much he wants to do, the creation is basically permanent barring a full
system overhaul by Matrix security people for the computer that was
affected. If the decker wanted to write something that just scanned for
information and then sent out a message to the decker, it would be about
five sucesses to succeed. If the decker wanted to both scan for information,
and then modify it, it would be about 10 sucesses. If the decker wanted to
capture information, and then remove all traces of it, making it look like
it never came, that would be on the order of 15 or so sucesses. If the
decker fails a roll when trying to build up his total sucesses, then the
whole process must be restarted.

Example: Bull (GRIN) the decker is planning on creating a secure mail drop
for his team. He plans on doing this in the local library's system, a measly
green-4 system. No real need to hack into fuchi for this one. The ice on the
system is some level one and two white ice that he can breeze through
without even jacking in, so for this example I'm going to ignore the decker
breaking into the system every day. So, for the first day, Bull must use his
computer skill (A hefty 8), rolling against a target number of 4.
Unsurprisingly, he gets 5 sucesses. Because this is a green system, Bull
subtracts one from that, and then writes that down as his total for the day.
Bull is shooting for a full 15 sucesses, since he's interested in making
sure no trace of his communications remain on the library's computers. Day
two. 3 sucesses more, minus one to get a total of 6 sucesses for the two
days. This continues for another couple of days, until the fateful day 5. On
day five, with a total of 12 sucesses already, bull blows it big-time and
rolls a big one sucess. Since it's a green, that counts as no sucesses, and
bull goes home cursing since he has to totally restart the process.

Additional notes: If a decker doesn't have the time to repeatedly break into
the system, there is an alternate path. The decker can do all of the work
offline, and only break in once to install the patch, but there are several
caveats. First, the decker must be familiar with the system. This means that
the decker has to spend a few hours, at least, in the system, before he/she
can even consider doing the programming offline. From there, all target
numbers are at +2, and it takes two days for every roll against the system
node. Once the decker completes the patch, he can install it in one shot, by
going into the system and getting at least one sucess in a final roll
against the system node. If he fails that last roll, the patch was fatally
flawed and he has to start all over again.

Also, keep in mind that it's _REALLY_ hard to install patches into systems
of orange or red level, because not only do they have high target numbers,
you have to get a minimum number of sucesses every time. Why? Because
they're red systems. They're pretty darn tough. That, and so players don't
go around writing patches left and right to rechannel all of the bank's
incoming money into their accounts.

Note, this is only for VR 1.0. I don't really remember the VR 2.0 rules
enough to create a system for them, but if you're still interested, I can
read up on 'em and whip something up. I think you can probably adapt what
I've created, though.

David Fallon
[SK]Club
Clan Stalker
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/6060
Message no. 5
From: Edward Poe <hedley@********.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 09:36:53 -0600
SD Simmons wrote:
>
>Hmmm, I also had a Tandy thingy... It was this keyboard and Tape player
>that you attached to your TV and could program in Basic... and that was
>it...

I bought my first computer in 1983. It was an Atari 800. I upgraded
the ram to 160K and wrote a custom OS with OSS's MAC/65 macro
assembler. I burned that puppy into ROM and loved it. Never had to
wait for disk boot again to use my dual floppies. It even used part of
that 160K of RAM for a 90K ram-disk. All running instantly out of ROM.
I don't suppose that qualifies at Response Increase Level 1 does it?
Message no. 6
From: C J Anderson <nitehawk@******.NET>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 10:20:34 -0600
Edward Poe wrote:
>
> SD Simmons wrote:
> >
> >Hmmm, I also had a Tandy thingy... It was this keyboard and Tape player
> >that you attached to your TV and could program in Basic... and that was
> >it...
>
> I bought my first computer in 1983. It was an Atari 800. I upgraded
> the ram to 160K and wrote a custom OS with OSS's MAC/65 macro
> assembler. I burned that puppy into ROM and loved it. Never had to
> wait for disk boot again to use my dual floppies. It even used part of
> that 160K of RAM for a 90K ram-disk. All running instantly out of ROM.
> I don't suppose that qualifies at Response Increase Level 1 does it?

Oh the memories... I learned on a Trash 80 when my dad worked for
Radio Shack, then we had a Vic 20, then a Commodore 64, then a Timex
that hooked into the TV (anybody remember them? With the big RAM blocks
that plugged in the back?) About the only thing I haven't had was an
Apple. Was too smart for that.....

