IBM 5100

From: Joe R. <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
Date: Sat Aug 7 20:49:03 2004

At 06:42 AM 8/7/04 +0000, you wrote:
>Hello ClassicCmp friends,
>
>Right now as I type this an interview is in progress on the
>Coast to Coast AM late night radio talk show about a supposed
>time traveler who went back from 2036 to 1975 to obtain a
>classic computer, specifically IBM 5100. Needless to say,
>this story got me highly intrigued.

   You have to wonder how you could even explain what a computer is in
2036. By then everyone may well have one implanted in them before birth and
won't even be able to comprehend someone without one. Hell, spoken language
and face to face conversasions might even be obselete and eveything handled
by E-mail! Of course, the concept of a CRT or keyboard would probably be
meaningless. The whole thing reminds me of the StarTrek movie where the
Enterprise travels back in time to 1980 or thereabouts and Scotty is trying
to use then current computer. He keeps saying "Computer" and trying to TELL
it what to do. Finally one of the people from 1980 hands him a keyboard. He
looks at it for a moment and relies "How Quaint"!

   Lets just hope that by 2036 no one will remember MicrosSoft and Windows!

    Joe


>
>Since I don't really know anything about the machine in question,
>I thought I would ask the collective list wisdom. There must have
>been something really special about IBM 5100 for them to go back
>for it from 2036. Does anyone know anything about that machine?
>
>MS
>
Received on Sat Aug 07 2004 - 20:49:03 BST