ScuzzBlog: Diaries March 2025
Entry 02nd March 2025: Post 1: It's been a while - So what's new ?.
It's been a while - So what's new ?.
[My journey has started to buy a new computer]
Probably going to ruffle a few feathers, but hey ...
In 1983 I was staring at a flashing single cursor on a five inch
black and white screen, no sound, using a Sinclair ZX81. And I
truly felt I was at the forefront of modern technology and about
to embark on a magical journey. I was not wrong. By the end of
the last century I was surfing the net, manipulating all my photo
images using a digital camera and computer editing software, I
was mixing and sampling my own music, I was producing web-based
content to my own website, burning CDs, networking computers
and playing the latest in all the computer video games. I was
having a blast.
What is interesting as I prepare to close down the Win7 machine
in 2025 is that I am still using Ejay, ThumbsPlus, Photoshop from
that era. In truth its hard to see just where the last twenty
five years have progressed.
I reflect on the advancements made from a ZX81 to Win98 at the
birth of this century and it is staggering to have journeyed from
a machine with 1KB of memory to a Pentium 550 with 27GB hard drive
in just 12 to 17 years. And here I sit puzzled as why so little
has changed in the last twenty five years. Advancements in computer
technology peaked at the start of this century with only enhancements
to that which we already knew being progressed. I accept that the
mobile technology and social media have developed exponentially but
the core base structure of the computer remains the same as has
been for twenty five years.
Progression being measured as ever against actual tangible leaps
in technological advancement creating new arcs in future outcome.
What this means is that a new development in technology in itself
generates a new time paradigm that shifts the current historical
timeline. The use of the floppy disk or internet connectivity or
development of the CD/DVD and say touchscreens all changed the way
we used a device and altered the future of the technology.
When you reflect on just what we knew on 31st December 1999 in
comparison to a world in 1983 the mass of technological advances
far exceed anything we have created from the beginning of this
century to the present day. If anything the rate of progress has
ground to a standstill. None of the predictions of the last
century have in any way materialised and in crude terms we are
still wallowing around in our preverbal mud-huts when in truth
we should have been deliberating about the pod doors with HAL
by now.
Today I see a joyous group of scientists celebrating that they
landed something akin to a tin foil cake dressing on the moon.
Here is the scoop guys, we did that in 1969 and today we are
still experimenting with how we can burn the last of our fossil
fuel to project chunks of junk through the atmosphere. In a
time long since forgotten there are great scientists who had way
better notions how to expand our world into space, and I doubt
few would have thought that in 2025 we would still be lighting
the blue touch paper and winging it.
I kinda digress. What I wanted to say today was that time was I
could see a way forward through the journals of magazines and
the information they provided through their discs. It was easy
for me to study at my leisure the content of software and test
the various applications to see if they were suitable. That is
how I discovered Thumbs and other paint and text packages of the
period. Today sadly my searches are always confronted with both
a cookie accept screen and then a download button. I trust neither.
Words spoken about software are from nobodies on forums and carry
no credibility. I am bewildered as to just how you are supposed
to decide what is going to work on your computer.
This is why I have lived in dread of the end of the Win7 era.
My world is not based around a mobile phone, I do not have an
extensive list of friends, real or otherwise. I am a recluse and
have survived very well on my own metal all these years, but even
I now concede that things have to change this year. What that
means for me is probably going to be a relatively short era so
no real biggie in terms of reaching for the stars. However I
need to be mindful of my choices cus they are likely to be my last.
So 'open the pod doors HAL' I need to find a home for my passion
and in truth I haven't got the first clue how I'm going to do it.
The clock is now ticking down to October 14th 2025 cus beyond
that date I sense MS are going to simply kill the Win10 machine
and quite possibly remove life support from my poor Win7 machine.
Thank you for reading. The pics today simply show the vast array
of software on offer during the 95/98 era and how easy it was to
test stuff before buying. It's all about trust and in truth I have
very little trust in what Google offer as solutions to searches I
know my challenge, I need a new computer and I need fresh software
to manipulate my files and images plus a photo editing suite.
I am likely to buy a HP gaming machine and subscribe to Photoshop.
My 2K phone is being phased out and I need to learn about these
new modern means of buying stuff and how to use an app. My eyes
are on a tablet as a phone. Plus a PS5 but with disc drive.
It was way easier buying the ZX81. I just walked into Currys and
handed over the forty nine quid and I was good to go.
Enough.
It's been a while - So what's new ?.
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Last updated 02nd March 2025 2025
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