I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:47:49 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Dec 12, 3:01*pm, "Calif Bill" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message

...







wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:54:38 -0500, BAR wrote:

Why did anyone ever pay for AOL?
There was a time when it was only Prodigy and AOL, before there really
was an internet, from the consumer standpoint. It was all proprietary
software and captive content. Other than that you just had local BBS
services. If you traveled you wanted something with national coverage.
It still is about the most stable ISP. The rest came and went with too
much frequency to actually give anyone your Email address and have it
be useful a year later. Even now I can still use my 15 year old AOL
address but my Mediaone address is dead, as is the successor
Roadrunner (ended up Comcast), Sprint then Earthlink, ended up Embarq.
and a half dozen other places that I had accounts with. *(RIP)

The software stopped being stable when they incorporated Internet
Explorer as the browser and W/9x. Prior to that it was rock solid. *I
used to use the W/3.1 version to test communication on machines that
had suspected software problems since it didn't have to be "installed"
and it would run straight from a diskette.

Before Prodigy and AOL there was Compuserve and GEnie. Same stuff, just
earlier.

--Mike

Actually there was ARPA net for a lot of us.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That ran off of heated rocks and bronze, didn't it?!!!!!

Not exactly, but close enough.

Things were pretty primitive in those days. :)

When I think back on our first "big" machine - a whole 2K RAM on a
12X12 PCB with a bootstrap console and a paper tape reader - SANDIA
labs went ga-ga over that much memory on a single board and PAPER TAPE
for programming - man, that was 'da bomb. :)

Literally in this case.

Heck, I go back even further. Our high school math club used to
program Sylvania's mainframe (this was '62) using phone jacks/plugs on
racks six feet tall and four wide - there were fifteen of them.

With vacuum tubes no less. :)

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:01:17 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
.. .

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:54:38 -0500, BAR wrote:

Why did anyone ever pay for AOL?
There was a time when it was only Prodigy and AOL, before there really
was an internet, from the consumer standpoint. It was all proprietary
software and captive content. Other than that you just had local BBS
services. If you traveled you wanted something with national coverage.
It still is about the most stable ISP. The rest came and went with too
much frequency to actually give anyone your Email address and have it
be useful a year later. Even now I can still use my 15 year old AOL
address but my Mediaone address is dead, as is the successor
Roadrunner (ended up Comcast), Sprint then Earthlink, ended up Embarq.
and a half dozen other places that I had accounts with. (RIP)

The software stopped being stable when they incorporated Internet
Explorer as the browser and W/9x. Prior to that it was rock solid. I
used to use the W/3.1 version to test communication on machines that
had suspected software problems since it didn't have to be "installed"
and it would run straight from a diskette.

Before Prodigy and AOL there was Compuserve and GEnie. Same stuff, just
earlier.

Actually there was ARPA net for a lot of us.

Heh - In '78, I was at BBN working on a joint project for the US Navy
(which is how I met Admn. Grace Hooper who was there consulting with
BBN on a DEC implementation) and as it happened, Ray Tomlinson was
involved in our project. I asked him point blank if he really didn't
know what he sent as the first remote email message and he grinned and
said he didn't have a clue.

I was told later on by somebody who was, in theory "in the know", that
it was a very naughty joke. :)

Did the storied Admn Grace have her piece of string with her? 8)

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:01:17 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:

"Mike" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:54:38 -0500, BAR wrote:

Why did anyone ever pay for AOL?
There was a time when it was only Prodigy and AOL, before there really
was an internet, from the consumer standpoint. It was all proprietary
software and captive content. Other than that you just had local BBS
services. If you traveled you wanted something with national coverage.
It still is about the most stable ISP. The rest came and went with too
much frequency to actually give anyone your Email address and have it
be useful a year later. Even now I can still use my 15 year old AOL
address but my Mediaone address is dead, as is the successor
Roadrunner (ended up Comcast), Sprint then Earthlink, ended up Embarq.
and a half dozen other places that I had accounts with. (RIP)

The software stopped being stable when they incorporated Internet
Explorer as the browser and W/9x. Prior to that it was rock solid. I
used to use the W/3.1 version to test communication on machines that
had suspected software problems since it didn't have to be "installed"
and it would run straight from a diskette.
Before Prodigy and AOL there was Compuserve and GEnie. Same stuff, just
earlier.
Actually there was ARPA net for a lot of us.

