Remember When
Quote: AZDuffman
Nothing like one on the highway. Ride on a cloud and feel you control the world.
In the early 90's I bought a
69 Chrysler Newport at a
farm auction. No battery,
I got it for 200 bucks. Put
in a battery and I drove it
in the summer for 3 years
until the brakes gave out.
383 engine, it was batshit
crazy fast. And it was a
battleship in size, floated
down the road like the tires
weren't making contact with
the pavement. Sold it for $500
just for the engine.
Look at the size of this thing,
you could live in the back
seat. The trunk was gigantic.
I'll never forget the Sunday morning when I got up to get rolls for the family from the corner store and saw Richie outside crying.
Someone had slashed his convertible top and stolen his stereo, speakers, and all.
He ended up fixing the slash with a silver tape that looked horrible and was an ugly reminder of the crime that took place.
That might have turned me off to convertibles as I don't like them.
Give me a large sunroof any day. My Mazda's sunroof must be twice the size of my BMWs, and I enjoy it much more.
Quote: billryanAround 1971 or 1972, I spent time at my Grandmother's house when the guy across the street bought a mid-1960s Caddy convertible. It was spectacular, White with a black stripe and burgundy interior. The thing was huge. You could easily fit four or five kids in the backseat. A day or two later, my Uncle and a dozen or so guys were helping him install an eight-track tape player with an FM converter and replacing the tiny factory speakers with these monstrous 4X6 inch ones. That night, we were treated to music blasting from his stereo at volumes I'd never heard before. It was cool at first, but after a couple of days, it got annoying pretty fast.
I'll never forget the Sunday morning when I got up to get rolls for the family from the corner store and saw Richie outside crying.
Someone had slashed his convertible top and stolen his stereo, speakers, and all.
He ended up fixing the slash with a silver tape that looked horrible and was an ugly reminder of the crime that took place.
That might have turned me off to convertibles as I don't like them.
Give me a large sunroof any day. My Mazda's sunroof must be twice the size of my BMWs, and I enjoy it much more.
Someone slashed the soft top of my Allante to break into it. I was so pissed because I always left it unlocked so no one would do that. There was nothing inside it to steal.
I doubt that I will ever have another soft top convertible. My last three have all been retractable hard tops and they are so much nicer and they cut out a lot of the road noise.
Quote: AZDuffmanThanksgiving a couple years back I forgot some old football cards a surprise to my niece and nephew who like collecting them, a short story in itself. At my mother's I take my old man's convertible out. Top down of course. At the traffic light some black guy in a SUV looks over and shakes his head. I can imagine him telling his family about some crazy white dude driving with the top down in November.
I think I told this story before, but when I was in highschool my dad let me borrow his Miata all the time.
When driving around in that with the top down with a male friend, on more than one occasion I was called a f** at a traffic light. Neither me or any of the male passengers were gay. But I guess it was understandable to think that given the car.
Quote: gamerfreakThe Mazda Miata is the greatest convertible of all time and my mind can’t be changed.
I had a honda del sol which the hard top came off. You could also roll down the back window. I put the rear window down more often than removing the top. But you had to put the top in the trunk, and the window was electric.
Looks exactly like it.
http://ftlracing.com/images/delsol2.jpg
Quote: billryanAround 1971 or 1972, I spent time at my Grandmother's house...Someone had slashed his convertible top and stolen his stereo, speakers, and all.
Good grief, did she live in the ghetto?
I had my ragtop in Santa Barbara for
3 years with the top always up and
nobody bothered it.
Quote: EvenBobGood grief, did she live in the ghetto?
I had my ragtop in Santa Barbara for
3 years with the top always up, and
nobody bothered it.
It was a neighborhood in transition. One of my Uncles and an Aunt worked for the City of NY, and until 1972, you had to be a city resident for their positions. Around 1972, they loosened the rules to allow workers to live in the surrounding counties.
As soon as they could legally move, they did. They sold the house in Queens for $17,000 and bought one in Garden City for $32,000.
The Garden City house sold in 2018 for almost a million dollars while the Queens Village house is worth about $200,000.
Quote: gamerfreakI think I told this story before, but when I was in highschool my dad let me borrow his Miata all the time.
When driving around in that with the top down with a male friend, on more than one occasion I was called a f** at a traffic light. Neither me or any of the male passengers were gay. But I guess it was understandable to think that given the car.
Men look weird in a convertible that is too small. It was really bad in a Smart convertible.
Quote: gamerfreakThe Mazda Miata is the greatest convertible of all time and my mind can’t be changed.
