On Wed, 2002-12-11 at 01:56, Doug MacFarlane wrote: > On 10 Dec 2002, 23:18:30, Mark L. Kahnt wrote: > > I was digging through some old papers and found this from nearly a > > decade ago: > > > > (Dec. 21) > > I'm getting tired of lazy, slovenly, good-for-nothing programmers > > wasting my hard-earned hard disk space with their frivolous code. > > My first PC hard disk had a 10MB capacity. These days, I can think of > > individual applications that consume more space. > > In one of my more perverse claims to pride, I actually issue a purchase order > to IBM for a 5 MB 5.25" Full Height hard-drive for $4100 in 1984, to be installed > in an IBM PC. > > And it was a godsend . . . > > When PC DASD (Hard-Drives) hit $1/MB, I was in shock. Now it's $1/GB. > When PC RAM hit $1/MB I was really in shock. Now you can get 1 GB or RAM > for a little over $100 . . . > > I hate being old. > > madmac > > > -- > Doug MacFarlane > madmac@covad.net Yep - I put close to $1000 into putting together my Atari 600 XL computer with 64 KB of memory (and a few programs on 8 KB cartridges.) That was the box on which I developed and practiced my RISC programming skills - the 6502 just didn't have that many instructions. Now, it probably only is called upon for functions like running a microwave oven or a remote control - it doesn't support enough memory for a laser printer, although maybe it could handle an inkjet. ISTR that half of that $1000 was likely spent on adding 48 KB of memory to the Atari - probably about $8/KB and then the installation charge and taxes. When I next put out my own $$$ to put memory in my own computer, it was about $1000 for 4 MB about 8 years back, 6 years ago I paid $750 (Cdn) for 64 MB, and a year ago, it was $85 (Cdn) for 256 MB. I look on the use I got from the system for that extra memory, or the extra disk space I've had, and it has been worth it, but it has also been rather funny to remember how we feared programs getting too big for a single floppy, hard drives exceeding the 32 MB size limit of MS-DOS (remember that one?) Speaking of the Atari, I've got atari800 installed, and one of these days, I should look at what I would need to do to get some of the programs on cassettes and cartridges transferred into it. I actually enjoyed Eastern Front (1941) and would like to kick around at it, and maybe even look at developing a comparable game on a more currently viable open source environment. Wonder if I could keep it in 8 KB (or even 32 KB when you allow for the move from 8-bit to 32-bit code.) -- Mark L. Kahnt, FLMI/M, ALHC, HIA, AIAA, ACS, MHP ML Kahnt New Markets Consulting Tel: (613) 531-8684 / (613) 539-0935 Email: kahnt@hosehead.dyndns.org
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