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Friday, May 1, 2009

Flashback Friday: The Dark Ages

I think I can best show my age [35] when I tell you that I remember when computers were a new-fangled entity.

Apple_IIe.102630895.lg

In fifth grade I sat in Mr. Stillman’s class learning the keyboard skills I would need to use the gigantic Apple computer that sat in the corner. You know, the ones with the plate-sized floppy disks that could save a whole one page paper on them. We were in the big leagues. And I can still hear the recorded voice saying, “J, K, L, semi, semi, semi…” as it instructed us to hit the keys on our paper replica keyboards.

The good old days.

electric-typewriter-540

Just to further the amazement, I took a typing class in high school… not a computer course. I’m not sure ‘the young-uns’ have ever even heard the term typewriter. They’ll never know the joys of white-out strips or pushing the return handle to start a new line… or the gentle whir of a contraption that needed a minute to warm up before typing. Now if my computer makes a noise I’m fearful it’s self destructing.

Oh, people, we have moved into the big leagues here at the gitzengirl blog. Mmm-hmm. We’ve gone from this:

IMG_2627

to this:

_MG_6498 Isn’t it pretty?

_MG_6517 Someone thinks they look pretty sitting next to it, too. As if it’s not enough that his furry mug is already on the screen…

_MG_6509 See that, people? That’s a lighted keyboard for all those times I type in the dark. At first I thought that was just this side of silly, but as migraine season is settling in I’m starting to think it’s kind of a brilliant idea.

_MG_6502 And the part of this computer that has me freaking giddy? It’s an organizational playground. See how clean the desktop looks, free of all of those annoying shortcuts to programs that normally line the screen? That’s because of the ‘Dell Dock’ … the strip on the left-hand side. It has categories that you can put your shortcuts in, so they are accessible – yet out of the way. And on the right-hand side? WIDGETS! I can put widgets on my desktop!!! It syncs with the weather and the time and my email and my Google calendar.

I think I’m in love.

And grateful to be off Ambien… I’d hate to think of a marker touching the lovely spring green. :)

48 comments:

  1. Robin ~ All Things Heart and HomeMay 1, 2009 at 5:12 AM

    That is one Beeeeautiful computer!
    Oh the type writer pic brought back memories of highschool typing class!
    I'm thrilled your computer is home and since we have a George ... how 'bout a name for that fancy computer ;)

    Recent blog post: Cinco de Mayo!

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  2. Oh, I still have an electric typewriter in the house! I used to let my kids play with it when they were younger.

    When I was in college (I'm 44 now), my dad offered to get me a computer to do all my papers on. I said no I'll just use my typewriter. I didn't want to look like a dork when no one else in my dorm had a computer! Now I look back and think, "Dork, idiot, etc!" I'm quite impressed with my parents because they're 80 & 81 and are great at using a computer!

    You're new "baby" is beautiful!

    Recent blog post: Thankful Thursday

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  3. oh you must be so happy!!!! and i am thrilled for you.

    you and i have even more in common. as i told you i also have a spring green dell, but i saw my favorite flowers in the picture. orange gerbera daisies!!

    hope you have a nice weekend.

    Recent blog post: Miracles and a Giveaway

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  4. I love your new laptop! The color is awesome! My mom still has a manual typewriter and refuses any of the older computers we've offered her. Can you believe they still sell ribbons to manual typewriters? We all get typewritten notes. Sa-weeet.

    My first computer was a PC Jr. And the IT guy at work told me "you'll never need more than 80 mb of storage memory for home use." Uh huh.

    Recent blog post: Getting to Know You!

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  5. What a great computer! Yay! I remember the Apple computers in our school too.

    When I was in college I worked in the Dean's office of the library, and we still had a typewriter in the office to do a couple of jobs, mostly just when we needed to do a couple of forms that had to be in triplicate. They still exist!

    Recent blog post: A Prickly Situation

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  6. How exciting and fun to learn all the new enhancements. It's a beauty. Lighted keyboard? That's pretty sweet. Enjoy. Blessings, SusanD

    Recent blog post: Thankful Thursday - 4/30/09

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  7. And then there was the fall day in 1980 when the principal of the elementary school where I was "school library media specialist" came and said next Thursday I want you to go to a workshop on computers. So I went for two hours and then I was the Computer Knowledgable Specialist in the building. I did an inservice for the teachers and "taught" all the 450 students about computers over a 6 week period when we had 1 - count 'em - 1 Apple IIC in the building. Ye Gods!!!