Heh - In '78, I was at BBN working on a joint project for the US Navy
(which is how I met Admn. Grace Hooper who was there consulting with
BBN on a DEC implementation) and as it happened, Ray Tomlinson was
involved in our project. I asked him point blank if he really didn't
know what he sent as the first remote email message and he grinned and
said he didn't have a clue.

I was told later on by somebody who was, in theory "in the know", that
it was a very naughty joke. :)

All this BBN and DEC ARPA makes my head spin.

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:34:37 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

Heck, I go back even further. Our high school math club used to
program Sylvania's mainframe (this was '62) using phone jacks/plugs on
racks six feet tall and four wide - there were fifteen of them.

With vacuum tubes no less. :)

I get a warm feeling just thinking about it, nothing like the soft red
glow from a rack full of vacuum tube equipment on a cold winter's
night. :-)

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:37:35 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:01:17 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
. ..

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:54:38 -0500, BAR wrote:

Why did anyone ever pay for AOL?
There was a time when it was only Prodigy and AOL, before there really
was an internet, from the consumer standpoint. It was all proprietary
software and captive content. Other than that you just had local BBS
services. If you traveled you wanted something with national coverage.
It still is about the most stable ISP. The rest came and went with too
much frequency to actually give anyone your Email address and have it
be useful a year later. Even now I can still use my 15 year old AOL
address but my Mediaone address is dead, as is the successor
Roadrunner (ended up Comcast), Sprint then Earthlink, ended up Embarq.
and a half dozen other places that I had accounts with. (RIP)

The software stopped being stable when they incorporated Internet
Explorer as the browser and W/9x. Prior to that it was rock solid. I
used to use the W/3.1 version to test communication on machines that
had suspected software problems since it didn't have to be "installed"
and it would run straight from a diskette.

Before Prodigy and AOL there was Compuserve and GEnie. Same stuff, just
earlier.

Actually there was ARPA net for a lot of us.

Heh - In '78, I was at BBN working on a joint project for the US Navy
(which is how I met Admn. Grace Hooper who was there consulting with
BBN on a DEC implementation) and as it happened, Ray Tomlinson was
involved in our project. I asked him point blank if he really didn't
know what he sent as the first remote email message and he grinned and
said he didn't have a clue.

I was told later on by somebody who was, in theory "in the know", that
it was a very naughty joke. :)

Did the storied Admn Grace have her piece of string with her? 8)

Can't say, but...I did ask for her if she happened to have a spare
nanosecond and she grinned and gave me one.

It's framed, autographed and in my office. :)

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:06:57 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:34:37 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

Heck, I go back even further. Our high school math club used to
program Sylvania's mainframe (this was '62) using phone jacks/plugs on
racks six feet tall and four wide - there were fifteen of them.

With vacuum tubes no less. :)

I get a warm feeling just thinking about it, nothing like the soft red
glow from a rack full of vacuum tube equipment on a cold winter's
night. :-)

Ah yes - the low hum of a power transformer keeping the finals on the
"california kilowatt" warm and waitng for that chance encounter on 40
meters with a TO or C8. :)

It's even better when the S-line is sitting idle - that soft glow of
tubes through the cabinet vents reflecting off the shelf over the
radios...nothing like it.

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:34:37 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

Heck, I go back even further. Our high school math club used to
program Sylvania's mainframe (this was '62) using phone jacks/plugs on
racks six feet tall and four wide - there were fifteen of them.

With vacuum tubes no less. :)

I get a warm feeling just thinking about it, nothing like the soft red
glow from a rack full of vacuum tube equipment on a cold winter's
night. :-)



Have either of you had to buy tubes lately? Good Grief!

I decided to re-tube both the B3 and the C3 Hammonds, a M3 Hammond, two
Leslie 122 speakers and two Hammond PR-20 Tone cabinets.

Started searching for tube sets and nearly fell off my chair. The last
American made set of push-pull finals (6550's) for the Leslie's are $329.95
for a matched pair. I'd need four pairs of these. Forget it!

http://thetubestore.com/ge-6550.html

Opted for some Russian made versions for 60 bucks a pair.

Anyway, I cut back on re-tubing everything at once, and will just do one
organ/Leslie at a time. 13 tubes of various types.

Even shopping around for the best prices for tube sets for everything was
adding up to about $1,600 - $2,000.
It's a far cry from the old days of running down to Radio Shack, old tubes
in hand, using their tube tester and buying a couple of new tubes for a buck
or two each.

