Things I Used As A Kid that Are No More

[jbrookeiv]

 

[passedpawn]

(we had one with a 5" floppy drive... in 1996)

I had a PC jr. with NO hard drive and two 5.25 floppies. (Not my first computer, but was my first PC).

 

[passedpawn]

Don't know if they still sell them but Radio Shack had the 101 electronics projects kits where you wired in different circuits and made sounds etc. I had one and they are really cool and can get a kid interested and at least learn something. One of the coolest was the electric ear; it was actually a snooping device.

Actually, I think it was the 150-in-1. It later became the 160-in-1. I still have it.

 

[dwarven_stout]

I had a PC jr. with NO hard drive and two 5.25 floppies. (Not my first computer, but was my first PC).

The space shuttle flies with a 8 1/2" floppy.

No joke.

I know that the calculator I got when I was in high school had more memory than my first computer did in jr. high (and costs just as much now as it did then- go figure).

 

[JohnnyO]

Penny Racers.

 

[Hang Glider]

my first calculator - high school chemistry, shared with my brother, required a 9-volt battery

 

[BrewBrain]

Nesbitt - the red one
inflation
evil Russians
plastic halloween mask with rubber band fastener and plastic cape thingy
Vic-20
Tiffany vs. Debbie Gibson (needs own thread?)
Shop teacher had custom-made paddle for smackin' arse

 

[BlackDogBrewing]

What about Friday Night Videos?

 

[monnie]

I remember in small towns people would burn their garbage in 55 gallon drums. No EPA in those days!

Where exactly do YOU burn your garbage?????

 

[BrewBrain]

Kids today win, by the way. Not even close IMO. If I could go back, I would not. Well, maybe long enough to juice my Schwab account with some winners Course, that would cost a bundle without the 6.95 on-line trading fee

 

[RDWHAHB]

2$ hookers.

 

[klyph]

2$ hookers.

Oh, those are still around, just be glad you haven't run across any.

 

[Uncle Timmy]

Lawn Darts,,,,who didnt love that game? Throw them up and run.

.
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I still have a set of the REAL Lawn Darts with the steel tips. Greatest. Game. Ever.
.
.

 

[JebCkr]

.
.
I still have a set of the REAL Lawn Darts with the steel tips. Greatest. Game. Ever.
.
.

I know what my next eBay purchase is.

 

[ChshreCat]

Lawn darts led to my first (of many) childhood trips to the ER. Fractured skull and four stitches.

 

[iaefebs]

When I was younger we had a game where one would shoot an arrow in the air as straight up as possible.... if you couldn't keep it within the play area you lost. If you were the "catcher" you would have to run around and catch the arrow with a piece of wood...... had some close calls... lawn darts seemed tame when they came out. LOL

 

[eriktlupus]

making bowie style knives out of file blanks in 7th grade shop class. no nun-chucks allowed though.

knowing that everyone in my class in high school carried a pocket knife during school. and noone was worried about the fact either.

half the school being gone on opening day of firearm deer season(including teachers)

 

[jiggs_casey]

I was discussing this with my 11 year old son the other night. With the current technology, what would you say now that you couldn't have said 20 years ago.

"Go grab your phone, I need to get a picture of this!" Of course, he didn't understand what I was talking about. Phones that did NOTHING but allow you to call someone else...

 

[bad coffee]

Used to fold the 'rug runner' over to make a jump for my Evil windup bike.

Stompers rocked. Both the truck and the upside-down bucket kind.

 

[maxamuus]

Manners

 

[hal2814]

I was discussing this with my 11 year old son the other night. With the current technology, what would you say now that you couldn't have said 20 years ago.

"Go grab your phone, I need to get a picture of this!" Of course, he didn't understand what I was talking about. Phones that did NOTHING but allow you to call someone else...

