Silversea Water Cooler: Part 3, Welcome!

[UKCruiseJeff]

M, the Personal Computer! :)

 

I was working for The Corporation in 1982 when they had brought out what was considered The First Personal Computer and when they decided to launch it in Europe and the US management were looking for some "volunteers" to manage the launch. Being a mainframe corporation who saw mid-range computers as "The Toy Shop" there were no volunteers for the PC which was viewed with scorn and not really worth even thinking about - except that is for me and one or two others. There was just six of us at launch and we had to do lot's of jobs, and I was chosen because they thought my entertainment industry background would be suitable for PowerPoint presentations and doing presentations around Europe and the UK to large audiences.

 

I was excited by it but was all a touch confused. The first one we saw was a machine with twin "floppy" drives and no real storage and I was sent over to the US to be introduced to it and to bring one back for the team to look at. It was a weird time as no one was in the corporation was interested in it and it was seen more of a way to ruin the lives of possible competitors than it was as a revenue stream. When they introduced the first hard drive with 10mb we scratched our heads and wondered what on earth anyone could do with 10mb ie for those that do not know a mb is 1000th of a gb. We had no retailers then and I and others had to appoint a dealer network and understand their business plans and train them and it was very aspirational to be selling them in 1983 when it really launched. Eventually we swallowed our pride and sold them via retailers for possible home use. A thing that I feel changed the world in many ways was that the operating system was owned by a Mr Gates and the Corporation saw no value in acquiring it and the company because their mind set was so hardware orientated. I begged the corporation to acquire the operating system as it was my simplistic view that the PC would simply become like a vending machine and the cash would be in the "ingredients" ie the software. I lost, and we made possibly one of the most catastrophic decisions in corporate history. But then the man made enough cash to make the world a better place. Anyway, nostalgia isn't what it once was … and I need no excuse to relive those barmy days. Many people only ever have one life career and I was sufficiently inept at each to have several. :)

[mysty]

I love that story J! The universe conspired to put financial resources into the hands of someone who would make the world a better place. Not quite so beneficial for the Corporation though! A tad short-sighted on their part. And ambles down memory lane are entertaining as long as they don't get maudlin! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

The only time I get a shudder is when thinking back about the first version of PowerPoint. A fine pioneering product that "changed the world " but with one fatal feature. When "doing a presentation" in the first version you could only go forwards and not backwards without exiting the application completely and starting again.

 

In those days people didn't wander aroud the stage informally with a button in their hands. You stood at a rostrum with the presentation on a large screen behind you often with extremely large audiences in front of you and someone sitting off the stage with a PC pressing the enter key to page forward. It was a rule that you mustn't look at the scren as it appeared you were simply reading the screen to the audience and that was strictly verboten.

 

So except for the odd glance behind you you had no idea if what was on the screen reflected what you were telling the audience, and most of the slides were build ups revealing a line or "bullet point" at a time. Sometimes with horror you would glance behind you and see a completely different and disjointed story emerging and unraveling on the screen to what you were saying and you would try to speed up and jabber to catch up with it, and of course all that happened was that the person would simply hit enter faster and you'd never catch up. It was extremely stressful and the thing that recurring nightmares are based on.

 

Anyway ... some dolphin stuff today.

 

Dolphins are even cleverer than we thought

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-dolphins-and-whales-are-even-cleverer-than-we-thought-gg8pdjf0g?shareToken=9bab8b5c7f43acec7ef12b2cb229b90e

[mysty]

J...I can well understand a shudder remembering that flaw with the first go of PowerPoint. Stress-inducing!

 

That article was a treat to read! The last 2 paragraphs don't seem to bode well for us humans though!

 

"The researchers also found a strong link between the social behaviours seen in each species and the magnitude of its brain. Chunkier brains seem to have evolved in tandem with a rich range of interactions between each cetacean and the allies it spends its life with.

 

This could corroborate the “social brain hypothesis”, the Oxford psychologist Robin Dunbar’s theory that early humans acquired larger brains to cope with the complexity of the tribes they lived in."

 

From the way we are going our brains will be getting smaller! :(

[MissSophia]

Afternoon All.....

