I was there for a lot of that too. I think of any 
of it, I hated storing computer data on a tape 
recorder! For any people younger than I am, one 
thing you had to do was make sure the tapes were 
always kept at the EXACT same temputure. If they 
changed shape for whatever reason, usually due to 
tmeputure, the computer can't read off them. But 
hey, when your computer has only 34K of memory (I 
feel for you about the 16K, Terence - thankfully 
my dad is a techno-geek who bought into the best 
of the best ^_^) you wind up desperate to record 
data onto anything. ^_^

My family also had the first VCR on the block 
(see above about my dad) and yes, it weighs about 
40 pounds - all metal components will do that - 
and cost $1100 on sale. ON the OTHER hand. . . 
I'd like to also plug that with only one minor 
repair, it is still running wonderfully after 
almost two decades when most other people I know 
who have newer VCRs have gone through two or 
three machines by this point. Maybe those old 
things *WERE* worth more, ne? ^_~  My first tape 
wasn't even a "Japanamation" tape. . . It was 
Disney's Pinocchio and it cost about $90 (or by 
the terms I was under then, "two birthdays and a 
Christmas". ^_^) That's for a *domestic* tape.  
Forget trying to afford international stuff, 
assuming you could even find a place to get it.

But all this aside, I will tell you all - I hate 
hearing people complain how sucky fansubs are... 
All the whining about poor quality and how they're
"too expensive". **HA!**  Anyone who has a 
complaint should sit down in front of one of the 
*old* type of "fansub". In that scenario, the 
complainer had first better know Japanese because 
there are no subtitles. Of course, that probably 
won't help - the audio track is neigh 
indecipherable since this is an umpteenmillionth 
generation tape who's best quality is that it IS 
still possible to make out what is happening on 
the screen if you're looking really closely. Of 
course, forget the simplicity of buying them from 
someone online - the only place to find them at 
all is hidden under the tables at cons where 
you'll pay $15 or more per tape for them.

I think I like today very much. ^_^  However I 
have benefitted from the above. . . I am one of 
the only "commoners" I know who can program video 
games (I used to write them for my little 
brother), I'm very good at following directions 
(I can still successfully program the old VCR 
without the need for an "idiot menu"), and I have 
learned to have lots of appreciation for the 
efforts of other people - like fansubbers and cel 
dealers - who bring to me something I could only 
barely see and dream about when I first got into 
this. . . And they bring it to me clear as a 
bell. ^_^

Many Sharp Smiles,
--Drac