You find a lot of stuff when you are reorganizing your office #TP6 Library….
I must clean out my closets as well. I think I have similar stuff lying around.
–jeroen
Archive for the ‘History’ Category
You find a lot of stuff when you are reorganizing your office #TP6 Library…
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/02/11
Posted in Delphi, Development, History, Software Development, Turbo Pascal | Leave a Comment »
Some links and references to IBM CUA: Common User Access which defines a lot of the UIs and UX we still use.
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/02/04
Back in the late 80s and early 90s of last century, engineers Richard E. Berry, Cliff J. Reeves set a standard that still influences the user interfaces and user experience of today: the IBM Common User Access.
I mentioned CUA a few times before, but since an old client of mine managed to throw away their paper originals in a “we don’t need that old stuff any more as we are now all digital” frenzy, I wanted to locate some PDFs. And I promised to write more about CUA.
If anyone has printed versions of the non-PDF documents below, please donate them to aek at bitsavers.org or scanning at archive.org as they are really hard to get.
A few search queries I used:
- IBM Common User Access bitsavers (as bitsavers.org keeps a lot of PDF materials)
- IBM CUA filetype:pdf
- IBM “Common User Access” filetype:pdf
The PDFs I think are most interesting:
Share this:
Posted in BitSavers.org, Development, Hardware, History, IBM SAA CUA, Keyboards and Keyboard Shortcuts, KVM keyboard/video/mouse, Power User, Software Development, UI Design, Usability, User Experience (ux) | 3 Comments »
Nostalgie: KPN zet inbelplatform uit en laat Xs4all inbelverkeer afhandelen – IT Pro – Nieuws – Tweakers
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/01/17
This Dutch caught my eye: “Dutch telecom operator KPN has turned off the inbound internet dial-up equipment. It keeps possible to dial the number, as dial-up traffic is now handled by provider xs4all”:
KPN heeft de apparatuur van zijn inbelplatform voor internet uitgezet. Het blijft nog wel mogelijk om in te bellen via het nummer 06760-12321, maar het inbelverkeer wordt voortaan afgehandeld door provider Xs4all.
Source: KPN zet inbelplatform uit en laat Xs4all inbelverkeer afhandelen – IT Pro – Nieuws – Tweakers
The thread is full of nostalgia on Dial-up Internet access, like:
- EUR 500+ monthly phone bills
- KPN owning both Telfort and xs4all (and explaining the differences between them)
- CompuServe (they laugh at it in the thread, as over here it never caught on, but for me it was a life-line for the beta-test and tech forums that were there. The TeamB forum was quite famous)
- xs4all (my first ISP where I still have a fiber and a DSL connection) and xs4all dial-up instructions
- Early technically stable ISPs like DDS and Demon internet.
- dial-up via university (before xs4all was there)
- modem handshakes:
- dial-up numbers I haven’t used for a very long time (xs4all:020-5350535 or 06760-97400, KPN: 06760-12321, Zonnet/Tele2: 06760-75030)
- ISP dial-in equipment: http://tweakers.net/nieuws/107363/kpn-zet-inbelplatform-uit-en-laat-xs4all-inbelverkeer-afhandelen.html?showReaction=8128340#r_8128340
- kerktelefoon (a way to listen to church services from home; one of the people in my network used to create equipment for that)
- “free” dial-up ISPs like 12move, zonnet, wannadoo, freeler, flevonet, raketnet, myweb, superweb, wish, etc.
Yes, the Dutch are cheap indeed, so plenty of them keep changing their main email address when they switch to yet another ISP. - mxstream (the first DSL you could get here) which got me 4 IP addresses at first which they later retracted to 1.
- funet.fi en sunet.se
- i-mode and WAP
- XMODEM, YMODEM and ZMODEM
I still have my original Courier HST Dual Standard modem from USRobotics I got around 1987. It’s looks like the second from the bottom at (image via: Do Modems Still Matter?) the picture below (one day I will make a picture when I’ve cleaned out the glass cabinet it is in; there are some more USRobotics, ZyXEL and DrayTek modems in it too).
There is a very interesting piece of USRobotics (in Russian, but Google Translate does a nice job on it): The history of the US Robotics.