 

Interesting debates going on....feel the younger generation miss out on the simpler way of life these days....they seem to demand so much with the peer pressure and have every gadget under the sun! When my lot have to reprimand the GD it's by way of taking her mobile phone from her.....mine was a smacked bottom and a very very early night!!

The one thing that truly annoys me is when the kids visit and immediately it's click click on their mobiles....where did conversation go! In fact l have a true aversion to all mobile phones....people walking around engrossed with text and FB anywhere and everywhere....drives me nuts and don't get me started when in a restaurant :mad:

"Mother" is a well used word here too!

 

Lois....break a leg with your modelling....it's great fun!

 

The strong winds hit here around 2pm yesterday and stayed with us most of the night after...just a few miles down the road suffered badly with fallen trees and roads blocked but no severe damage to us although our coast line also had some damage in places.

 

Today I have bitten the bullet and had my flu shot...a bit nervous now as l wait to see if l get a reaction as in the past......

 

S😊

[jpalbny]

I got my flu shot a week ago and I'm still ok... Figured I'd be safer having it before the trip. You never know what microbes I might run into along the way!

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[Solo mi!]

What a story about the hurricane of 30 years ago, Jeff!

Technology: the first time I sat at an office computer, I tried to use the keyboard like a typewriter....

Flu shot on the agenda for next week.

Glad you weathered the storm, Miss Sophia and Jeff

And lastly, delicious looking meal Jeff...

[spinnaker2]

Hello all.

Silversea has rolled out a new product, the couture collection. PRICEY.

Battling a cold and allergies to new carpets, fabrics etc.

all that fabric preservative tough for me.

Ship is beautiful. The Muted Muse.

[mysty]

Greetings Spins! Sorry to hear that a cold and allergies are causing you some grief! Hope you feel better soon!

[mysty]

Miss S. Hope you do not suffer any nasty side effects to the flu shot! And very happy to hear that you and furry baby survived Ophelia!

[Randyk47]

The only time I get a shudder is when thinking back about the first version of PowerPoint. A fine pioneering product that "changed the world " but with one fatal feature. When "doing a presentation" in the first version you could only go forwards and not backwards without exiting the application completely and starting again.

 

In those days people didn't wander aroud the stage informally with a button in their hands. You stood at a rostrum with the presentation on a large screen behind you often with extremely large audiences in front of you and someone sitting off the stage with a PC pressing the enter key to page forward. It was a rule that you mustn't look at the scren as it appeared you were simply reading the screen to the audience and that was strictly verboten.

 

So except for the odd glance behind you you had no idea if what was on the screen reflected what you were telling the audience, and most of the slides were build ups revealing a line or "bullet point" at a time. Sometimes with horror you would glance behind you and see a completely different and disjointed story emerging and unraveling on the screen to what you were saying and you would try to speed up and jabber to catch up with it, and of course all that happened was that the person would simply hit enter faster and you'd never catch up. It was extremely stressful and the thing that recurring nightmares are based on.

 

Anyway ... some dolphin stuff today.

 

Dolphins are even cleverer than we thought

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-dolphins-and-whales-are-even-cleverer-than-we-thought-gg8pdjf0g?shareToken=9bab8b5c7f43acec7ef12b2cb229b90e

 

I worked for an organization that I’d characterize as early adopters of computers and associated software. I too remember the early versions of PowerPoint and even Lotus Freelance before that. Luckily most have gotten away from it nowadays but I remember presenters who got caught up with all the features PowerPoint came out with in later versions. Got to the point where their presentations were more about their skill with the software with flips, fades, rotations, bleeds, etc., etc., than the content of the presentation.

[UKCruiseJeff]

R, ...... oh dear ..... I do feel very old. My memory may be flakey but I think it was Lotus 123 before Freelance .......

 

I think Powerpoint retailed for several thousand pounds when it first emerged. No cash on software I was told by The Corporation ...... :confused:

[mysty]

Myster just asked me to mention that before Lotus 123 there was VisiCalc. :) Memory throw-down!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Tell Myster that Visicalc was Apple ....... not proper adult DOS ....:p

[Randyk47]

The Lotus 123 I remember and used was a spreadsheet program.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Indeed! Freelance was considered sophisitcated partly because it could import 123 spreadshhets and became a part of Lotus Smartsuite.

