Them New-Fangled Computers

I was reading about early computer usage. The author had written in wonder about how the words wrapped around at the end of each line and that, unlike with a typewriter, there was no carriage return to push. He was amazed. How things have changed! It reminded me of my first encounters with computers.

The very first was in Cegep, where we had to take a “computer” course. There was one giant HAL-type thing in a back room which I was terrified of, and luckily for me, the assignment was a team effort so someone else did the work and I never actually had to set foot in the back room with the big monster in it. I think the assignment had to do with Basic programming. The horror.

In my first job, in a law firm, there were two big computers in the back room that were used to type up long legal documents. I remember they looked like television screens, with black screens and green characters. I avoided those too. We had special "operators" who worked on those machines.

In my next job, in Ottawa, I HAD to take a computer course, and there was one Wang on our floor. I never dared use it, even though one of my bosses would hand me the occasional memo and say, this might be a good thing to practice using the computer with. I avoided it at all costs. (And no, I’m not posting this just for the opportunity to use the word Wang at least once a week, though I do like the idea of making it a tradition)

In my next job, in Washington, there were no computers at all, and I was thrilled about that.

When I returned to Montreal, computers seemed to have become unavoidable during my absence, and I found myself using a Honeywell computer all the time. The great thing about my then (and current) employer is that when I started here the Honeywell printers were HUGE. I wish I could see one again, because in my mind they are about the size of a Smart Car.