I’ve Been a Geek a Long Time

Specifically since 1985 when I got my first Mac – the Apple Macintosh.

It had 128k of RAM, the computer you’re reading this on probably has 2-4GBs of RAM.  People built drafting programs, flight simulators, graphic programs with such little memory, think about that.

My favourite Mac of all time was the LC 575, that’s my only photo of it, yes those are lipstick kisses, and that’s its system software install disc.

A close second would be my Powerbook 170.

My worst computer by far was my Umax.  Remember that brief time when Apple allowed other companies to make the hardware and clones for their OS?  I despised mine, spent more time fixing it than I did using it.

Then when the iMac came out, and Apple gave out watches to test one at at their store. I wore that watch out.

SCSI!

Remember when crazy computer language started infiltrating our everyday conversations… BubbleJet, DotMatrix, Midi, WYSIWYG….

I kept that connector, might turn it into a piece of jewellery.

 

Dark Castle, 1986.

The world’s biggest floppy.

I originally had four, which I framed and displayed like art, then over the years I gave away three.

I have no idea what’s on the discs, they’re from a military base in the 90s. I should just say it holds a copy of the world’s first computer virus haha.

 

 

It’s the Game Myst, IRL

Do you remember the computer game Myst?

It was a big deal game… oh wait wait…. it was a game changer ahahaha.

But it was, it propelled CD-ROM sales. It also really got under my skin, and remains to this day one of the few games I’ve bothered to complete.

Technically this is a water treatment plant… that washes half of Toronto’s water daily!

Did you know Toronto’s tap water is some of the best in the world? Vancouver’s is really good too.

This weekend was Doors Open Toronto, and this is the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant.

It’s neeeever open to the public (or blog girls with big smiles) … that’s why I went. Along with the whole city; parking took forEVER.

Designed in 1929 and opened in 1941, it’s applauded as Toronto’s “supreme masterwork of Art Deco building”. So beautiful, eh?!

This place is special, I’m telling you.  Go for a walk there if you ever can.

I’ve blogged about this place many times, and I filmed the episode Exploring Canadian Blogging here.

And this other time I filmed myself skipping around here in a tutu, ha.