I was watching an old Family Feud the other night and the category was something a rich person would have in their car. The #2 answer was a phone (TV was #1). A wet bar was also on the list.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Pull tab soda/beer cans
Zotz candy
Poloroid cameras & self developing film
Peaked caps
Typewriters
Leaded gasoline
Hot lather shaves at the barbershop

 

[Homercidal]

There was one great game for the CoCo... Dungeons of Daggorath! I played that for HOURS as a kid. I kept wanting to try it again, then I found this: http://mspencer.net/daggorath/dodpcp.html. Someone ported it to run on a PC! Yes!

HOLY FPHUCK! R U SHTTING ME!!

Excuse me. I have a mess to clean up in aisle pants!

I played this on my BIL's COCO3 and have been DYING to try it again. I thought it was lost forever!

And BTW - I don't remember ANY of the other stuff in this thread. And I certainly don't still have any of it at all either...

Ok, gotta go. Have to download one of the best unknown games of all time! :rockin:

 

[Walker]

HOLY FPHUCK! R U SHTTING ME!!

Excuse me. I have a mess to clean up in aisle pants!

I played this on my BIL's COCO3 and have been DYING to try it again. I thought it was lost forever!

And BTW - I don't remember ANY of the other stuff in this thread. And I certainly don't still have any of it at all either...

Ok, gotta go. Have to download one of the best unknown games of all time! :rockin:

I played Daggorath ALL THE F*CKING TIME. AWESOME! The CoCo2 was my first computer.

So, to that end, allow me to bring you a little piece of the past: the color computer emulator!
http://www.discover-net.net/~dmkeil/coco/coco.htm

I downloaded and installed this about a year or so ago just to mess around with it and remember my childhood. I will keep lookign, but I found ROMs for a bunch of games than you could download and play on that emulator. Daggorath was one of them!

 

[Walker]

Here's the cartridge download page:
http://www.discover-net.net/~dmkeil/coco/software/cococart.htm

They have the game spelled wrong there (Draggorath), but it's there.

main download page (cassette software downloads, cartridge software downloads, and floppy software downloads).
http://www.discover-net.net/~dmkeil/coco/software/index.htm

I have definitely come a long way in my programming skills since then. WHen I download that emulator last year it took me about 2 hours to code up a fully functional PONG game.

 

[Homercidal]

Thanks! DoD was the only game that I remember from the CoCo3. Keith had a TRS80 and every CoCo after that before getting into PCs. I remember programming out of the magazine for HOURS to play a crappy Star Trek game! It was awesome!

Can't wait to try DoD again. I remember the heartbeat getting faster and faster until you passed out. Really made the game a joy (and frustration) to play! I don't remember getting past level 3 though.

 

[the_bird]

Here's the cartridge download page:
http://www.discover-net.net/~dmkeil/coco/software/cococart.htm

They have the game spelled wrong there (Draggorath), but it's there.

main download page (cassette software downloads, cartridge software downloads, and floppy software downloads).
http://www.discover-net.net/~dmkeil/coco/software/index.htm

I have definitely come a long way in my programming skills since then. WHen I download that emulator last year it took me about 2 hours to code up a fully functional PONG game.

I used to program games all the time when I was a kid. I remember writing my own version of "Duck Shoot." Wonder if those old cassettes still have the data on them, or if they've degenerated.

 

[Homercidal]

I recently got a roll cap gun for my daughter. And I told her my secret for roll caps:

Stick a whole roll on a big rock and hit it hard with a hammer! Yeah, it goes fast, but it makes a big noise! (And smells so good!) She's not afraid of loud noises. She keeps bugging me to set up the BB trap so she can keep practicing and one day get to own a .22 Cricket (she's pretty small).

 

[Homercidal]

I used to program games all the time when I was a kid. I remember writing my own version of "Duck Shoot." Wonder if those old cassettes still have the data on them, or if they've degenerated.

I found some old NES cartridges. One of them was Legend of Zelda with the battery and Lo and Behold! The saved games were still on them (After I cleaned the contacts in the NES so it would read the cartridge). Amazing. It was only supposed to be good for 5 years I think.

 

[JVD_X]

Manners

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