. . . but Packard-Bell is still around.
So declared Clifford Stoll in a 1995 Newsweek article, now reproduced by The Daily Beast. There was actually a time when I thought the internet was for specialists, but I soon realized the error of my ways. (HT: The Agitator)
Image via Wikipedia … or any other computer, for that matter. As usual, I had several calls over the holidays asking me for recommendations on buying a new computer. This year, all the requests related to laptops. What these callers want is for me to give them the technical specifications they need in order to…
Back in my earlier days in electronics, as the glaciers receded, the NiCad battery was a new, great, and often expensive thing. We were taught to frequently let the battery drain and then recharge, as the cycle helped condition the battery. I get asked this question frequently regarding modern cell-phone batteries, and I admit my…
I was fascinated to find a discussion of the difference between a ditto machine and a mimeograph. For what it’s worth, my memory of the difference between the two is the same as Michael Sheehan indicated in his post. The Ditto machine used masters that had a carbon based (I believe) substance on them, and…
From the folks at smartermsp.com, we have some brief history of #FORTRAN (#TECHTIMEWARP). I wanted to add my humor note, as I was working with computers while FORTRAN was still fairly commonly used. I studied it and took a challenge exam, getting 4 quarter hours of college credit in the language, but I never owned…
This device looks interesting. I haven’t had an opportunity to test it yet, but hopefully I will. I know someone to whom I’m going to recommend it. It’s an intelligent wireless router, the Ruckus Mediaflex NG and it should improve range and stability. The MSNBC tester definitely saw improvement. Considering the number of cases in…