Taking broadband for granted

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Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

Taking broadband for granted

My ISP just increased my service to unlimited data and up to 20Mbps. Today it's hit 10Mpbs for the first time and it will get faster over the next few weeks.

Before I left for Spain I was on 500Kbps, then 1Mbps in Spain over a very expensive WiMax connection.

My first modem was a 300 baud acoustic coupler a long time ago. That's 33,000 times slower and I was on a forum even then (a BBS) - how things move on, and how much we take them for granted.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 10:53:37

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

not only internet connection.

i remember my first computer which was a commodore 64, with a Cassette recorder. i had to wait one hour for the tape (cassette) to be played and loaded in to the PC to be able to play pacman or something.

like this:

now check out the grafic power of todays PCs:

unbelievable, almost like real world

this is the gameplay btw and not some video

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 11:05:07

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Arash)

LOL! Arash,

My first computer was a NASCOM 2 which just came as a kit with a printed circuit board about 2ftx1ft and you had to solder in all the 50 or 60 chips and components yourself.

Also a list of amendments and links and afterthoughts to cut and put in so it took about 2-3 weeks to actually display anything on a TV set.

Then, only through reading the reader's letters in the Electronic mags could you eventually get it working...

No case or anything...the keyboard just sat on top of the circuit board.

Full 16k of RAM and cassette port.

It was exciting at the time though...just to see anything at all happen.

AND it wasn't cheap...!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 11:52:23

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Ron.M)

after my Commodore 64 - i had a Commodore 128 (if i remembe right, that meant 128K Ram),,,,next step was Amiga 500 (512 KB Ram) which i extended with a Kit to 1MB Ram

....then i had an Amiga 2000 , etc..

actual PCs come with 4GB Ram

thats 8000 times more than my Amiga 500 !

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:01:47

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Ron.M)

Yeah well, while we're down old man's memory lane.

When I was a kid [Grandpa Simpson's voice] I built my first computer around the Z8 microcomputer on a chip. A BASIC compiler, 2 RS232s and CPU on a chip. Which is kind of cheating in a way but there was no kit, plans or magazine. Just the RS components data sheet.

I had to add the RAM and a comms multiplexer to consolidate the consoles of several minicomputers onto just one Televideo VDU. Just so I didn't have to get out of my chair and walk around the big computer room to check on them

It could have switched more I reckon and it worked. Not bad for self-taught [chuffed].

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:12:24

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

It was exciting at the time though...just to see anything at all happen.

Wasn't it though?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:13:47

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Arash)

Yeah...my teenage daughter just flops down on the couch and fires up her notebook when she comes home from school and speaks with her friends and exchanges videos and mp3s and stuff via wireless internet and complains to me that it's sometimes too slow and total crap....

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:15:45

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

Ron, check this out. when this video first came out, everyone thought it was a real UFO flying over Haiti..... check out the trees and all the details,,,,,so REAL !

later it came out that it was completely made with a PC software

http://www.e-onsoftware.com/

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:19:08

XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Arash)

11 Million views? Wow i need to make an UFO video quick and put it on my channel

Haha watch this

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Фламенко

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:20:59

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

quote:
It was exciting at the time though...just to see anything at all happen.
Wasn't it though?

Yes it was.
I remember my father having a BBC computer...it was fun but later went to the Amiga 500.
Then 15 years later at Physics classes I was confronted again with the BBC to do some experiments, and we were really laughing at the machine.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:21:15

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Arash)

quote:

later it came out that it was completely made with a PC software

Beautiful, and scary.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:35:04

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

When I was a kid [Grandpa Simpson's voice] I built my first computer around the Z8 microcomputer on a chip. A BASIC compiler, 2 RS232s and CPU on a chip. Which is kind of cheating in a way but there was no kit, plans or magazine. Just the RS components data sheet.

Right then....(Monty Python Yorkshire Men voice)

When we were young, we 'ad to build computer from single transistors, making two of them up as a bistable flip-flop for 1 bit o' memory and about 'undred thousand of them for t' main processor taking all 't pocket money for a year and then study machine code from t' local library for a year after that and then sit in bedroom for every evening for another year, (while your mum is calling you at tea time to come through time an' eat your slice of Hovis) even to program a tele-tennis game wit bat an' ball bouncing at either 45 or 30 degrees until some bloody genius (probably some Southern Basta*d) came oop wit random number generator t' cure boredom.

