Posted on 06/07/2012 10:43:43 AM PDT by US Navy Vet
As we move toward an age of quiet gadgets that do everything possible not to get in our way, we’re losing our appreciation for all the magic under the hood. Not long ago, the sounds our devices made reminded us that they were doing something truly important, whether that task was connecting us to the Internet or bringing us back to the beginning of our favorite VHS movies.
A child born today has a greater chance of hearing a real cloned dinosaur roar than a busy signal. But for those of us who lived through the beginning of the PC revolution, these 13 tech sounds will always be hardcoded into our memories.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I still use a regular keyboard, work better for my big hands. And I still get a dial tone on work phone.
Good Gravy, I hear at least 5 or six on this list at least every week if not every day! The husband’s cheap boss has dial-up AOL for the win98 office computers (I’m the “tech help”) yes, you get a busy signal when you call when he’s online. Plus, we buy bunches of “new to us” vhs movies for 25 cents at used bookstores. Heck, I just bought some cassettes for my walkman.
Well, its the only way to discuss those sounds. ;-D
I miss those big machines. They had a majestic feeling that could never be duplicated with commodity PCs.
I will occasionally dream about them, but not so much anymore. A dream that holds prospects of doing software on an IBM 1130 will make me wake up in a cold sweat; however, I really loved the 1130 and the 360.
I used a Univac 1108 at Redstone Arsonal, and found it rather pleasant. I worked a lot of different computers in the 1970/80s. Most people haven't heard of some of them.
The “DING” at the end of the line on a typewriter
Hah! I grew up with swamp coolers in the windows that made soothing sounds all night long.
I now have oscillating fans all over my house and just can’t sleep, winter or summer, without one on and blowing on me.
“The clatter of a busy Step Office!”
I worked in a step office for a few years - and will never
forget when a local radio station had a “call-in” where
listeners would be (for instance) the 10th caller to win a
prize or tickets, the place would go wild.
What a sound!
I don’t miss the sound of punchcard readers.
chunkchunkchunkchunkchunkchunkchunkchunk(pause)
chunkchunkchunkchunkchunkchunkchunkchunk
There seem to be fewer stations on SW these days, but a lot more action on the ham bands. In any event, I’ve got a 2-meter rig and I’m studying for my license. I do have a feeling it may come in handy.
speaking of punch cards in the 60s... when I got married my buddies had gotten into my car and filled the defroster outlets with the punch card oval punch-outs ... also the wind shield washer reservoir with red tempra paint.
I think I still was finding punch-outs in that 67 Cutlass when I sold it two years later.
I used to have an application on my computer that made my keyboard sound like a mechanical typewriter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv9rrd3DYZM&feature=related
Just in case you meant a 15 instead of a 28
Ah, the rotary phone! When the length of time to make a call depended on the numbers you dialed. I still remember my best friend’s phone number was 357-8887. It took forever to call him.
-—How about the fading out of the music on the 8-track,followed by the click of the track change, and the the music fading back in.-—
Click? I remember a CLUNK! Man, that was fun.
Keytick from PC Mag.
Yeah. We quickly learned to record our own 8tracks to do away with the pauses. And I was always having to take them apart to give them more slack as they got older. Or iron out the tape when it got ate up.
The original area codes (with 1 or 0 in the middle digit) were assigned based on population/importance of the city. Thus New York got the one with the fewest clicks: 212. LA and Chicago had 213 and 312 for 6 clicks each.
whirrrr - click - whirrrrrrrr - click - click - click - click - click...
“At the tone, the time will be, six fifty seven...exactly......beep!”
Which is also why the original exchanges did not use the “0” or “1” as the middle digit. I also remember the “names” that were given to the local exchanges: my mom & dad’s number was 251-6334, which was pasted on the rotary dial as “CL1-6334,” which was the “Clifford” exchange. Bake’s 357 exchange was “Melrose.”
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