Just my 2pence,
C J Anderson

=========================nitehawk@******.net
Message no. 7
From: Timothy P Cooper <tpcooper@***.CSUPOMONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 08:32:23 -0800
[snip, snip]

> Example: Bull (GRIN) the decker is planning on creating a secure mail drop
> for his team. He plans on doing this in the local library's system, a measly
> green-4 system. No real need to hack into fuchi for this one. The ice on the
> system is some level one and two white ice that he can breeze through
> without even jacking in, so for this example I'm going to ignore the decker
> breaking into the system every day. So, for the first day, Bull must use his
> computer skill (A hefty 8), rolling against a target number of 4.
> Unsurprisingly, he gets 5 sucesses. Because this is a green system, Bull
> subtracts one from that, and then writes that down as his total for the day.
> Bull is shooting for a full 15 sucesses, since he's interested in making
> sure no trace of his communications remain on the library's computers. Day
> two. 3 sucesses more, minus one to get a total of 6 sucesses for the two
> days. This continues for another couple of days, until the fateful day 5. On
> day five, with a total of 12 sucesses already, bull blows it big-time and
> rolls a big one sucess. Since it's a green, that counts as no sucesses, and
> bull goes home cursing since he has to totally restart the process.
>
> Additional notes: If a decker doesn't have the time to repeatedly break into
> the system, there is an alternate path. The decker can do all of the work
> offline, and only break in once to install the patch, but there are several
> caveats. First, the decker must be familiar with the system. This means that
> the decker has to spend a few hours, at least, in the system, before he/she
> can even consider doing the programming offline. From there, all target
> numbers are at +2, and it takes two days for every roll against the system
> node. Once the decker completes the patch, he can install it in one shot, by
> going into the system and getting at least one sucess in a final roll
> against the system node. If he fails that last roll, the patch was fatally
> flawed and he has to start all over again.
>
> Also, keep in mind that it's _REALLY_ hard to install patches into systems
> of orange or red level, because not only do they have high target numbers,
> you have to get a minimum number of sucesses every time. Why? Because
> they're red systems. They're pretty darn tough. That, and so players don't
> go around writing patches left and right to rechannel all of the bank's
> incoming money into their accounts.
>
> Note, this is only for VR 1.0. I don't really remember the VR 2.0 rules
> enough to create a system for them, but if you're still interested, I can
> read up on 'em and whip something up. I think you can probably adapt what
> I've created, though.
>
> David Fallon

That looks good, might you possibly have some test every (x days, weeks, months,
etc..based on sec. level) to see if the patch was found by either internal
integrity checks or a sysop? It doesn't seem too reasonable that the patch
would never be found barring a whole-scale system overhaul...And I doubt that
corp systems go for terribly long times with out being upgraded. Of course
having your patch discovered will mean different things depending on where it
is. If its just the Library, they might just delete it and beef up security or
something, but "whoa unto he who's patch is found in a Fuchi system..."

~Tim
Message no. 8
From: David Fallon <dfallon@****.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 11:06:01 -0800
> That looks good, might you possibly have some test every (x days, weeks,
months,
> etc..based on sec. level) to see if the patch was found by either internal
> integrity checks or a sysop? It doesn't seem too reasonable that the
patch
> would never be found barring a whole-scale system overhaul...And I doubt
that
> corp systems go for terribly long times with out being upgraded. Of
course
> having your patch discovered will mean different things depending on where
it
> is. If its just the Library, they might just delete it and beef up
security or
> something, but "whoa unto he who's patch is found in a Fuchi system..."
>
> ~Tim

Yeah, I was thinking about that also, but I wasn't sure how I could work it
without screwing the decker. There are two ways one could handle this.
First, to make a roll using the security rating of the node against twice
the decker's computer skill. This test would be performed every week, and
any sucesses mean that someone notices a problem. Whether they erase it, or
ignore it, or start trying to hack it is up to the GM. If the GM wants to
make it even more difficult to hack the harder systems, increase the
frequency of the test depending on the rating of the system. Blue: Every
month. Green: 2 weeks. Orange 1 week: Red 3 days. Sound better?


David Fallon
[SK]Club
Clan Stalker
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/6060
Message no. 9
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 20:27:58 +0000
| TRS-80's?! Now I do feel old. I went to school on those things.
|Not that I'd ever be nostalgic for one of those things. Those ugly green
|and black screens. Ugh. <g>

Greenscreen?
Nahhhh, we had a Monochrome B&W screen on the TRS80 at our school...

