Computers of the 20th & 21st Century

I'm eating lunch right now - a bit difficult to type

Just wondered if you guys would like to talk/discuss/show pictures of the old computers in the past and show what the difference has impacted our lives today!

The changes that impacted our lives today is that the old blocky computers existed in the 1980's invented by the famous, rich Bill Gates, the computers dramtically changed every year. These memory cards, RAMS, such as so expensive back then.

Like, Dixie said a 1 GB of memory whatoesever mentioned here, was costed as $1,000, but today these memory sticks as 1GB is very cheap today and everybody can afford as many as they wanted to. They vary from $19.99 to $39.99 apart by the-rip-off-cant-afford-price of- 1,000 -dollars.

The computers late improved greatly in the early 90's, floppy disks -

Which existed in the early 1990s but disappeared nearly 20 years later. They were replaced with CD's -


These were replaced slowly with floppy disks, in mid 1990's and it dramatically grew, and the floppy disks faded slowly but as it is today, they are no longer in use. They were replaced yet again with these flashy drives/USB/thumb drives which can store as much files as you want.


There is many more things such as external hard drives emerging, and the prices are dropping gradually.

Windows Operating Systems has changed a lot, we now use Windows Vista today.

Jclarke said:

The changes that impacted our lives today is that the old blocky computers existed in the 1980's invented by the famous, rich Bill Gates, the computers dramtically changed every year. These memory cards, RAMS, such as so expensive back then.

Like, Dixie said a 1 GB of memory whatoesever mentioned here, was costed as $1,000, but today these memory sticks as 1GB is very cheap today and everybody can afford as many as they wanted to. They vary from $19.99 to $39.99 apart by the-rip-off-cant-afford-price of- 1,000 -dollars.

The computers late improved greatly in the early 90's, floppy disks -

Which existed in the early 1990s but disappeared nearly 20 years later. They were replaced with CD's -

These were replaced slowly with floppy disks, in mid 1990's and it dramatically grew, and the floppy disks faded slowly but as it is today, they are no longer in use. They were replaced yet again with these flashy drives/USB/thumb drives which can store as much files as you want.

There is many more things such as external hard drives emerging, and the prices are dropping gradually.

Windows Operating Systems has changed a lot, we now use Windows Vista today.

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Sorry to correct you but Bill Gates didn't invent the computer. He and another person, I forget his name, created a company that made OS programs to run computers.

Secretblend said:

Sorry to correct you but Bill Gates didn't invent the computer. He and another person, I forget his name, created a company that made OS programs to run computers.

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Oh yeah, sorry. He invented Windows OS - thats how he became stupid and rich No offense, Bill

This was my first home computer from 1988 which was a Atari 1040STf It had no hard drive and a 720k 3.5" floppy disk drive. It mainly did word processing, games, graphics, etc. The huge change was the screen resolution/colors and the floppy drive replaced with USB flash drive or CD-R burning. Also the speed was greatly improved and can be able to do lots more on the present computers compared back in the 1980's.

It was said that the software drove the hardware up till mid 1990's. Now it's the other way around, the hardware is driving the software. I find that interesting.

Whoa, thats some OLD computer!

This was my first computer.

TRS-80 color computer from Radio Shack.

I remember years ago when I got my first computer... IBM PC Jr.

It was a computer with a wireless keyboard. I had a bunch of educational games plus a flight simulator and a Ghostbusters game.

The only thing that sucked was that the keyboard had a very short lifespan. Instead of getting weaker and weaker, it simply dies. So, it always died at the worst time... during games where it was crucial.

What about your latest model, today?

Jclarke said:

What about your latest model, today?

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The latest model I have is still old... Gateway PC. It's from September 2001.

My first computer was Macintosh Performa and it was slower 68k, that what my family got in 1993, just 1 year before Apple switched to PPC. My first OS was System 7, its very classic and bigger difference from Mac OS X, I was very impressed about big change for Apple.

My first computer don't have CD drive, only use floppy disk to install something into HDD but we don't get CD add-on until mid 90s and ugraded into 7.5 or 7.6, in late 90s, my parent got new PC with Windows 98 instead of sexy G3 iMac because of my mom's workplace use Windows and more software compitabity but I don't agree with them. I prefer to use classic Mac (such as System 7 to Mac OS 8/9) over 9x Windows like 95 to ME).

I had seen about some changing in technology, Most CRT are replace into LCD, both of floppies and CD are replace into DVD and flash memory, even CD can be useful if less than 700 MB. Most CPU are multi-core over single core, single core are slowly to become legacy, GPU are usually upgrade every years instead of wait for 2 to 3 years, there's multi GPU card (known as SLi and CrossFire), SSD is very slowly to replace HDD (Laptop will goes first due battery concern). Apple was removed the floppy disk from Mac in 1998, even all new world ROM don't have floppy disk built-in, more PC companies are followed in later time.

