Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2021 2:17:37 GMT -5
Back in the earlier days of computers before personal computers we have today, me ory was quite limited and programming them could get quite complicated and messy.
The larger a program was you had to start getting really creative. Sometime re-using variable names hoping they didn’t cause any harm.
I enjoyed the older computers and Basic because these days programming, I think, is a little too easy.
You don’t really have to think out of the box as you did back then. Trying to find little tricks to get around the different limitations that you had.
What do you think about it? Has programming become a little too easy, or is it still a challenge?
Programming still has challenges, but not anything like the challenges we had back on the older computers.
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johnno56
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Logic is the beginning of wisdom.
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Post by johnno56 on May 20, 2021 4:38:48 GMT -5
Well, for starters, my programming experience is quite limited... Mainly restricted to Basic... Old Basic - line numbers, gosub's and goto's... Hmm... That might be ancient Basic... lol
Compared to back then... yeah... I would say that it's a little easier to code now... Back then, the code, was done either with QB's IDE or a text editor... These days... the choices of IDE's with these or those plugins etc... mind blowing... Auto complete; auto indent; auto this or that... Steeper learning curve, but in the end, more efficient coding...
For me, thinking outside of the box, is my main problem. It was just as true then as it is now... lol
One of the biggest improvements are the computers themselves... Man, the vast increase in processing power and speed, compared to the old pre-pentium machines...
But the one thing the old and new computers had in common... they all crash at the same speed... lol
Challenging? Yep. You bet. But fun!
Time for coffee...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2021 5:00:46 GMT -5
I was refering to the computers from back in the 70’s and 80’s when you only had 2k of memory to work with like the old Timex/Sinclair. Later you had computers with 8k, 16k, etc. where you could do more.
Back in those days they even held contests to see who could create programs, games, demos using the least amout of lines. I remember those. Oh the fun!
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johnno56
Junior Member
Logic is the beginning of wisdom.
Posts: 85
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Post by johnno56 on May 20, 2021 7:07:09 GMT -5
Ok. 70's and 80's.
1979 introduced a computer kit from Electronics Australia. The Dream 6800... 1K ram. 300 baud rate and programmed in hex. (which I knew nothing about...) An absolute nightmare to code. Entered programs via a hex keypad. 45 minutes to key in a photo-copied listing (of dubious legibility) of tic-tac-toe with no editing... Once successfully coded it could be saved to cassette tape.
Built another kit computer (16k ram text only) running standard microsoft basic... That one didn't last long. It fell off the TV (a cleaning accident) and snapped the double-sided motherboard. Purchased a 8k colour computer (VZ200) 128x64 pixel resolution... Extended Microsoft Basic.
1984 I got an Amstrad CPC464 colour computer. 64k ram. 3 graphics modes. Built in cassette deck. Locomotive Basic. Very similar to MS Basic.
1986 to 2001. Worked with Yellow Pages ending up as a senior mainframe computer operator. Introduced to Windows 95, 98, XP and NT during that time. Obtained PC's (superseded stock) and started using QBasic. 2005. Switch to Linux and have been using it ever since.
I still use the 'old machines' via emulators... whenever the mood changes to nostalgia...
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