Been too long

My apologies to my single follower - it's been far too long since I've posted to my blog!! Put it down to life being life and interfering with my intellectual pursuits!

But here I am, 11:30 at night in Upstate New York, just before bed and feeling like meandering a bit.

I got a new computer 2 weeks ago. I took the plunge and after 20-some-odd-years as a PC I bought a Mac. My only experience with them before now was programming related. I learned Pascal on a Mac. I used to program hypertext tutorials for my Anatomy and Physiology prof on a Mac. But I'd never really used one for day-to-day computing needs. Now I'm the proud owner of this shiny, beautiful piece of equipment and I find myself marveling daily at the elegance and usability of this machine! I don't know what kind of engineer/designer/artist hybrid it takes to come up with something so elegant and simple, but that team deserves my heartfelt and highest kudos. (Bear in mind that I've only been living with Mac for 2 weeks - I may change my tune in a year).

It's akin to the thrill I felt when I wrote my first database program and found that my query actually worked. Or writing my first DOS batch program to create myself a little menu for my 8086. In those days I thought 1 Mg of RAM was enormous and that a 20 Mg hard drive was all I'd EVER need!

Now I have 4 Gigabytes of RAM and 650 Gigabytes of onboard hard disk space plus 2 outboard 1 Terabyte (each) storage drives - one for general backup and one for photos and music. 2 TERABYTES! In 1986, when I first started using computers I didn't even know what a Terabyte was - now I have 2.

It's simply amazing to me that in less than 50 years we can go from a computer that took up several rooms to one that fits in my hand (I also have a net book - 8 inch screen - lovely little machine). That a machine that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in 1965 now costs under one thousand.

I never want to lost this sense of wonder and astonishment at the incredible advances we've made in so may areas.