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from the they-never-make-them-like-they-used-to dept.
Ryan Reed reports that when most Game of Thrones fans imagine George R.R. Martin writing his epic fantasy novels, they probably picture the author working on a futuristic desktop (or possibly carving his words onto massive stones like the Ten Commandments). But the truth is that Martin works on an outdated DOS machine using '80s word processor WordStar 4.0, as he revealed during an interview on Conan. 'I actually like it,' says Martin. 'It does everything I want a word processing program to do, and it doesn't do anything else. I don't want any help. I hate some of these modern systems where you type a lower case letter and it becomes a capital letter. I don't want a capital. If I wanted a capital, I would have typed a capital. I know how to work the shift key.' 'I actually have two computers,' Martin continued. 'I have a computer I browse the Internet with and I get my email on, and I do my taxes on. And then I have my writing computer, which is a DOS machine, not connected to the Internet.'
(Score: 5, Funny) by JeanCroix on Thursday May 15 2014, @03:34PM
And my third thought is, this is a great example of sensible user behavior that most techies can't relate to. He found something that works, long ago, and has bent over backward to stay with it.
Reminds me of my own seemingly schizophrenic behavior regarding some types of tech, which sometimes earns me a bit of razzing from other (and usually younger) so-called techies. Yes, I still wear my 1983 Casio digital watch ("alarm chronograph"), and yes, I still use my 1991 HP-48S as my primary calculator. Instead of a snowblower, I use an old steel snow shovel, which also makes a great implement for chasing people off my damn lawn.
(Score: 2) by EvilJim on Thursday May 15 2014, @09:45PM
ohhhh, lucky it's not a '91 or you'd be a terroristu se_in_terrorism [wikipedia.org]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W#Claimed_
(Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Thursday May 15 2014, @11:19PM
(Score: 2) by efitton on Friday May 16 2014, @02:04AM
RPN for the win.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Friday May 16 2014, @03:48AM
As a musician I can relate because we REALLY don't believe in letting go of what works. I have a Washburn 4 from 83, a Fender 4 from 91, and a Korean Squire 5 from 96 (those that know Squires know why the Koreans from that period are sweet) along with my 92 Trace Elliot and while I may ADD basses to the mix and have no problem adding pedals I will never be replacing those for love nor money. Once you get a setup where you can count on the tone, day in and day out, no matter the weather or humidity? you do NOT ever let it go if you have a functioning brain!
So I can understand 100% why he has kept that setup, it works, he knows it like the back of his hand, and day in and day out he knows what he is gonna get from it...I can totally relate and respect his choice. Could I afford to get "nicer" gear? Sure but will the tone be consistent? Will its hardware be reliable? What about the wood, not only is the old woods practically impossible to get but they age well, how will the new instrument age? Its just too risky to get rid of something that works well for something that may or may not be "better" than what you have now.
Its funny though how many just don't appreciate that, hell even my own mom was shocked when she said "I bet you still don't have that bass i bought you for your 21st birthday" and the wife turned and said "which one is that?". the second i said "Blackie" she said "Oh yeah, he plays that one at least once a week, it sounds really nice" and mom's jaw dropped. You see to mom it was just a nice BDay prezzie, to me its a 1991 Fender JP90 with the poplar body that gives it great punch and a nice meaty tone for when I need to let my inner Getty come out and play...you just don't get rid of that for a new toy, no way.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.