I wrote mentioned the Courier HST Dual Standard before in Going to try PowerLine (next to CAT5, and having used 10Base2, 10Base-T, 100Base-TX and 1000Base-T), but never about the why, so here it is:
The Courier HST standard would train faster and at better speeds over Intercontinental lines than the Trailblazer and Hayes and later V.32bis technologies. In addition, they were also faster with firmware upgrades to support faster speeds than competing brands.
This mattered a lot to me, as initially CompuServe was only accessible by dial-up to the USA. The same for a lot of BBS and FidoNet uplinks.
For me, they weren’t any cheaper buying them (as the BBS discounts for them were not valid in Europe; I bought mine for a more than DM 1000 in Germany) but it was cheaper gaining knowledge (my motto always has been “a life long learning”).
Since the above article,
- the Sportster magic string entry on Wikipedia vanished, but the info is still at USRobotics Sportster magic string – WOW.com,
- I stopped using PowerLine as it wasn’t stable enough, so during the replacement of our solar panels with more modern equipment a few years ago, had CAT-6 pulled up to the utility closed on the bedroom floor.
More info about modem training and standards in this 1998 article:
Everything you wanted to know about modem and fax standards and software, but were afraid to ask is covered in this great overview article by Frank Gao from Gao Research. This article discusses all the functions that go into today’s modem products, but is not tied to any particular hardware implementation.
–jeroen
Share this:
Posted in BBS, FidoNet, History, Power User | 1 Comment »
The Sounds of Dialup Modems and Related Equipment
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/01/10
While researching how to record analog PSTN call recording:
- [Wayback/Archive] The Sounds of Dialup Modems and Related Equipment
- [Wayback/Archive] Modems under Lab Conditions
- The all famous [Wayback/Archive] absorptions: The sound of the dialup, pictured
The sound of the dialup, pictured
- Later I found [WayBack/Archive] The Sounds of Dialup Modems and Related Equipment « The Wiert Corner – irregular stream of stuff
Via:
- [Wayback/Archive] The sound of dialup.. explained: … – awesome. – Ilya Grigorik – Google+
- [Wayback/Archive] Hast Du auch noch den Gesang des 56k-Modems im Ohr? … Was ist Deine Lieblingserinnerung… – Vodafone Deutschland – Google+ / [Archive.is] Evolution of Speed: Ein Rückblick – featured
Edit 20250318: added Wayback/Archive archived links for the first three bullets above.
--jeroen
Share this:
Posted in History, Power User, PSTN, Telephony | Leave a Comment »
In Memoriam: Peter Naur 1928-2016 | News | Communications of the ACM
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/01/06
Just learned that Peter Naur, a Danish computer scientist and 2005 recipient of the ACM A.M. Turing Award, died January 3 after a brief illness.
In memoriams:
Peter was the N in BNF; some more background info:
Share this:
Posted in Development, History, Software Development | Leave a Comment »
From my paper archives: early QuickReport materials and BDE network installation tips
Posted by jpluimers on 2016/01/01
[WayBack] While cleaning up my “attic”, I came across some old QuickReport 1.0 documents and BDE installation tips so I scanned them.
I think the first document is by this Lars Søndergaard.
The last is by Dave Robinson, then working at Amber Computer Systems Inc, but I could not find on-line activity of him If you know him, please let me know his on-line contact info.
- 1996 – Eurosoft Delphi Center – QuickReport – Lars Søndergaard – Danish introduction.pdf
- 1996 – QuickReport version 1.0 for Delphi – qsd – Quick Soft Development – swreg #8644.pdf
- 1996 – netinst.doc – Network Installation of Delphi & Other BDE Applications – Dave Robinson – Amber Computer Systems Inc.pdf
–jeroen
Share this:
Posted in Delphi, Delphi 1, Development, History, Software Development | 2 Comments »
Tijdreis, over 200 jaar topografie
Posted by jpluimers on 2015/12/24
Ons huist staat er nog maar 20 jaar. Sommige andere al veel langer…
Wilt u weten hoe uw omgeving er 50, 100 of zelfs 200 jaar geleden uitzag? Hoe het land om u heen is veranderd door verkaveling en andere ingrepen? Dat kan eenvoudig op topotijdreis.nl, de website van het Kadaster die 200 jaar topografie ontsluit.