Aye...them wer't days lad...

But tell it to the kids these days.....will they believe you?

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:37:07

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to kozz)

quote:

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - Mission 2 Walkthrough Part 1 HD

man that game looked good i couldnt tear myself away till the end of the demo...thats why i try not to install any games on my pc...get too sidetracked and addicted to it

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:38:26

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

Before I bought my first computer (Commodore 64) I worked at the university computer center in Heidelberg (my speciality were ASCII-Graphics and ASCII-Art). The machines filled a whole building, yet if you wanted to run a job with more than 64K you had to apply in writing ...

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Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:41:34

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to edguerin)

Ron i got the perfect line to tell your teenage daughter ..

" You kids this days are so lucky...when we were your age we didnt have all this MTV and music videos and youtube....we had to take drugs and go to concerts

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:49:11

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Florian)

quote:

" You kids this days are so lucky...when we were your age we didnt have all this MTV and music videos and youtube....we had to take drugs and go to concerts

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:53:59

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

But tell it to the kids these days.....will they believe you?

"Would they 'eck!" [pause while all nod in agreement] "You were lucky. Transistors? Luxury!"

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 12:58:23

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Florian)

quote:

Ron i got the perfect line to tell your teenage daughter ..

" You kids this days are so lucky...when we were your age we didnt have all this MTV and music videos and youtube....we had to take drugs and go to concerts

Actually what you've said there Flo permeates my whole life now!

When I was in my teens I'd often hear my Mum say stuff like "Oh...life is just too fast now...I couldn't be doing with it" and I would just shrug my shoulders and laugh and just see it as some kind of "old" disease or something.

But when I went to one of the very occasional Flamenco shows that came to Scotland...I'd think about it even after I bought the ticket...and stand and read the posters outside the hall.

And on the day of the concert, I'd wake up with a sense of how special this day was and think about it all the time at work.

It was a great event!

Travelling into town on the bus I would get surges of excitement just thinking about the "real" Flamenco artists I was about to see!

When you eventually saw the show, it was if the performers came from a magical, mystery land full of incrededible sounds... and totally foreign and practically incomprehendible magic.

You left the concert in a dream and went back to your few scratchy LPs and crappy old guitar, but with a new reason to live!!

The first LP I got sent from Spain of Paco de Lucia... well..I have no words!

I don't get that buzz anymore now.

There are dozens of guys playing 80-90% same as Paco....I can watch heaps of great artists performing and explaining this stuff on YouTube with the click of a mouse.

I'm not saying turn the clock back, 'cos that's stupid....but just my own personal feelings on stuff now....like even very good Flamenco is available on tap, just like phoning up for a pizza.

Going to Spain is no longer an adventure or a big deal.

Don't feel sorry for me or anything, 'cos as sure as f*ck you're all slowly heading down the same road yourselves. (even though you might just not know it yet!)

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 13:25:00

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Ron.M)

quote:

Don't feel sorry for me or anything

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 13:43:52

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Florian)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Florian

quote:

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 - Mission 2 Walkthrough Part 1 HD

man that game looked good i couldnt tear myself away till the end of the demo...thats why i try not to install any games on my pc...get too sidetracked and addicted to it

yeah Flo, these computer games can really be dangerous.

my brother studies physics in university and he had a friend studying with him.

this friend was very good in Uni....but after a while, he had to give up Uni., because of this game called "world of warcraft" , its an online role playing game, he started with that game and after a while he was playing that sh-t 24 hours a day and was addicted.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 13:52:13

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

Flo, here is german boy, playing "unreal tournament",,,,

flamenco guitar is really a better sport i guess, lets keep our PCs clean from games, and just use them for compas loops and flamenco MP3s

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 14:10:13

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to XXX)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Deniz

11 Million views? Wow i need to make an UFO video quick and put it on my channel

Haha watch this

LOL , just saw your post

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 14:17:38

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Arash)

quote:

Flo, here is german boy, playing "unreal tournament",,,,

DUDE thats so much funnyer in GERMAN !!!

brilliant...

hmm i am thinking facebook again ...

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 14:56:55

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

Actually what you've said there Flo permeates my whole life now!

When I was in my teens I'd often hear my Mum say stuff like "Oh...life is just too fast now...I couldn't be doing with it" and I would just shrug my shoulders and laugh and just see it as some kind of "old" disease or something.