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  8. Yeah You! That is so exciting to have a new computer and with all the fun gadgets! Good for you! :)

    Recent blog post: Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

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  9. Mary @ Giving Up On PerfectMay 1, 2009 at 9:35 AM

    A. I remember floppy disks. The actual floppy disks that were floppy.
    B. I took a typing class in high school. We used typewriters and then took turns on the couple of computers we had.
    C. Your new computer is beeee-yoo-tiful! :)

    Recent blog post: Tag! You're it.

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  10. So glad to hear that you, and other commentors, also had the grade school computer classes on the ginormous apple computers with the almost-as-big floppy discs. I can still vividly recall learning how to type in command codes to create a picture of a Christmas tree, then learning the codes to make lights blink on the trees. Even back then, I recall sitting at my giant computer thinking, "now what on earth is this going to help me with in the real world?" lol! I also went on to typing class in highschool, used a fancy "word processor" for all college papers ... had an inservice at my first job about the "internet" and wondered if it was really going to catch on : )
    Yep, I'm 35 too : )

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  11. Oh, I remember that. When no one had computers, and if you did you were "extremely wealthy"! Crazy.

    Your new one is gorgeous! But not as gorgeous as Riley. Close though!

    Recent blog post: Pubescent Pregnancy

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  12. Robynn's RavingsMay 1, 2009 at 1:27 PM

    :) VERY COOL! Love your laptop!

    We were just talking about Grizzly first computer. No hard drive. Isn't that amazing?

    Recent blog post: Something Wicked That Way Went............

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  13. Its beautiful! I'm really happy for you Gitz :-D

    Recent blog post: Colton's fruit salad.

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  14. I looked at your old PC and was reminded of a caller I had at work. I answer the help desk phone so I can get some frustrated callers. One night a caller said, "well you know they gave me this new DY thingy." Some of our users have thin clients because a regular PC is too much and they are HP clients. Her's had been installed at her desk upside down and we had a hard time figuring out what the DY thingy was. :-[

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  15. Funny you mentioned it... I was thinking it needed a name, too. Do you think it's a boy or a girl?

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  16. Your dad offered to get you a computer? Love how "with the times" he was! Too bad he didn't think ahead enough to buy stock in Apple! :-P

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  17. I love the green and the orange together. I just think it looks happy or something :)

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  18. My first computer had 40mb hard drive and I thought it ROCKED. Isn't that so funny? My new one has 500Gb. Mmm-hmm.

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  19. I think the keyboard on an old typewriter would feel so weird, but I have to say I do like the sound of clacking keys.

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  20. Thanks, Susan :) I does kind of make me want to type in the dark! [it takes very little to entertain me...]

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  21. Gail, I can't tell you how funny I think it is that you were trying to teach 450 people on one computer!!!

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  22. It is fun getting a new toy :)

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  23. Yep, those are the floppy disks I'm talking about... the black ones that were paper thin. They always warned us not to set them on the drive itself or the magnetic properties would erase what was saved. Isn't that crazy?

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  24. I remember thinking how handy it was to save papers, but never in a million years imagined they would become so necessary. I remember the first time I instant messaged... it was too cool!

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  25. We thought the extremely wealthy were the ones that had Atari...

    :)

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  26. It blows my mind how far technology has come... and can't imagine how far it will go.

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  27. Thanks, sweetness! I'll come around to catch up on your blog this weekend :)

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  28. It took me SO long to figure out that dy was hp... I couldn't figure it out because I was thinking capital letters!!! :-P

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  29. It is soooooo pretty, just as I had imagined! Please teach me about widgets and the organizational thingy so that I don't have to have shortcuts on my desktop, too, pleeezzzze?!?!!? O:-) Sooooo happy for you!!

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  30. Just found your adorable blog and wanted to say hi! Your dog is adorable as well and I am going to go read some more :)

    Recent blog post: Rain, rain, go away.... & complete randomness

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  31. I need a new computer....I have a desktop, but looking at that cute spring green laptop...makes me think I might just need to go that route.