[mysty]

Tell Myster that Visicalc was Apple ....... not proper adult DOS ....:p

 

Yes Jeff he knows it was Apple. But Apple predated IBM PCs. So did Radio Shack (Tandy)! :)

[Randyk47]

And don’t bring up old. :) I was living in England when the Queen was coronated. :o Lived in a little village called Somerton near Upper Heyford. Mrs Mortlock was my nanny and she would not be happy about me pointing out age.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Yes Jeff he knows it was Apple. But Apple predated IBM PCs. So did Radio Shack (Tandy)! :)

 

Yes, it was the Apple product that encouraged The Corporation to develop and release the PC, on the basis that Apple and Tandy were aimed largely at hobbyists and home enthusiasts and techies and there seemed to be an opportunity for a business PC.

 

Then Compaq reversed engineered and produced a better range of products. Mr Gates gave those other boxes a head start on the OS and from then on The Corporation had to work for a living.

[UKCruiseJeff]

And don’t bring up old. :) I was living in England when the Queen was coronated. :o Lived in a little village called Somerton near Upper Heyford. Mrs Mortlock was my nanny and she would not be happy about me pointing out age.

 

I remember when Hyde Park was merely a flower pot. :D

[Randyk47]

We came back to the US in late 1952. I was about 5 1/2 and had spent almost four years with Mrs Mortlock. Spoke real English not American. Called my grandfather’s dairy cows “marvelous beasts”. He was horrified. :)

[Camillus112]

I was a Lotus 123 on DOS wizard, especially coming from 32 column paper spreadsheets to analyze multi sectorial models for economic development variables. Of course, this was way before SAS (Statistical Analysis System). When I finally was married to Excel...wow! And there I ended, doing University accounting for Sponsored Funds....talk about career changes...

[mysty]

Excellent memory throw-down Cam! You are the Ace! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Camels, how impressive! One never forgets those DOS commands .... and the terror with which one types that magic word "format C:" etc . ... just brings you out in a cold sweat thinking about it - even now!

 

As a spreadsheet wizard, you might imagine my excitement at being called to go and fetch the very first Corporate made portable that had been tested and approved for market release. It was I thought going to be a market killer for business people ...... imagine being an accountant and taking your portable loaded with Lotus and going to a client. Imagine my reaction when having arrived in White Plains being showed into a heavily fortified darkened room and being shown the first production 5155 with a 9 inch screen and an arm socket wrenching weight. Imagine trying to see a spreadsheet on a 9 inch diagonal screen without squinting and going blind .... and it would break your arms if you tried to take it on The Tube to a client. It was a dog of a product.

 

On launch I pointed out the exotic amber coloured screen and a sceptical reporter asked me why it was amber and not black and white or black and green. Without a flinch I heard myself saying "well - have you noticed that street lights are amber? Our scientists after deep research have discovered that the amber light is perfect for detailed close up work with this neat 9" screen but it will not hurt the eyes ...." and with that the story appeared as fact in the press and the Corporation did not have the courage to correct the stories ..... the story going into urban mythhood.

 

Here are piccies of the rather impractical 5155 which appeared and disappeared without bothering two many customers who avoided it like droves .... and I still have that original machine in my attic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[jpalbny]

Jeff, I remember that type of ancient machine. Saw one in elementary school.

 

Used to play on an Apple II (plain II, written as: Apple ][ btw) with a green screen, and VisiCalc. Yup, no hard drive and definitely not much memory. Oh those 5-1/4 inch floppy drives! And what a thrill that my Apple ][ was a dual language model, with both integer BASIC, and Applesoft - with its floating-point decimal capacity! Just type FP and you were good to go!

 

I remember the Radio Shack TRS-80s we had in Jr High, with their state-of-the-art cassette tape recorder to store programs... type CLOAD* then press play sure beat typing in the program time and again. And learning BASIC. We were all excited to upgrade their memory capacity from 16kB to 32kB. Not MB...kB!!!

 

In high school I graduated to Apple ][c and ][e with high-resolution graphics, 1024x768 which sounds great until you realize that it was the entire resolution of the screen... and who can forget the massive storage capacity of the revolutionary 3.5" floppy disks, with a whopping 1.44MB! We sure have come a long way.