Punch cards - Page 2

phenomshel · 06-20-2009, 01:39 PM

Nate, what on earth are you doing now?

HarryT · 06-20-2009, 02:02 PM

Are we talking about ye olde 80 column punch cards, of mainframe days? I used to have umpteen thousands of the things (and one one memorable occasion dropped a box of them down a 6-floor stair-well...). I'm sure they must still be available from computer stationery suppliers, but how are you going to punch them?

GeoffC · 06-21-2009, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are we talking about ye olde 80 column punch cards, of mainframe days? I used to have umpteen thousands of the things (and one one memorable occasion dropped a box of them down a 6-floor stair-well...). I'm sure they must still be available from computer stationery suppliers, but how are you going to punch them?

? boxing gloves ?

Mike L · 06-22-2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

... and one one memorable occasion dropped a box of them down a 6-floor stair-well...

We always used to say that you couldn't call yourself a computer programmer until you had dropped a 2,000-card tray containing your program, and put the cards back in the right order -- by hand.

Wetdogeared · 06-22-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike L

We always used to say that you couldn't call yourself a computer programmer until you had dropped a 2,000-card tray containing your program, and put the cards back in the right order -- by hand.

If that's the qualification for a computer programmer, I must have been an extremely good programmer. Millions of punch cars, if not more, have passed through my hands but I have no current access to any. Punching cards was probably where I learnt to be an accurate typist also and how all the location of all the special characters on the keyboard are remembered.

I remember giving the last hundred or so away to friends who spray pained them gold or red to make Christmas wreaths out of them.

WDE.

RWood · 06-22-2009, 10:40 AM

Nate: One of my clients used Cardmation in Phoenixville, PA. Telephone number 610-935-9700 or 800-848-1718.

They stock equipment and supplies. Rental is also available. Yes, the do offer the old 5081 card format -- image enclosed.

krisk · 06-22-2009, 12:54 PM

used or unused?

Nate the great · 06-22-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

Nate: One of my clients used Cardmation in Phoenixville, PA. Telephone number 610-935-9700 or 800-848-1718.

They stock equipment and supplies. Rental is also available. Yes, the do offer the old 5081 card format -- image enclosed.

Thanks. I knew someone somewhere was still maintaining existing machines. I just couldn't find them.

Thanks again.

kazbates · 06-22-2009, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

Nate: One of my clients used Cardmation in Phoenixville, PA. Telephone number 610-935-9700 or 800-848-1718.

They stock equipment and supplies. Rental is also available. Yes, the do offer the old 5081 card format -- image enclosed.

Yikes!! That picture just gave me a horror filled flashback to my college programming classes! Lugging those boxes of punchcards across campus in the dead of an Illinois winter and dropping half the cards of a recently debugged program in the snow!

I still can't imagine how I ever graduated with a degree in Computer Science?!?!

Verencat · 06-22-2009, 01:13 PM

Now I feel like I'm about 2 years old! I never knew those things existed, I though punch cards were to enter your work hours...
Thanks for the new addition to my definitely limited knowledge!

pshrynk · 06-22-2009, 06:09 PM

Did we ever get a read on why he wants them? Something.... Evil?

krisk · 06-22-2009, 06:10 PM

he's become vewwy vewwy quiet!

Nate the great · 06-22-2009, 06:22 PM

It's actually pretty simple. There is a thread elsewhere on MR called Digital Ebook Forum at CES, and it got me thinking about analog ebooks.

Wouldn't it be great if MR had an analog ebook lending library? I thought we could use the punch cards to start it.

zelda_pinwheel · 06-22-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

It's actually pretty simple. There is a thread elsewhere on MR called Digital Ebook Forum at CES, and it got me thinking about analog ebooks.

Wouldn't it be great if MR had an analog ebook lending library? I thought we could use the punch cards to start it.

let me be the first :

ruth1304 · 06-22-2009, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Verencat

Now I feel like I'm about 2 years old! I never knew those things existed, I though punch cards were to enter your work hours...
Thanks for the new addition to my definitely limited knowledge!

Me too! I had to google them to find out what they were ... I didn't think I was that young

06-22-2009, 10:40 AM	#21
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Nate: One of my clients used Cardmation in Phoenixville, PA. Telephone number 610-935-9700 or 800-848-1718. They stock equipment and supplies. Rental is also available. Yes, the do offer the old 5081 card format -- image enclosed. Attached Thumbnails

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06-20-2009, 01:39 PM	#16
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Nate, what on earth are you doing now?

06-20-2009, 02:02 PM	#17
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,549 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Are we talking about ye olde 80 column punch cards, of mainframe days? I used to have umpteen thousands of the things (and one one memorable occasion dropped a box of them down a 6-floor stair-well...). I'm sure they must still be available from computer stationery suppliers, but how are you going to punch them?

06-22-2009, 12:54 PM	#22
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	used or unused?

06-22-2009, 01:13 PM	#25
Verencat Wizard Posts: 2,615 Karma: 96491 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Montreal, Qc Device: xxx	Now I feel like I'm about 2 years old! I never knew those things existed, I though punch cards were to enter your work hours... Thanks for the new addition to my definitely limited knowledge!

06-22-2009, 06:09 PM	#26
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	Did we ever get a read on why he wants them? Something.... Evil?

06-22-2009, 06:10 PM	#27
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	he's become vewwy vewwy quiet!

06-22-2009, 06:22 PM	#28
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	It's actually pretty simple. There is a thread elsewhere on MR called Digital Ebook Forum at CES, and it got me thinking about analog ebooks. Wouldn't it be great if MR had an analog ebook lending library? I thought we could use the punch cards to start it.