History - netscape

[ChrisGreaves]

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2014/jun/18/tech-weekly-podcast-uk-mass-surveillance-goalline-technology

gnl.tech.140620.jp.tech_weekly from 31m 50s to 44m 30s
Ben Horowitz discusses Netscape – the first commercial web browser

[DaveA]

Chris,
I think your link path is toooooooooooo looooong?

[PaulB]

Link works for me. Are you having a problem?

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris,I think your link path is toooooooooooo looooong?

Hi Dave. Yes, I know it's long, but then I gigure on letting people (who know me) see where they are going before they click on the link.
Better than http://tinyurl.com/o89c7j3 which doesn't tell you where you might end up.

[ChrisGreaves]

Link works for me. Are you having a problem?

not me. Apart from the fact that his too is too long too!

[StuartR]

The first web browser I used was Lynx. This was a text only browser that ran on Unix.

[HansV]

The first one I used was Mosaic. I have to admit that I didn't see the point, at the time...

[StuartR]

I remember upgrading from Lynx to Mosaic. They were both a major improvement over command line tools like Archie and Gopher.

[PaulB]

Now I'm really feeling old thinking back to the days of VT-100 terminals, VAX 8700s, an outrageously priced 64kbps connection to the Ontario Universities and Colleges network, Lynx then the jump to 80 MHz PCs and Mosaic. Those were the days... not!

[IMNetUser]

... priced 64kbps connection ...

I only started with 300 baud modem

[HansV]

... 80 MHz PCs ...

That's already pretty fast - the IBM PC started out with a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 processor. Speeds in the 80 MHz range didn't come along until the Intel Pentium in the 1990s...

[Rudi]

The first web browser I used was Lynx. This was a text only browser that ran on Unix.

My first browser was a 24 volume encyclopedia. It had text and pictures and ran on the bookshelf (v1.1). Unfortunately this apps the pages had to be turned manually so the "program" was not very popular due to this. Oh, and though it was very well indexed the find feature was VERY manual and sloooow.

[Claude]

Speaking of firsts, here's my first calculator, anno domini 1964

Spoiler

calculator.gif

[Claude]

I only started with 300 baud modem

Yep, remember them, 75 up, 300 down, acoustic couplers

[IMNetUser]

Claude:

I had one of those calculators to.

er, rather I still have one. A few years ago, I had to look up the instruction as a refresher when asked to demonstrate the use.

Amazing enough, I can still beat some of the youngsters using their fancy calculators.

During a bowling party - I won the challenge of calculating the scores, totals and averages for 4 teams of 5 people using my very first calculator.

Spoiler

[PaulB]

... priced 64kbps connection ...

I only started with 300 baud modem

I can remember starting out using acoustic couplers (not sure of BAUD rate). In that context, 64 kbps may seem like a lot but it was meant to serve the internet needs of the entire college. At that time I believe the staff and faculty numbered over 2,000. Students? Fuggetaboutit!

[PaulB]

... 80 MHz PCs ...

That's already pretty fast - the IBM PC started out with a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 processor. Speeds in the 80 MHz range didn't come along until the Intel Pentium in the 1990s...

I stand corrected. That 80 or 100MHz PC was the first IBM PC that I purchased for personal use. Eventually swapped out the processor for an eye watering 160 MHz barn-burner.

[PaulB]

The first web browser I used was Lynx. This was a text only browser that ran on Unix.

My first browser was a 24 volume encyclopedia. It had text and pictures and ran on the bookshelf (v1.1). Unfortunately this apps the pages had to be turned manually so the "program" was not very popular due to this. Oh, and though it was very well indexed the find feature was VERY manual and sloooow.

[StuartR]

...
I can remember starting out using acoustic couplers (not sure of BAUD rate)...

My acoustic coupler was 110 baud, I upgraded to a 300 baud modem.

[HansV]

This thread is starting to sound like Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen...