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csziggy

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31. My Dad still has fifty or so 5.25" floppies on his desk

Fri Dec 23, 2011, 12:36 AM

Dec 2011

That were used with his Commodore computer. But he's 88 and hates to give up anything.

I've got the manual for the Wang computer he had in the 1960s. He didn't want to give it up, but I snuck it out of the house when he was looking. He hasn't realized it was gone.

Oh, and he is an engineer, too.

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I opened the drawer, and when my eyes fell on what was inside, I cried out in shock and fear! [View all] krispos42 Dec 2011 OP

More Like hoarders sammytko Dec 2011 #1

What was a bit scary was... krispos42 Dec 2011 #4

You've got yourself a real piece of museum history there. Savor it. Quartermass Dec 2011 #33

What, no 8" floppies? Downwinder Dec 2011 #2

That's what I was thinking. hobbit709 Dec 2011 #3

How about a book of US zip codes, circa 1994? krispos42 Dec 2011 #6

They were under a couple of stone tablets krispos42 Dec 2011 #8

Look at those stone tablets closely. Downwinder Dec 2011 #15

At my work... 47of74 Dec 2011 #5

Must be fun using WinZip... krispos42 Dec 2011 #7

It's for some very old computers 47of74 Dec 2011 #22

Oh, jeez... PKZip and PZUnzip krispos42 Dec 2011 #26

And I think the computer has a 170 megabyte hard drive 47of74 Dec 2011 #28

Ahh. Someone who knows Assembly language and Fortran77. madinmaryland Dec 2011 #9

I had to take a Fortran77 course for my course of study. krispos42 Dec 2011 #10

I have a programmer friend OriginalGeek Dec 2011 #11

I took a basic programming class using Basic and Pascal denbot Dec 2011 #16

I had to take Pascal too. Good grief! Grantuspeace Dec 2011 #44

I have some punch cards packed away somewhere if you're interested Major Nikon Dec 2011 #12

I expect to find an original abacus around someplace... krispos42 Dec 2011 #13

Magnetic data might last 10 years if you're lucky. I doubt too much longer. nt BootinUp Dec 2011 #14

Punched paper tape might be a valuable find JustABozoOnThisBus Dec 2011 #17

I was talking with one of the guys about this... krispos42 Dec 2011 #23

If you find tubes, you've hit the Jackpot.......... Burma Jones Dec 2011 #18

We have tubes that emit specific wavelenghts of light. krispos42 Dec 2011 #24

And in the closet - a box of Iomega Zip disks wyldwolf Dec 2011 #19

Congrats! BTW those 5 1/4 floppies make nice coffee coasters LynneSin Dec 2011 #20

Thanks... it was a nice Christmas present! n/t krispos42 Dec 2011 #27

I have a USB 3 1/2" floppy drive. Thumb drives have sort of taken over now. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #21

oh cool, this is useful information barbtries Dec 2011 #39

It works great. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #40

Could have been worse. HappyMe Dec 2011 #25

hee! shanti Dec 2011 #29

If they were on top of a Thomas Guide you're really in trouble. bluesbassman Dec 2011 #30

I can't believe I used to navigate UnrepentantLiberal Dec 2011 #49

Yeah, and they worry about people texting while driving now. bluesbassman Dec 2011 #50

My Dad still has fifty or so 5.25" floppies on his desk csziggy Dec 2011 #31

Right next to his slide rule, rotary phone, and incandescent lightbulb? krispos42 Dec 2011 #34

Slide rule - check; rotary phone is upstairs now; he's actually using fluorescent! csziggy Dec 2011 #35

See? Typical engineer krispos42 Dec 2011 #36

Oh dear lord quakerboy Dec 2011 #37

It gets worse - HIS father was an engineer csziggy Dec 2011 #41

Someone leaves you free coasters, and you're complaining ? nt eppur_se_muova Dec 2011 #32

why yes. barbtries Dec 2011 #38

Just get a USB floppy drive a2liberal Dec 2011 #42

i'm going to barbtries Dec 2011 #46

Do you watch Big Bang Theory? GoneOffShore Dec 2011 #43

Which episode? a2liberal Dec 2011 #47

Something about the "enemies list" - GoneOffShore Dec 2011 #48

Thanks! (n/t) a2liberal Dec 2011 #51

Is this it? progressoid Dec 2011 #52

That is the one - GoneOffShore Dec 2011 #53

For MLK Day, I Volunteered to Paint Murals at a High School's Computer Lab Yavin4 Dec 2011 #45