I still have the same template and several others for programming. I can't count the number of cards and paper tape I have punched.

I remember my first job, 1989 EDS, I did lease vs purchase analysis on computes. I had an 8086, had a model in lotus 1-2-3, you would put your numbers in, hit calc, and it would run for 15 minutes to calculate. When they came out with the 286, I was the first to get it in our organization, same spreadsheet would calculate instantly.

When they came out with the 386, of course I wanted it, when I finally got one is when I created model that took 4 days to calculate on the 286.

When I was getting my undergrad at SMU in the late 80's, we would got to the computer room, and do spreadsheets that ran on mini-computers, that were huge.

Trash 80.

Anyone remember this….."There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." Ken Olsen, Digital Equipment Corp. CEO, 1977. From there, and several failed attempts at catching up with the internet market, DEC closed it’s doors in the late 80’s or early 90’s.

I’m on the younger side of folks here, but I remember my family saving up to buy my grandpa’s old computer. He was significantly fiscally stronger than we were. It was a Windows 3.1. Grandpa had asked my folks how we planned on paying for internet if we had to save up for the computer. I remember my mom saying “AOL trials come in the mail at least every week” and we lived on those. Sometimes we would save to buy some discs with hours on them

My personal first computer would have been when I was 14 or 15. I was working on construction sites with my pops. Wasn’t taxed at that age so I was really banking up with overtime!! Saved up and bought a nice computer for myself. Can’t remember, I think that’s when windows XP was first coming out. Maybe I had windows 98 on that one

When desktop computers became common in offices, and I’m guessing it was about 1990, though my recall is fuzzy and the exact year doesn’t really matter, things moved fast. If you had a computer, it quickly became a much used tool to do just about everything in the office. If you didn’t have a job in that short window of computer knowledge acceleration, you were hardly hireable. Seems like that window was about 3 years, going from no computer use to all computer use. I had a buddy that got let go in that exact time frame. He missed all of the huge knowledge gathering - email, spreadsheets, and such. It took him a long time to get rehired in the oil industry, and he was so far behind in computer knowledge, he got let go again, from the new job. He went home and ate his shotgun barrel.

Man, sorry to hear that.
Yep, things moved fast from about 1987 onwards. I was in the 'biz' and could hardly keep up - sold computers as fast as we could put them together - 8mhz turbo xt compatible with 640k and 20meg hd and ega screen, all for $995, with people standing in line with cash in hand to get one.
I also gave away many 'trade in' computers, as 'starter computers' to family and friends. Everyone I gave one to, it changed their lives - and they're all making 6-digits now...

PC Jr. Adding 128kb memory expansion was the size of a book.

X 2. In college

They sure got upset if you screwed up the programming and got it in a loop that printed off a bunch of gibberish on that green bar paper.

Packard Bell 486SX-33 ... $1200 in 1993?

1980. Radio Shack (TRS-80) when I was Shop Foreman for a Company out in West Texas Also Made Payroll checks for 35 hands on the puppy with one of their Dot Matrix Printer's. Slower than molasses..I didn't know it then.