(Before it got overrun by BBC Micros....)

But then, we also had a ZX81...
--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ 5++ |
|X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! >*SULK*<|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 10
From: Czar Eggbert <czregbrt@*********.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 16:00:46 -0600
<snip>
> Oh the memories... I learned on a Trash 80 when my dad worked for
> Radio Shack, then we had a Vic 20, then a Commodore 64, then a Timex
> that hooked into the TV (anybody remember them? With the big RAM blocks
> that plugged in back...
>
<grins>
That was the timex synclare...I loved that thing! I still have it
somewerher at home... makes a good bot brain...hooked it up to a little
bot i made in eigth grade with some specks i found in a how to book.
Fraggen beutiful! it drew circles and all sorts of cool sthuff...with a
kinda logo program...
<sigh>

Czar (needs a life) Eggbert
Message no. 11
From: Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers -Reply
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 17:11:49 -0500
>That was the timex synclare...I loved that thing! I still have it somewerher at
>home... makes a good bot brain...hooked it up to a little bot i made in eigth
>grade with some specks i found in a how to book.
>Fraggen beutiful! it drew circles and all sorts of cool sthuff...with a kinda logo
>program...
><sigh>
>
>Czar (needs a life) Eggbert

Egads! Could we have been twins separated at birth!??? I did the exact same
thing with mine (in the tenth grade though). Used an old vacuum cleaner for the
body, and my train set's transformer, and all sorts of other odd stuff.

Double-Domed Mike
Message no. 12
From: Stephen Delear <shadow@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 19:55:07 -0600
On Tue, 3 Dec 1996, Czar Eggbert wrote:

> <snip>
> > Oh the memories... I learned on a Trash 80 when my dad worked for
> > Radio Shack, then we had a Vic 20, then a Commodore 64, then a Timex
> > that hooked into the TV (anybody remember them? With the big RAM blocks
> > that plugged in back...
> >
> <grins>
> That was the timex synclare...I loved that thing! I still have it
> somewerher at home... makes a good bot brain...hooked it up to a little
> bot i made in eigth grade with some specks i found in a how to book.
> Fraggen beutiful! it drew circles and all sorts of cool sthuff...with a
> kinda logo program...
> <sigh>
>
> Czar (needs a life) Eggbert
>

When I was in 7th grade the school used a old version of (whatever the
program replaced by adobe illustator was) to do about the same thing
(drawing cicles and such). I still can't figure out what the point was
(I guess it was cheaper then letting the students play with pagemaker).
Oh as long as we're talking about old equipment I don't suppose anyone
out there has a speedgraphic (it's a camera).

SteveD
photographer who can remember playing around with a disk camera in first
grade
Message no. 13
From: "Paul J. Adam" <paul@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 00:27:39 +0000
In message <17849.199612032027@*****.teach.cs.keele.ac.uk>, Spike
<u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK> writes
>But then, we also had a ZX81...

I've still got my ZX81... it's currently a book-end, and it's been
mistaken for a pencil case, but it's still the first computer I ever
owned...

Mind you, I remember when I had my operating system, a word processor,
spreadsheet, database, comms package, Basic interpreter, a few games,
and three years' worth of files all stored on one ten-megabyte hard disk
which I never even got close to filling...

--
There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy...

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 14
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 12:21:28 +0000
|Mind you, I remember when I had my operating system, a word processor,
|spreadsheet, database, comms package, Basic interpreter, a few games,
|and three years' worth of files all stored on one ten-megabyte hard disk
|which I never even got close to filling...

Until last week, everything for my QL was on floppies...
One 720K floppy is capable of holding the Wordprocessor, spreadsheet,
database and various system extensions, and all the other text files don't
fill another 5 or so disks...

(Now I've got a 40 Meg hard drive...)
Ahhhhh, the luxury...
--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ 5++ |
|X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! >*SULK*<|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 15
From: Timothy P Cooper <tpcooper@***.CSUPOMONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 11:16:36 -0800
>
> |Mind you, I remember when I had my operating system, a word processor,
> |spreadsheet, database, comms package, Basic interpreter, a few games,
> |and three years' worth of files all stored on one ten-megabyte hard disk
> |which I never even got close to filling...
>
> Until last week, everything for my QL was on floppies...
> One 720K floppy is capable of holding the Wordprocessor, spreadsheet,
> database and various system extensions, and all the other text files don't
> fill another 5 or so disks...
>
> (Now I've got a 40 Meg hard drive...)
> Ahhhhh, the luxury...
> --

How do you survive on just 40 megs?!?!!?