    Recent blog post: It's a Golfing Thing...And I Don't Understand! ~ Winners Announced at End of Post

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  32. I'm here for ya, babe... :*

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  33. Thanks, Kristen! Glad you found us here...

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  34. You should! Fun colors just make a day better...

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  35. Robin ~ All Things Heart and HomeMay 2, 2009 at 7:23 AM

    You have a couple of boys in your house already with George and Riley...maybe another female would be nice...but then again there is something to being the only woman in a house full of men!� :)

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  36. i remember that I only learned using the computer when I was already on college.


    Recent blog post: Charice Pempengco releases new album

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  37. I love my Dell laptop and am so addicted. If you don't have one already, Sara, get yourself a coolpad for it. It is connected to the laptop through a USB port and keeps your lap and your laptop nice and cool...will extend the life of your Dell considerably. I got mine from Staples on line. Brand is Antec. Makes a world of difference! See here http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Notebook-Cooler-USB-Powered/dp/B0000BVYTV/ref=tag_tdp_ptcn_edpp_url

    Recent blog post: A Serious Message

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  38. I spent a lot of time in the computer lab when I was in college and couldn't imagine ever affording one of my own... and by senior year I did. Crazy how things change in a few years!

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  39. Thanks... I'll check that out! I have the laptop on an angle so it has good airflow, but the palm rests seem to get really hot! Do you have that problem with your Dell? And does the coolpad help with that?

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  40. Hmm... I'm going to have to think about this one... feel free to offer any name suggestions :)

    Recent blog post: Flashback Friday: The Dark Ages

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  41. I had hot palm rests�with�my Inspiron 1525�until I started using the coolpad about 3 days after I got the Dell. The Antec is light weight�and very quiet and it keeps your Dell from having to run its fan.� Some of the other coolpads have really�noisy fans. It is powered by the USB connection to the laptop so there isn't an additional power cord to use or batteries to buy. That price on Amazon is about�what I paid last year. My laptop stays very cool to the touch and it's comfortable on my lap as well. I chose the Antec after reading user reviews for all the different brands and models of coolpads.� I've been very happy with it.

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  42. Thanks so much for answering my questions... I'm definitely going to order one!

    Recent blog post: Flashback Friday: The Dark Ages

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  43. Yes, I learned on the old fashioned, push the lever instead of "enter"....AND in typing class there were NO letters or numbers on the keys. We really learned to type and look somewhere else! I love you new computer. I think the lighted keyboard is a wonderful, fabulous idea.

    Recent blog post: Show us where you live.....

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  44. Oh my gosh, I wouldn't have done very well without the letters/numbers on the keys!!! I could do it now [obviously] but I still am not good about typing the numbers with my fingers on that row.

    Recent blog post: Flashback Friday: The Dark Ages

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  45. Right there with you--I'm 34. About 1979, my dad put his store inventory and sales on a computer. Terminals at the sales counter connected to the refrigerator-size computer (no joke, even if my perspective was off because I was little) in the back room. Every night he ran a backup on the "platter" disk, which really was big enough to serve a turkey on. Yikes. That was cutting edge.

    About the migraines: My husband also gets the super-horrible, incapacitating, vomiting, frightful variety that you enjoy. A couple years ago, he was part of a clinical trial through Ohio State Univ. for a gadget to help prevent migraines. Picture holding something like a hairdryer to your head when you first get an aura, pull the trigger, and it gives off an electromagnetic pulse that disrupts and stops or lessens the migraine. He doesn't know if he was in the control or experimental group (he suspects the latter), but since then, he has had fewer migraines and they tend to be less intense. An article we read about the study beforehand cited people who had migraines every day for years, and after a few treatments had few or none. Definitely worth looking into.
    http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/headzap.htm

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  46. How cool! Oh the pics brought up so many memories of back in the day! You new computer is awesome! A lighted keyboard...wow! That is impressive! Welcome back girl!

    Recent blog post: Swimming

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  47. oh she's beautiful! and i love the lit keyboard -- what a great idea!

    how are you feeling these days, friend?

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