FunkyAnorak.com

Anecdotes from an Anorak

Computing Nostalgia

You know you're an 'old programmer' when:-

 

 

 

You could still be quite comfortable with early forms of communication …...

 

 

 

 

You were around well before the days of the commercial Desktop PC.

 

 

 

 

 

The days when the computing power of today's average PDA was only achieved by a huge machine housed in an air-conditioned room the size of a small warehouse.

 

 

 

 

 

You can recall the pioneering days of the 'small' 1401 and S/360 ……

 

 

 

 

... and the early System 3 ……

 

 

 

Punch cards

 

 

 

You remember 80 and 96 column punch cards and maybe punch tape ……

 

 

 

Memories of 'data entry' stations come to mind:  Large blue/grey enamelled desks with a keyboard,  a tiny monitor and a either a slot for a punch card or an eight inch diskette.  The desk was of heavy construction probably manufactured out of a recycled army tank.

 

 

 

 

Remember, back in those days when smoking was good for you, the data entry operators were either overly eccentric in some way, or struck fear of verbal abuse if you had to tell them about an typo!

 

 

 

You know how to use the roll keys on a 5250 terminal ....

 

 

 

You have done the majority of your programming on a 5250 green screen or maybe still program on a 5250 device and also have a PC to 'check email'.

 

 

Programming

 

 

You know what RPG stands for (Report Program Generator) and IBM originally intending  forms to be completed by the company executive's P.A. with no need for specialist programmers.

 

 

 

You know RPG and what what matching records are (even worse, you still use them!)

 

You actually recognize the simple elegance of the RPG cycle - detail and total time level break cycle processing.

  

You know what look-ahead fields are.

 

You used most of the 99 available RPG indicators in one program.

 

Storage

  

Memories of the 'candy floss machine style' removable drives …...

 

The larger disks had eight 12 inch platters and were made of heavy metal.  Remember the big storage cabinets and system backups consisting of copy/rotating the disk packs and reel-to-reel tapes ……

 

 

You remember S/34, S/36 and S/38 and the diskette 'magazines'  that would hold 10 x 8" diskettes.  Two magazines too!

Historical highlights of IBM Mid Range

 

System 3, 34, 36, 38 leading to AS/400 and now here we are with iSeries, ILE, and GUI PC interfaces