8 bit vs other Computers.

From: ben franchuk <bfranchuk_at_jetnet.ab.ca>
Date: Sun Nov 24 23:07:00 2002

Sellam Ismail wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Nov 2002, ben franchuk wrote:

> What's "real word processing"? You must mean What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get.
> In that case, sure, an 80x24 screen would be nice, but the same can be
> achieved (and was, in fact) on 40x24 screens. And if we want to talk real
> "real" word processing, why stop at 24 lines? Why not the requisite 60
> lines to get a full page?

800x600 will give you a full page.

> Lowercase? A nice amenity, but the fact again is that even on computers
> that didn't have lowercase capability, people came up with effective ways
> to get around that limitation. You seem to want to go back and compare
> today's state of the art on computer technology of two decades ago. It's
> the equivalent of saying that nobody could get from Point A to Point B in
> any automobile before 1930 because they didn't have fuel injection, power
> steering and AM/FM radio.

Ok then what way of travel is best for you? The Model-T may be fine
for a sunday drive,but is a race car just as good for going to work?


>
> So what? People still did useful work on those machines. I wrote a
> database program to store my comic book collection on a computer with 2K
> of effective memory and a rubber "chiclet" keyboard using cassette tape
> for storage. Are you saying this was't real?

Do you still use it for surfing the web?

> Maybe in your Microsoft-centric world.

That goes for linux/freeBSD and others too.


> I don't know, but I suspect you'll argue that real work couldn't be
> performed with computers of today because we don't have 4 terabytes of
> main memory and a 100 Quadrabyte hard drive.

No I am stateing that there is a mininum level of computing power
needed for a task,and differnt level for practical use. Right now
one problem that is cropping up because of the internet, is the
standards for multi-language information is really crappy.



>
> I have no idea what you are arguing about now. Sure, computers still have
> a way to go, but how does that justify your saying that no real work could
> be done on old 9-bit computers?????

Well now that you bring it up, 9/18/36 bit computers are nice.
I like classic computers, but I want a computer that meets my
needs, and modern computers are crap, because they are mass market
products, and I am the round peg.
Received on Sun Nov 24 2002 - 23:07:00 GMT

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