But when I went to one of the very occasional Flamenco shows that came to Scotland...I'd think about it even after I bought the ticket...and stand and read the posters outside the hall.

And on the day of the concert, I'd wake up with a sense of how special this day was and think about it all the time at work.

It was a great event!

Travelling into town on the bus I would get surges of excitement just thinking about the "real" Flamenco artists I was about to see!

When you eventually saw the show, it was if the performers came from a magical, mystery land full of incrededible sounds... and totally foreign and practically incomprehendible magic.

You left the concert in a dream and went back to your few scratchy LPs and crappy old guitar, but with a new reason to live!!

The first LP I got sent from Spain of Paco de Lucia... well..I have no words!

I don't get that buzz anymore now.

There are dozens of guys playing 80-90% same as Paco....I can watch heaps of great artists performing and explaining this stuff on YouTube with the click of a mouse.

I'm not saying turn the clock back, 'cos that's stupid....but just my own personal feelings on stuff now....like even very good Flamenco is available on tap, just like phoning up for a pizza.

Going to Spain is no longer an adventure or a big deal.

i know exactly how you feel

when things become too accesible too eazy they get taken for granted with everything and at any age..

i feel simillar about many different things..

at the same time but i am also really glad to still be able to take almost too much pleasure in the simplest things in life...u probably all do too

i can get excited just about going to the video store to hire 3 new dvds and get a six pack of beer and popcorn and just have a lazy relaxed night...and i think i am lucky cause i can....even thow i could do it everyday if i wanted to its still a special night to me..

its important imo to find a way mentain your excitment for the simple things ...not the big things ( they are rare and special occasions)... is the simple everyday litlle things that make up most of your life .....thats why it dosent take much to make me happy or get me in a good mood

and sometimes even nothing in peticular..at the risk of sounding like a hippie

just to be... and see vibrant colours of a flower or hear a bird sing ...or you go outside and its the perfect day...perfect temperature, perfect light, everything around us is pretty much perfect at all times if you only stop to look

ofcourse all this now cause i am in the good mood ...

not all the time i hate those people who are allways happy ...infact if it wasent for them i probably would always be happy but when i see them they make me unhappy

and to be lucky enough to have discovered your passion in life and even more be able to pursue it...puts me ( us) in like the top 20% of the happiest and luckiest people on earth me thinks

...

many dont know what they passion is and many do and dont follow it

anyway enough sencitive talk

but it really is how i feel..look what u made me do Ron starting deep conversations..u went a litlle deep and i went off the chart over the top deep

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 12 2010 15:43:27

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Florian)

Yeah, I agree Flo and without getting too hippy about it myself, I just have good memories of some decent TV programmes on a 3 channel B&W TV set, rather than 100 channels of **** on a giant Plasma screen with surround sound.
The pleasure of finding a good LP hidden somewhere in a record shop and the fun of reading the sleeve notes and looking at the pictures on the way back home on the bus.
Decent pubs where you could smoke and chat and cuss, without juke boxes blasting out the latest pop drivel and some idiot feeding money into a stupid noisy electronic slot machine in the corner.
Shop assistants who were actually helpful instead of just being put through a customer Fakeservice™ course to suit the cardswiping, have-a-nice-day culture we live in now.
The pleasure of looking out the window on a long distance bus ride, deep in thought and watching the countryside go by, without some smarmy businessman yakking for hours on his mobile phone about performance figures etc.

All you got left when you're older is the pleasure of a right good grumble!

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 13 2010 4:32:54

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Escribano)

believe it or not, i think in some years (maybe in 50 or 100), there will be a complete "back to the roots" kind of movement and a total collapse.

people will have enough of this bombardment of information, consumer products, commercials, and all this rushed way of life, maximum continous rating..........etc...... work 60 years , day and night, just to find out that it was for nothing, but for driving a car with 20 more PS than your next-door neighbor.

back to simplicity will be the way.

and there are already many people who have enough.

yes, we all enjoy all these technical improvements, etc, but all this doesn't really make one happy. its kind of addiction, but real happiness is somewhere else

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 13 2010 5:45:06

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Taking broadband for granted (in reply to Arash)

quote:

i think in some years (maybe in 50 or 100), there will be a complete "back to the roots" kind of movement and a total collapse.

Maybe so Arash...or maybe not...

Maybe young folk in 2110 will laugh at the thought that people actually used to play music by putting their fingers directly onto strings stretched across a wooden box.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 13 2010 6:37:07