Source: Tijdreis, over 200 jaar topografie
via:
Hoe zag Amsterdam er 200 jaar geleden van boven uit? Dat is te zien op een nieuwe website van het Kadaster, waarop topografische kaarten van Nederland door de jaren heen zijn verzameld. Op de website Topotijdreis kun je inzoomen op stadsniveau en met een slider kaarten uit verschillende jaartallen met elkaar vergelijken.
Source: Bestond jouw wijk al in 1815? Bekijk het op deze oude kaarten van Amsterdam – AMSTERDAM – PAROOL
Share this:
Posted in History, Personal | Leave a Comment »
Nice #geekporn history lesson. With Linus, SUN, kissing a girl (or not), the overpriced POSIX manual… by @landley
Posted by jpluimers on 2015/12/18
Thanks Jan Wildeboer for pointing to a well written history piece by Rob Landley (Twitter @landley).
Nice #geekporn history lesson. With Linus, SUN, kissing a girl (or not), the overpriced POSIX manual and more. Enjoy. http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.toybox/1890 (already archived at the WayBack machine)
The piece is about SunOS, Solaris, Linux, Posix, IBM, AT&T, BSD, System V and much more.
–jeroen
via: Nice #geekporn history lesson. With Linus, SUN, kissing a girl (or not), the….
Share this:
Posted in History | 1 Comment »
SMS cards: The technology inside IBM’s 1960s mainframes
Posted by jpluimers on 2015/12/11
When SMS means Standard Module System.
Pure Geek Porn, for instance this triple AND gate:
triple AND gate with germanium transistors and diodes
Thanks Jan Wildeboer for sharing this.
–jeroen
via: SMS cards: The technology inside IBM’s 1960s mainframes.
Share this:
Posted in History | Leave a Comment »
In remembrance of Felipe Rodriquez
Posted by jpluimers on 2015/12/10
Felipe makes a few appearances in this great _Unauthorized Access_ documentary by Annaliza Savage 1994.
Memorable moments:
- Intro about the initial small size of Hack-Tick.
- The start of the Hack-Tick ISP in The Netherlands, which originally started with UUCP and later grew into one of the most important general ISPs with a very keen focus in privacy: xs4all.
- Hacking at the End of the Universe congress.
Most of the “in memories” were in Dutch, but one of the few English ones says it all: [Wayback] D U T C H F E L L O W S — In memory of Felipe Rodriquez.
Karin Spaink (friend of Felipe, also suffering from MS) wrote [Wayback] Felipe Rodriguez has died.
A few of the Dutch articles that impressed me very much (some obituaries, some on the internet history in The Netherlands):
- [Wayback] Mooi mens Felipe Rodriquez is gestorven | Netkwesties.
- [Wayback] XS4ALL-oprichter Felipe Rodriquez is overleden.
- [Wayback] De eerste vijf jaar van XS4ALL – Vrij Nederland.
- [Wayback] In memoriam: internetpionier en XS4ALL-oprichter Felipe Rodriquez | B R I G H T.
- [Wayback] Interview met Felipe Rodriguez Van hacker tot politiek adviseur – NRC Handelsblad – Computerbeveiliging – Hackers.
- [Wayback] Felipe Rodriguez, oprichter XS4All (1969-2015): internetmiljonair met ijzeren ballen | Quote.
- [Wayback] Van hacker tot internetmiljonair – De Groene Amsterdammer.
- [Wayback] RIP Felipe Rodriquez #XS4ALL – Nieuws.Social.
- [Archive.is] Charmante internetpionier en restaurateur | Het Financieele Dagblad.
- [Wayback] Felipe Rodriquez, oprichter van Xs4all en De Digitale Stad, overleden – AMSTERDAM – PAROOL.
- [Archive.is] Rop Gonggrijp on Twitter: “My friend Felipe Rodriguez, co-founder of XS4ALL and early internet-and-society thinker, died yesterday. Thanks for everything Felipe.”.
- [Archive.is] ‘Zelfregulering gebruikers moet Internet schoonhouden’ | Media | de Volkskrant.
- [Wayback] Absolute internetheld Felipe Rodriquez overleden | Retecool.
–jeroen
The full video:
Slightly longer but with a worse audio quality:
Share this:
Posted in About, History, Internet, Personal | 1 Comment »
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 