Eisboch

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:37:35 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:01:17 -0800, "Calif Bill"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:54:38 -0500, BAR wrote:

Why did anyone ever pay for AOL?
There was a time when it was only Prodigy and AOL, before there
really
was an internet, from the consumer standpoint. It was all proprietary
software and captive content. Other than that you just had local BBS
services. If you traveled you wanted something with national
coverage.
It still is about the most stable ISP. The rest came and went with
too
much frequency to actually give anyone your Email address and have it
be useful a year later. Even now I can still use my 15 year old AOL
address but my Mediaone address is dead, as is the successor
Roadrunner (ended up Comcast), Sprint then Earthlink, ended up
Embarq.
and a half dozen other places that I had accounts with. (RIP)

The software stopped being stable when they incorporated Internet
Explorer as the browser and W/9x. Prior to that it was rock solid. I
used to use the W/3.1 version to test communication on machines that
had suspected software problems since it didn't have to be
"installed"
and it would run straight from a diskette.

Before Prodigy and AOL there was Compuserve and GEnie. Same stuff,
just
earlier.

Actually there was ARPA net for a lot of us.

Heh - In '78, I was at BBN working on a joint project for the US Navy
(which is how I met Admn. Grace Hooper who was there consulting with
BBN on a DEC implementation) and as it happened, Ray Tomlinson was
involved in our project. I asked him point blank if he really didn't
know what he sent as the first remote email message and he grinned and
said he didn't have a clue.

I was told later on by somebody who was, in theory "in the know", that
it was a very naughty joke. :)

Did the storied Admn Grace have her piece of string with her? 8)

Can't say, but...I did ask for her if she happened to have a spare
nanosecond and she grinned and gave me one.

It's framed, autographed and in my office. :)

Years ago, she was about 80 I believe, she spoke to a group of us engineers
at Bells Labs. Quite an interesting lady.

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:41:08 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
.. .

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:34:37 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

Heck, I go back even further. Our high school math club used to
program Sylvania's mainframe (this was '62) using phone jacks/plugs on
racks six feet tall and four wide - there were fifteen of them.

With vacuum tubes no less. :)

I get a warm feeling just thinking about it, nothing like the soft red
glow from a rack full of vacuum tube equipment on a cold winter's
night. :-)

Have either of you had to buy tubes lately? Good Grief!

Oh yeah - had to get new finals for my homebrew "California Kilowatt"
about two years ago- 3-500Cs. I got Russian tubes (Chinese tubes are
crap) and they were still $110 a piece.

Dude!!

I decided to re-tube both the B3 and the C3 Hammonds, a M3 Hammond, two
Leslie 122 speakers and two Hammond PR-20 Tone cabinets.

Started searching for tube sets and nearly fell off my chair. The last
American made set of push-pull finals (6550's) for the Leslie's are $329.95
for a matched pair. I'd need four pairs of these. Forget it!

http://thetubestore.com/ge-6550.html

Opted for some Russian made versions for 60 bucks a pair.

Know what - your better off too. I've got Russian tubes in my Dad's
Collins S-line and in the KWM-2 and they are solid as a rock. All the
Mac 50s have Svetlana 6L6GCs plus other tubes all Svetlana and they
sound just as good as they did the day I bought them.

Anyway, I cut back on re-tubing everything at once, and will just do one
organ/Leslie at a time. 13 tubes of various types.

I feel your pain - analog is expensive. :)

Even shopping around for the best prices for tube sets for everything was
adding up to about $1,600 - $2,000.

Yep - been there, done that. :)

It's a far cry from the old days of running down to Radio Shack, old tubes
in hand, using their tube tester and buying a couple of new tubes for a buck
or two each.

Gone - long gone. Finished.

Radio Shack is just another Best Buy now, only smaller with a little
more "stuff".

I'm surprised they haven't tanked already.
 

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:18:13 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:41:08 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Wayne.B" wrote in message
. ..

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:34:37 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

Heck, I go back even further. Our high school math club used to
program Sylvania's mainframe (this was '62) using phone jacks/plugs on
racks six feet tall and four wide - there were fifteen of them.

With vacuum tubes no less. :)

I get a warm feeling just thinking about it, nothing like the soft red
glow from a rack full of vacuum tube equipment on a cold winter's
night. :-)

Have either of you had to buy tubes lately? Good Grief!

Oh yeah - had to get new finals for my homebrew "California Kilowatt"
about two years ago- 3-500Cs. I got Russian tubes (Chinese tubes are
crap) and they were still $110 a piece.

Dude!!

I decided to re-tube both the B3 and the C3 Hammonds, a M3 Hammond, two
Leslie 122 speakers and two Hammond PR-20 Tone cabinets.


Have they all been re-capped? If not, they are long overdue!