Most CPU are running so less heat than previous CPU, nanometer is getting smaller like recently Intel CPU is 45 nm and produce less heat than previous that's 65 nm, more faster and less heat.

I'm glad that I'm returned to Mac again since stopped use in last 8 years, except for use so recently at school.

Dial-up is almost fully legacy because its replace into broadband like cable and DSL, even more websites are contain more size than before. Apple was removed the dial-up modem built in in 2004 or 2005.

In regards of the dial-up modems, they are no longer in use anymore. Broadband rocks!

Jclarke said:

In regards of the dial-up modems, they are no longer in use anymore. Broadband rocks!

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It's existing in USA, only less than 20% American are using dial-up, down from over 50% in last 8 years ago.

Pacman said:

My first computer was Macintosh Performa and it was slower 68k, that what my family got in 1993, just 1 year before Apple switched to PPC. My first OS was System 7, its very classic and bigger difference from Mac OS X, I was very impressed about big change for Apple.

My first computer don't have CD drive, only use floppy disk to install something into HDD but we don't get CD add-on until mid 90s and ugraded into 7.5 or 7.6, in late 90s, my parent got new PC with Windows 98 instead of sexy G3 iMac because of my mom's workplace use Windows and more software compitabity but I don't agree with them. I prefer to use classic Mac (such as System 7 to Mac OS 8/9) over 9x Windows like 95 to ME).

I had seen about some changing in technology, Most CRT are replace into LCD, both of floppies and CD are replace into DVD and flash memory, even CD can be useful if less than 700 MB. Most CPU are multi-core over single core, single core are slowly to become legacy, GPU are usually upgrade every years instead of wait for 2 to 3 years, there's multi GPU card (known as SLi and CrossFire), SSD is very slowly to replace HDD (Laptop will goes first due battery concern). Apple was removed the floppy disk from Mac in 1998, even all new world ROM don't have floppy disk built-in, more PC companies are followed in later time.

Most CPU are running so less heat than previous CPU, nanometer is getting smaller like recently Intel CPU is 45 nm and produce less heat than previous that's 65 nm, more faster and less heat.

I'm glad that I'm returned to Mac again since stopped use in last 8 years, except for use so recently at school.

Dial-up is almost fully legacy because its replace into broadband like cable and DSL, even more websites are contain more size than before. Apple was removed the dial-up modem built in in 2004 or 2005.

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So you had to use PC for school?

Just wanted to make sure I understand correctly.

Secretblend said:

So you had to use PC for school?

Just wanted to make sure I understand correctly.

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No, I using old iMac at school, such as Mac OS 8/9 and some are Mac OS X, just G3 iMac and several newer iMac.

There's some PC at my school but I don't use it, their PC is so old, mostly are Windows 98 and ME, some are 2000 and XP.

Pacman said:

No, I using old iMac at school, such as Mac OS 8/9 and some are Mac OS X, just G3 iMac and several newer iMac.

There's some PC at my school but I don't use it, their PC is so old, mostly are Windows 98 and ME, some are 2000 and XP.

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So Mac has all the programs needed for college? That's good to know.

Secretblend said:

So Mac has all the programs needed for college? That's good to know.

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It was high school.

I was stopped to use Mac at home in 2000 or 2001, except for use Mac so recently at high school, sorry for misunderstood.

Of course, Mac has everything that I needed, even I have Vista under bootcamp on my MacBook Pro, only use for games and few apps that aren't come on Mac.

sequoias said:

This was my first home computer from 1988 which was a Atari 1040STf It had no hard drive and a 720k 3.5" floppy disk drive. It mainly did word processing, games, graphics, etc. The huge change was the screen resolution/colors and the floppy drive replaced with USB flash drive or CD-R burning. Also the speed was greatly improved and can be able to do lots more on the present computers compared back in the 1980's.

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I don't remember much of the technical stuff, but a lot of musicians used to use the Atari, because it was a "cheap" computer with built in midi and digital sound processing chip. A few musicians still use the Atari today.

The Commodore 64 also had awesome sound. In fact, the SID chip (sound chip), which was developed in the 70s was named "chip of the year" (or something similar) during the mid 90s. And, a few musicians still use the SID chip in their music.

Secretblend said:

So Mac has all the programs needed for college? That's good to know.

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I hope that you will back and reply my post.

Have you using Mac? Most college students (not majority) are using Mac, even Mac offers educational resource, such as include with dictionary, calculator, text edit, iWork, MS Office 2004/2008, grapher calculator, programming, even Mac is great for graphic design and Stars War is created by Mac with video edit/film.