I loved my Miata. I bought it the first month that it went on sale in 1989. the dealer delivered it to my office and we did the paperwork. Around 6pm I left work to go home and realized that I better learn how to drive a manual transmission because I need to get home. I think I only stalled it once on the way home.
Quote: DRichI loved my Miata. I bought it the first month that it went on sale in 1989. the dealer delivered it to my office and we did the paperwork. Around 6pm I left work to go home and realized that I better learn how to drive a manual transmission because I need to get home. I think I only stalled it once on the way home.
LOL. I never drove a manual until I was about 32 years old. Buddy was in the same boat but like 2 years younger than me. We drove his wife's Grand Am around the country roads to practice as at least I knew how just no experience.
Weeks later I was overnight in charge of a fleet of 15 manual Rangers! And had to drive a 28' straight truck U-Haul with one.
My mother always asked "how I learned." I just told her I had no choice.
Quote: billryanOne of my friends had an Opel GT convertible that he drove for years.
I had an Opal GT hardtop for 3
years in the early 70's most fun
car I ever owned. Only sports
car I ever had. I miss it.
Quote: billryanI think his might have been a hardtop, now that I think about.
The convertibles were pretty
dang cool. Way out of my
price range. It was a chick
magnet too, girls loved it.
Only that Mexican Lmousine Service likes the behemoutj cars because you can load so many riders and follow the harvests in style.
I remember doing an experiment. ABC news had some story they showed a web page before a commercial break so I jumped right there and saw the counter. Went there right after the commercial and about 40000 people checked it during the story.
By 1999 web pros were saying to never put a counter on your page.
Quote: AZDuffmanRemember when web pages had little counters at the bottom showing how many visitors they had?
I remember doing an experiment. ABC news had some story they showed a web page before a commercial break so I jumped right there and saw the counter. Went there right after the commercial and about 40000 people checked it during the story.
By 1999 web pros were saying to never put a counter on your page.
I remember that when the web first started some folks at one of the supercomputer centers would put out every Friday a list of all the new web sites that had come on-line in the past week. The 1st week's anouncement had about a dozen sites listed. Next week it was about 30 and the third week it was, if I recall correctly, close to 200. They gave up after that.
Quote: TumblingBonesI remember that when the web first started some folks at one of the supercomputer centers would put out every Friday a list of all the new web sites that had come on-line in the past week. The 1st week's anouncement had about a dozen sites listed. Next week it was about 30 and the third week it was, if I recall correctly, close to 200. They gave up after that.
This is a plotline in "Halt and Catch Fire" which is a good series if you remember the 1980s computer industry. They are doing reviews as the internet first comes out but it clearly becomes too much in no time at all. Most of the series is set in the 1980s beginning with the first IBM compatible (remember calling them that!) and ends with the rise of Yahoo! which basically ends their business.
Quote: AZDuffmanThis is a plotline in "Halt and Catch Fire" which is a good series if you remember the 1980s computer industry.
Thank you, I have never heard of it. I don't watch much TV, but this sounds like something I would give a chance.
Quote: DRichThank you, I have never heard of it. I don't watch much TV, but this sounds like something I would give a chance.
Hope you enjoy. It is disguised story of COMPAQ to start but if you remember the early 80s computer scene you should like it.
Quote: AZDuffmanHope you enjoy. It is disguised story of COMPAQ to start but if you remember the early 80s computer scene you should like it.
Not only do I remember it, I lived it. I was programming on IBM PC's and Apple II's before there were IBM compatibles.
In 1986 I purchased a Gateway 2000 that came in a box that looked like cowhide. I believe it was built in South Dakota. That was the first IBM compatible that I bought.
he would be 85. That makes me sad..
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Quote: EvenBobIf Bod Denver (Gilligan) was still alive
he would be 85. That makes me sad..
I am surprised how popular Gilligan's Island became after the series ended. Most people have no idea that it only ran three years.
Quote: DRichNot only do I remember it, I lived it. I was programming on IBM PC's and Apple II's before there were IBM compatibles.
In 1986 I purchased a Gateway 2000 that came in a box that looked like cowhide. I believe it was built in South Dakota. That was the first IBM compatible that I bought.
1986 or 1996?
I remember a buddy insisting IBM was made from "better parts." An IBM was $5000 back then, many cars were just $10000.
Quote: DRichQuote: EvenBobIf Bod Denver (Gilligan) was still alive
he would be 85. That makes me sad..
I am surprised how popular Gilligan's Island became after the series ended. Most people have no idea that it only ran three years.
