Child's story come to life.
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Computers I've used.
Computers are getting smaller and smaller. We use them to solve problems, but you still have to give them instructions to do what you want. Computer languages are a way to give the computer the instructions you want it to use. The first computer I ever used was at college. Then they did not even have a computer major. Mostly you majored in math. The first computer was large and bulky. We used punch cards to get computer code into the machine. In fact, we used a language call Fortran (Formula translation) which was the forerunner of a more recent language called Basic (Beginner’s all purpose instruction code). Fortran is still actually around and you can still use it. On Linux it is sometimes called gfortran. Basic has evolved into so many variations that are too many to mention though you may have heard of VB.net. Personally I prefer Quickbasic variations for my non-gui systems. The next computer I used in the professional world was the Datapoint Terminal i...
What's reasonable?
Was watching The Today Show and they had a segment where Microsoft was going to help out some schools and their computer educational programs with a free gifts of MSWindows 8. With articles like http://www.zdnet.com/mit-professor-windows-8-is-a-Christmas-gift-for-someone-you-hate-7000008479/ makes me wonder what MSFT is really up to. After a year, the school systems will probably have to start paying for licensing (also known as the Microsoft tax). So the MSWindows 8 will put the school systems possibly even in a worse situation. To add insult to injury, if the school system can not pay for software, they probably have not updated their equipment recently. So to run the so-called free MSWindows 8, the school system already stretched for money will have to spend a whole lot of money to upgrade their computer equipment just to install and run MSWindows 8. So how is that a bargain? Enter open source.... In fact, one such free operating system that predates linux by abo...
Alas poor oesrvr1
In memoriam: oesrvr1 passed away yesterday. Even as it went through it's last clicks and thrashes, it managed to stay alive long enough for major files to be backed up. It's 15 gig drive heart of a drive finally gave out. What a trooper! Everyone who saw it's web pages today mourn for it's loss. I know I am thankful for all oesrvr1 has taught me over the years. The hard drive will leave it's parts such as the permanent magnets to science so that all will still enjoy it's life in another. oesrvr1a will take it's place of honor. Goodbye old friend... Think I originally installed Ubuntu 6.04 on the system and did in place upgrades to ubuntu 10.04. Never ran any Microsoft windows products on it. For an old Dell GX1 Pentium II, it definitely earned it's keep and the roi (return on investment) can not be measured. Think I bought it used for twenty dollars from a local electronics store. Later, we cloned it with Clonezilla a while back, but always tr...