I'd barely be able to install Visual C++ and Word! Let alone all the games!
Our 540 is almost full and the laptop's 120 only has about 3 megs left (had to
zip some old, and not quite deletable things to fit some new stuff on).

I know that up untill 2 years ago we had an AT 8086 with only 20 megs and it was
terrible!

~tim
Message no. 16
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 23:56:15 +0000
|How do you survive on just 40 megs?!?!!?
|
|I'd barely be able to install Visual C++ and Word! Let alone all the games!
|Our 540 is almost full and the laptop's 120 only has about 3 megs left (had to
|zip some old, and not quite deletable things to fit some new stuff on).
|
|I know that up untill 2 years ago we had an AT 8086 with only 20 megs and it was
|terrible!

Well....
Unlike all the oversized, badly written piles of.....
(I will not mention the company beginning with ... <Gags himself>)

The QL has always had limited memory, so programmers optimise for size and
speed.
Writers of modern software think "Bah, why bother, it'll run, even if it
does need 20Megs of free memory...)

My QL has only 968K (yes K).

People on the QL still hold firmly onto the discipline required to write
small functional code.

Hell, the main QL OS (which contains such wonders as window control, user
transparent device drivers and pre-emptive multi-tasking) only takes up...

(Fanfare please)

48K of ROM. (with extentions loaded into RAM, add another 200 - 300K.)

Beat that Microsoft/OS2/whatever...

DAMN!!!!! I said I wasn't going to say the MS word.....

--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ 5++ |
|X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! >*SULK*<|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 17
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 12:48:09 +0100
Timothy P Cooper said on 11:16/ 4 Dec 96...

> > (Now I've got a 40 Meg hard drive...)
> > Ahhhhh, the luxury...
> > --
>
> How do you survive on just 40 megs?!?!!?

Andrew uses a Sinclair QL, so basically he's the only person in the world
who isn't spoiled by applications that take up *opens a DOS window, types
dir\word /s* 16 megs. Can you imagine a game that takes up 32 kB? I used
to play them all the time...

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Het is weer Sinterklaas!
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+(++)@ U P L E? W(++) N o? K- w+ O V? PS+ PE
Y PGP- t(+) 5+ X++ R+++>$ tv+(++) b++@ DI? D+ G(++) e h! !r(---) y?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
Message no. 18
From: Stephen Delear <shadow@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 00:17:49 -0600
On Wed, 4 Dec 1996, Timothy P Cooper wrote:

> >
> > |Mind you, I remember when I had my operating system, a word processor,
> > |spreadsheet, database, comms package, Basic interpreter, a few games,
> > |and three years' worth of files all stored on one ten-megabyte hard disk
> > |which I never even got close to filling...
> >
> > Until last week, everything for my QL was on floppies...
> > One 720K floppy is capable of holding the Wordprocessor, spreadsheet,
> > database and various system extensions, and all the other text files don't
> > fill another 5 or so disks...
> >
> > (Now I've got a 40 Meg hard drive...)
> > Ahhhhh, the luxury...
> > --
>
> How do you survive on just 40 megs?!?!!?
>
> I'd barely be able to install Visual C++ and Word! Let alone all the games!
> Our 540 is almost full and the laptop's 120 only has about 3 megs left (had to
> zip some old, and not quite deletable things to fit some new stuff on).
>
> I know that up untill 2 years ago we had an AT 8086 with only 20 megs and it was
> terrible!

Might want to try getting a zip (or Jaz) drive they get about 100 megs to
the disc. Also some of the magneto-optical stuff gets about 1.5 gigs to
the disk (however the last time I looked the drives where running well
over $1000).

SteveD

>
> ~tim
>
Message no. 19
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 12:25:33 +0000
|Might want to try getting a zip (or Jaz) drive they get about 100 megs to
|the disc. Also some of the magneto-optical stuff gets about 1.5 gigs to
|the disk (however the last time I looked the drives where running well
|over $1000).

But... but you can buy a 1.5 Gig IDE hard drive for less than 200 quid if
you know where to look....
--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
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