The first season was in black and white so it was rarely seen until they colorized them sometime in the mid-1980s. Bob Denver did a short-lived western called Dustys Trail which was pretty much Gilligans Islan but set in the Old West, where he is the assistant to a Wagonmaster leading a lost wagon train. I'm not sure why, but the stuff that worked on Gilligan falls flat here.
Quote: AZDuffman1986 or 1996?
I remember a buddy insisting IBM was made from "better parts." An IBM was $5000 back then, many cars were just $10000.
It was definitely 1986. I already bought an Apple }{e in 1984 because I was working at a company that published educational software. In 1986 more schools started using IBM PC's so I needed to get one to write code on for work.
Quote: AZDuffman1986 or 1996?
I remember a buddy insisting IBM was made from "better parts." An IBM was $5000 back then, many cars were just $10000.
I paid $1500 in 92 for my first
puter. Could have got a good
used car for $1500.
Quote: ChumpChangeDidn't Kinko's charge $15 an hour to use their computers back in '92, before .www?
I was on Usenet in newsgroups in
92, isn't that the internet?
Quote: EvenBobI paid $1500 in 92 for my first
puter. Could have got a good
used car for $1500.
My first laptop was $2000 and had Windows 95. You turned it on and came back in 5 minutes when it was ready. Slow as hell, but it was still exciting to have a computer you could use or take just about anywhere. It even crashed slow. It probably would have been nicer to use with an old windows 3.1 OS.
Quote: DRichIt was definitely 1986. I already bought an Apple }{e in 1984 because I was working at a company that published educational software. In 1986 more schools started using IBM PC's so I needed to get one to write code on for work.
I didn't even know Gateway was around before the mid-1990s.
Quote: EvenBobI was on Usenet in newsgroups in
92, isn't that the internet?
I was there then. It was indeed the internet. The internet is not just the www. Usenet, telnet, GOPHER. We used all of them and it was the most amazing thing. We would be fooling on telnet and realize we were on some system somewhere in Germany or something. I estimate about 1-2% of the college campus I was on knew the thing existed.
By Kevin Parrish October 01, 2013
The pioneering Web TV service has signed off.
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/microsoft-msn-tv-webtv,news-17627.html
Quote: AZDuffmanI estimate about 1-2% of the college campus I was on knew the thing existed.
I made a fortune on Ebay from 97
to 02 because it took the old
antique dealers that long to catch
on the new fangled thing. I would
go into their booth at a show and
buy $200 worth of stuff I sold on
Ebay for $800. Same at auctions.
Got a box of old telegraph keys
for $100 and sold them for $6000.
One was $4000 because it was
Civil War era.
They wised up eventually and all
I heard at shows was the 'Ebay echo'.
They were talking about it all over
the place. That killed it for me,
but while it lasted it was amazing.
It took them so long to catch on
because people are lazy when it
comes to learning new things.
It was scary and daunting and
they were finally forced into
it.
I had to drag my wife, literally
drag her, to the store to get
her first HP. She was convinced
she couldn't do it. And this is
a smart woman. Valedictorian
of her class, college grad. Imagine
how the really dumb people felt.
Quote: EvenBobI made a fortune on Ebay from 97
to 02 because it took the old
antique dealers that long to catch
on the new fangled thing. I would
go into their booth at a show and
buy $200 worth of stuff I sold on
Ebay for $800. Same at auctions.
Got a box of old telegraph keys
for $100 and sold them for $6000.
One was $4000 because it was
Civil War era.
Remember "The eBay Store" concept? it worked for a few years. People did not know how to sell on eBay so they paid someone to do it for them. The adoption curve of digital cameras was one thing that held some people back. I saw the stores out in AZ, new franchise concepts seem to start in the western part of the USA more than the east. A year later I saw them in a "what were we thinking" article on franchises.
My dad took forever to learn the computer and longer to buy his own. He took me with him but by then I explained they would all do what he needed so just buy one he liked. 90% of what he did was playing solitaire and the sounds drove the dog nuts. I found an "eldy" software for seniors he liked at first then didn't. For using the mouse I had to find software they used to teach children. That worked a bit. They changed the layout on a page and he said he could no longer figure it out. I asked if when he sold his Chrysler and bought a Ford how did he set the timing because the distributor was now in back not in front. That made a little sense to him but just a little. He scrapped some good old car parts because he refused to learn eBay. He let me earn enough to make a difference for me letting me sell the rest.
My mother, OTOH, willingly learned. It took time, but when she saw herself falling behind life she learned. Her biggest gripe was she wanted to know how to use it like me and the rest of the kids. I had to tell her I had a 20 year head start and it would not happen, just learn as she went. I did manage to get her to be smart about scams but only after she let some guy in India destroy her computer.
