Requiem for a PC
February 4th, 2010 by Mark Kraus
Typing away on my new laptop or my slick workstation, I rarely think, “Wow, this computer is really fast!” Instead, I’m often filling the room with colorful adjectives as I impatiently wait for a program to load (curse you Firefox). But, I recently came across an old 5 1/4 inch floppy disk whilst cleaning my home office and I was reminded of my first computer, The Leading Edge Model D.
During my eighth trip around the sun, my dad came home from work one night with a surprise for the family. It was a shiny new PC! It was the first PC I had ever seen, an interesting contrast from the terminal stations I was used to seeing at my father’s office. My dad had brought this computer home so that he could work overtime from home instead of the office. I took this as a double blessing as I would see more of my father and also have a new toy.
I was already familiar with the QWERTY layout from my constant exposure and experimentation with the several typewriters we owned, but the keys on this keyboard were very different. They made a more satisfying clicking sound, still mechanical but less so than the typewriters. The orange monochromatic monitor was superior, in my opinion, to the green terminals at dad’s work. Always a proponent of white noise, the sound of the chassis fan was soothing and comforting. My first time seated in front of this now less-powerful-than-most-modern-cell-phones device was absolute heaven.
We had to boot the computer off our MS-DOS disks and even then we could only run a few programs available on the hard drive or choose from the multitude of black, truly floppy disks with so many programs. My dad primarily used the computer for work, which meant he would write up reports in LEWP, or compile spreadsheets in Quatro Pro. I also used LEWP, but to write creative stories, some of which are stored on the floppy I recently found. My working with Quatro Pro consisted of filling cells and compiling massive images I would print off our form fed printer.
I used to enjoy the sounds of the floppy disks as the system booted. It was nearly melodic and not as stereotypically repetitive as you would expect. My excitement would build in the 10 minutes it would take to get the blinking command prompt cursor. When I would finally type my first command after boot, I was experiencing a euphoria that rivals any I’ve felt since.
This computer was the reason I choose computers as a career. It was the start of my love for computing. These days, I sometimes dread touching a computer. I get annoyed at waiting “short” periods of time to load programs or download content. It’s difficult to even comprehend how it once was and how much better off things truly are. But, finding that floppy took me back and reaffirmed my love for computers.
We recycled the family Leading Edge Model D several years ago. I was sad to do so because it was still in perfect working condition and had outlived 2 PC’s we owned since. It was a sad day to lose something so pivotal in my life. I felt the same way about recycling that computer as I did losing my first pet.
Here’s to you, PC of my past! You may no longer buzz and hum in my living room, but you will always do so in my heart.
Considering the wake of destruction left behind by Mother Earth recently, now might be a good time to ask yourself, “Why not lend a helping hand?” I do admit it’s hard to do the right thing at times. It’s much easier to look the other way when we see tragedies in the media. It’s easier to drive past a stranded motorist in the rain than to stop and assist. I’m amazed at the ease with which we can pass up opportunities to help others because of the inconvenience. There are things one can do that require little time and effort which can greatly impact someone’s life. As the saying goes, the easy thing to do is not always the right thing to do. 
PHP is a language absolutely made for websites. 
“Last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments on it.” – The Wall Street Journal
