Dear Drac,

Right on ;)!  As a side to those magnetic tapes
you used to deal with, when I was 3 or 5, I used
to go with my Dad to the University's "big"
computer center where he did something (which I
still have no idea to this day!  Something with
physics though) with those great computers with
the magnetic tape spools.  He programed whatever
with these HUGE stacks of punch cards @_@!  Each
box of punch cards were the size and weight of a
case of tofu (for those of you who don't eat tofu,
it's about the size of 2 boxes of 18 count egg
cartons and about 20 lbs).  I remember playing in
piles of confetti leftover from the punch cards!
My favorite thing to play with though were those
plastic rings you put on the spools that would
tell the computer whether the tape was eraseable
or not!  Ah what memories!

To my surprise, when I went to college, I STILL
had to deal with those VERY SAME magnetic tape
spools for the data for my research group (one
from a disposable rocket and the other from the
South Pole) o_O.  They even had the same old
plastic rings!  Actually, my department had TONS
of stuff that is older than me (not including the
faculty) O_o.  My friends and I even found this
old tin of survival biscuits hidden in the
basement in case of nuclear fallout.  They still
looked neon yellow fresh because of the
preservative DDT!!! 86

Yeah, that describes my first VCR too.  I have no
idea how much it costs, but it did weigh about
40 lbs.!  I don't use it anymore because it does
not have a Hi-Fi/stereo track plus I'm scared it
might eat my tapes!

Actually, VCRs made in the late 1980s and early
1990s WERE made BETTER than they are now =6!  All
the electronics repair shop guys I have talked to
agree with me, and they to try and keep their
older models in working order!  The ones made now
are just too plastic, hence making them easier to
break!  The first VCRs had more metal and ceramic
parts which are made to last!

I do remember NOT being able to buy any videotapes
at all because they were so highly priced =(, but
it was easier to copy/transfer stuff too ;)!  The
only worries I have about some of my current VCRs
is that 2 of them (which are over 10 years old)
are going to run into that Y2K problem =P.  I
guess they didn't expect them to last beyond the
year 2005!


Sincerely,

Sonia