Quote: AZDuffman
My dad took forever to learn the computer and longer to buy his own. He took me with him but by then I explained they would all do what he needed so just buy one he liked. .
In 1983 I was 17 years old and taught my father how to program a computer. A year later he was teaching the math teachers in his school district to program. He caught on very fast.
Quote: AZDuffman
My mother, OTOH, willingly learned.
My wife cried all the home from
the computer store, she was so
convinced she would never learn
how to use it. A month later she
was 10 times better than I was.
Her whole brick and mortar biz
was on the computer. She printed
checks, ran MS Office, kept all
the inventory and sales on the
computer. It might have been
less than a month. Like I said,
she very smart.
If she was intimidated, imagine all
the older people who were scared
to death. For me, I'm never intimidated
by anything. I always dive in head
first and figure if you can do it, so
can I.
She had a customer who had a
shipping and mailbox biz. He was
about 50 and asked her for pointers
on the computer. He'd had one for
2 years and had yet to figure it
out. My wife said he was pathetic,
he didn't even know how to copy
and paste. He almost broke down
weeping when my wife showed
him. He'd spent countless hours
entering everything manually.
All he had to do was take a computer
class, people are so ignorant.
Quote: DRichIn 1983 I was 17 years old and taught my father how to program a computer. A year later he was teaching the math teachers in his school district to program. He caught on very fast.
My dad was born in 1914 and
was afraid of hand held
calculators and TV remotes.
He never would have caught
on. His idea of high tech was
intermittent windshield wipers.
Quote: rxwineI remember getting my first stock trading online program and it was like, 10 times the trading price It is now. No ETrade or other competition.
I remember doing stock trades on Compuserve. I think it was $19.99 or $24.99 a trade.
Quote: EvenBobI was on Usenet in newsgroups in
92, isn't that the internet?
SO WAS I, CHASING A JNBENET RAMSEY MURDER SUSPECT,
BUT my man memory of the early internet was how instataneously all these rich guys dumped their NN leases, realizing few brick and mortar merchants would survive.
Quote: DRichIn 1983 I was 17 years old and taught my father how to program a computer. A year later he was teaching the math teachers in his school district to program. He caught on very fast.
I was in high school 84-88. For computer class it was a glorious time. The teachers were just a step ahead of us. One teacher who did know sadly died of brain cancer mid-school year. They were designing the classes as they taught us. We might have learned more a year later, but boy was it fun times. One thing I did learn from back then was figuring out things for yourself.
One other thing was how the males would jump in and try this or that with the computer. If you crashed it you just started over. The girls were afraid to "hurt the computer." This split started in the 80s and lasted 20+ years.
Quote: AZDuffmanI was in high school 84-88. For computer class it was a glorious time. The teachers were just a step ahead of us. One teacher who did know sadly died of brain cancer mid-school year. They were designing the classes as they taught us. We might have learned more a year later, but boy was it fun times. One thing I did learn from back then was figuring out things for yourself.
One other thing was how the males would jump in and try this or that with the computer. If you crashed it you just started over. The girls were afraid to "hurt the computer." This split started in the 80s and lasted 20+ years.
We had a mainframe computer in high school and my goal was always to hack the teachers password and change it. He would get locked out and have to call a technician to come to the school and reset it. He knew it was me but had no proof. I actually emailed him 20 years later and apologized.
Quote: EvenBobMy wife cried all the home from
the computer store, she was so
convinced she would never learn
how to use it. A month later she
was 10 times better than I was.
Her whole brick and mortar biz
was on the computer. She printed
checks, ran MS Office, kept all
the inventory and sales on the
computer. It might have been
less than a month. Like I said,
she very smart.
For many years I would get the odd phone call she did this or that and needed it fixed. Eventually she both learned to figure things out and knew enough to get things done. One year for Christmas I wanted a printer so she said pick one out. I go on Amazon and find one. thinking I could just give her the link. Nope. I had to order it and put her CC info in! Talk about taking the surprise out of Christmas morning. It did not arrive when I was home so not like I picked up the UPS.
Now she just gets hung up on harder stuff. Another Christmas I wanted something they had on Shark Tank. She asked how I found it and I said where it was. She thought there was some site that had all the items.
Quote: DRichWe had a mainframe computer in high school and my goal was always to hack the teachers password and change it. He would get locked out and have to call a technician to come to the school and reset it. He knew it was me but had no proof. I actually emailed him 20 years later and apologized.
I still have a list somewhere of practical jokes, many computer related since it came off USENET. The things people used to fall for.
