Reverend Conehead
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Here are computer terms you used to hear all the time, but have fallen out of use for one reason or another. Feel free to add to the list.
IBM compatible
IBM PCs used to be the standard non-Mac business computers, and there were several imitators who created PCs that were compatible, meaning you could run IBM-based software on them, exchange diskettes with them, etc. These PCs were known as …
Clones
See above.
CP/M
Operating system popular for PCs before IBM, MS-DOS and clones came along
MS-DOS
CP/M card for Apple
Back when CP/M was a popular OS, Apple had its own OS, but you could run CP/M software on your Apple IIe or whatever if you put a CP/M card in. It was a pretty cool piece of technology that gave you the best of both worlds.
Diskette
Ex king of removable storage, as been replaced by other media.
Dialup
I don't think you can even sign up for dialup Internet anymore.
K (short for “kilobytes”)
You used to say things like “64K” to mean “64 kilobytes.”
Hercules graphics
Graphics system for monochrome monitors.
CGA – early color monitor graphic adapter.
EGA – A more advanced version of above
WordStar – Popular early 80s word processor, pioneered many features we use today
IBM compatible
IBM PCs used to be the standard non-Mac business computers, and there were several imitators who created PCs that were compatible, meaning you could run IBM-based software on them, exchange diskettes with them, etc. These PCs were known as …
Clones
See above.
CP/M
Operating system popular for PCs before IBM, MS-DOS and clones came along
MS-DOS
CP/M card for Apple
Back when CP/M was a popular OS, Apple had its own OS, but you could run CP/M software on your Apple IIe or whatever if you put a CP/M card in. It was a pretty cool piece of technology that gave you the best of both worlds.
Diskette
Ex king of removable storage, as been replaced by other media.
Dialup
I don't think you can even sign up for dialup Internet anymore.
K (short for “kilobytes”)
You used to say things like “64K” to mean “64 kilobytes.”
Hercules graphics
Graphics system for monochrome monitors.
CGA – early color monitor graphic adapter.
EGA – A more advanced version of above
WordStar – Popular early 80s word processor, pioneered many features we use today
