What is the oldest computing device you still use?

[fos]

I have an old Franklin Wordmaster dictionary that I purchased in 1987. It fits in a shirt pocket and and runs off a couple of AAA batteries. The display is a single line LCD dot matrix. If the info is more than a few words, you have to scroll to read them.

It is very functional allowing me to type in the phonetic spelling. It then gives the correct word. Just about any close spelling will work. The thing is amazing! I haven't found anything better. I use it until it stops working. If I thing about it, I'll take a picture and post it.

I do have a couple of flight calculators and a couple of HP calcs from that era but I don't actually use them like I do this spell checker.

Thats is 23+ years of continuous use, almost as long as the space shuttle.

Jeff

PS. I actually have a couple of RS Model 100s that are still working. They are the original laptop. They ran for hours on 4 AA batteries. The operating system was quite ahead of its time. When you selected a file on the screen, the OS opened the proper application to run it. I can still remember playing with the BASIC that was included. Those were the days!

[jml]

Hi, Jeff

While I only "use" it to blow people's minds, I still have and occaisionally use a Pickett Log-Log Slide rule. (You did say computing device, not computer, right?) I used it daily in the 70's when I was in college. Now it is more of a curiosity, but I can still do math on it. ;-)

I also have an old Apple IIe in my basement that I fire up occaisionally for old times sake. I find it fascinating to play some of the old games. Even though, by modern standards, the graphics and sound capabilities were rather modest, the game play of some of these programs is still pretty good. Are you old enough to remember either ZORK, or Space Quest?

I better stop now before I start reminiscing about my old abacus.

Joe

[fos]

An old boss bought me an abacus. It found it easy to use, almost like binary but based on tens.

I have a Commodore that is like new and an HP LX-95 "palmtop" dos computer that was surprisingly capable. The RS Model 100s could still do useful work on four "AA" batteries.

I still have three 70s vintage slide rules, one is a Picket, one a K&E, and a bamboo model from Japan. You could always tell the science / engineering students by the slide rule case on their belts.

BTW, I still have Zork on my Windows computer. There are several improved versions available on clone web sites.

I kinda miss the old days where you bought memory in tubes of chips. Every new improvement was exciting. But, software cost a fortune unless you could find the same thing in shareware. They documentation came in nice three ring binders with hard slip covers.

Remember TUG and Turbo C?

Jeff

[Leon]

My Casio CQ-81, bought in 1979, still runs, although the LCD display is difficult to read.

My Kaypro PC still works. The clock battery needs to be replaced - it was soldered to the motherboard - but otherwise it runs fine. Who needs CMOS when dip-switches work just fine?

I fire it up from time to time to enjoy old DOS apps like PC Tools and Professional Write.

[fos]

My favorite word processor in the 70s and 80s was Allwrite. It used embedded codes much like LaTeX. It had almost no limitations. That was quite a feat considering the memory limitations of the time.

Jeff

[RedAlpha3]

My favorite word processor in the 70s and 80s was Allwrite. It used embedded codes much like LaTeX. It had almost no limitations. That was quite a feat considering the memory limitations of the time.

Jeff

I used a similar package on the BBC Micro called Wordwise. WYSIWYG was a hope for the future!! Eventually, work would be saved on 5 1/4 " disks. Yet, I still have a degree of nostalgia for the whole writing process as it was then.

Until recently, I still had my original Commodore Vic 20 with 5k memory and "reliable" tape storage system. It cost about £250 in 1980.

[Sergio1704]

I gave my father, many years ago, a chess computer from the early eighties.
It is a device you input chess coordinates and it tells you the next move.
It played reasonably well for amateurs. Of course nothing like nowadays best chess programs on modern computers.
I can't find it, my father died one month ago.
He had also several Commodore 64/128.

[jpaulb]

I did a lot of recycling when I left Europe in 2004. Now I wish I had kept a few toys.
One was a Sinclair QL and the other an Acorn Risc-PC.
The QL was doing multi-tasking with their office suite when DOS could only do one thing at a time.

The Acorn had a DTP program that at the time rivaled Quark Express and could be had for about 10% of the price.

[Sergio1704]

I gave my father, many years ago, a chess computer from the early eighties.
It is a device you input chess coordinates and it tells you the next move.
It played reasonably well for amateurs. Of course nothing like nowadays best chess programs on modern computers.
I can't find it, my father died one month ago.


I found it (the chess computer), several months after writing my previous post.
It is still in perfect working condition. Most annoying is how long you must wait before you get an answer.

[danieldk]

My oldest computing device is probably my iPhone 3G ;). I usually clean out old stuff sooner than later (except, obviously photos and such). The only older technical thing I treasure is my Libranet 3.0 CD set, and a collection of old Slackware versions.

I probably wouldn't refuse a NeXT machine :D.

[Sergio1704]

I usually clean out old stuff sooner than later (except, obviously photos and such).

Me too, normally. I have that very old chess computer because it was a present for my father.

[Leon]

My oldest computing device is probably my iPhone 3G ;). I usually clean out old stuff sooner than later (except, obviously photos and such). The only older technical thing I treasure is my Libranet 3.0 CD set, and a collection of old Slackware versions.

I probably wouldn't refuse a NeXT machine :D.

Maybe I'm diverging a bit, not digressing, by adding that I too treasure my Libranet 3.0 CD pack.
It accompanies in my archive:
Caldera Open Linux 2.2 - my first Linux.
Caldera Open Linux 2.4 - the "Rolls Royce" of early Linux distro's.
Stormix - a CD that came with the Maximum Linux magazine; my first Debian.
Corel Linux deluxe - it bundled Word Perfect 8.1, which I still use.