David is a friend of mine from way back. We met on the old usenet, way before google was a thing (let alone a thing that took over usenet), on soc.penpals. He lived in the UK at the time, we became pen-pal friends, and later, when I was going through a terrible time in my life, he spent a few month on this side of the pond and helped me (and little Casey) out, probably more than he’ll ever know. As time went on we gradually lost touch, our lives going in various directions as often happens…then he found me again a few years ago and we pretty much picked up where we left off. But we’d met back in the early days of the internet (I thought it was 1994, he mentions 1995, and these are his memories so we’ll go with 1995). So when he mentioned the possibility of creating a guest post from a recent email, I jumped at the opportunity.
Even better, today is, I have read, the 30th anniversary of Windows 3.1. So what better time to introduce my friend David and reminisce with him back to the early days of computing?
Can you remember back to 1995 when you were doing the bulletin board in Howell? Jeepers, doesn’t that sound light years back now? I can remember that was the only way that I could reach you as there wasn’t much in the way of email at that time unless you were with CompuServe – which I was – and then it was limited. You couldn’t send files with emails; in fact you couldn’t do much with them at all, but they were an up and coming medium that was going to hit the world right in the face, and it was coming. Can you remember those days?
Amazon wasn’t even thought of; Google wasn’t thought of, none of today’s giants were operating except Microsoft of course. They were ubiquitous then. They still are now, but more into the corporate world where the money was.
Between 1993 and 1995 we were all using Windows 3.1 which was pretty simple and gave us a modicum of what was to come. Then the big day was arriving. It was all over the media, email marketing, TV, Radio and anywhere you could tune in: Windows 95 was coming and it would transform computers as we knew them at that time.
Of course, you and I just HAD TO HAVE IT and went out and bought this new OS that was going to be the best thing since colored balloons! We installed it of course and then started to find out what it was all about. It was a bit buggy but we got on with it as it was new and there was some real good stuff in it. We eventually forgot about Win 3.1. Then we got the upgrades: Windows 98, 2000, and there were a few other versions as well until we came to Windows XP.
Windows XP was the very best you could get at the time. It was light years ahead, far less buggy and was really great for networking and other such delights. XP really was the bees knees and the very best version to date. Then we skip ahead, skip ahead until we get to Windows 10 which is undoubtedly the BEST OS there is. It took Microsoft many years to get it right but finally they did it.
(By the way, David has a quite unique jewelry store on eBay with hundreds of beautiful pre-owned, most like new, jewelry. rings, necklaces, pendants, earrings and tons of other stuff. He has sent me several items and they really are beautiful, high-quality pieces! To say thank you for reading his post, he is giving ALL CHIACHATTERS a 15% coupon OFF anything in his store. This coupon will run until May 1st.
Check out his eBay store: www.ebay.com/str/britmarkboutique – coupon code is CHIACHATTER)
Hey Sherry. Thanks for posting the guest post. I don’t normally do anything like this, but it is interesting when you look back, at some of the recent history that has passed us all by, some of it is really worth taking a closer look at. Most of us take these recent happenings as part of life and don’t give them much thought. Analyze them a little and voila! we have a guest post.
Thanks again.
David Roberts
Mont Rainier Country
Washington State.
I do love interesting guest posts, and I think the readers of this site do also, judging by the hits they receive. I’m not terribly into analytics but other than a few regulars not many people comment, so I do look at the hits number each evening as a guide. At any rate, what we consider just a part of our own lives can have great interest to others with completely different experiences. So I very much appreciate – as you know – reading about them and the hits tell me that others do also. Thank YOU for your contribution(s)!