zxspectrum:

 

You remember when parallel ports were cool;

 

I never found those nasty Centronics cool.

But you could program the data lines.

Rikkitic:

 

But you could program the data lines.

 

For that purpose I used IMS C011 or IMS C012 link adaptors.

people you know start to die

You get your 10 year badge on geekzone.....

When you ask whats the latest tablet, and the sales guy/gal asks whats the chisel for?

SepticSceptic:

 

You cant let loose a bush oyster without worrying that ya falsies will rapidly follow suit.

 

 

 

Yes, there are a couple of definitions of bush oyster - so it's not the bush oyster that is gently simmered in a garlic sauce.

Dude, which is it?!

tdgeek:

 

When you ask whats the latest tablet, and the sales guy/gal asks whats the chisel for?

 

When you ask whats the latest tablet, and the sales guy/gal is a doctor/pharmacist.

When you grimace at even the suggestion of flying in the cheap seats to save money and immediately consider whether staying at home might not be preferable after all...

zxspectrum:

 

You remember when parallel ports were cool;

 

Ptooie, IEEE-488 (GPIB) were the bee-knees ...

Ptooie to USB/RS-232 connverters. You're only old if you also have a drawer full of null-modem cables, 9-25 adapters and RS-232 breakout boxes.

Rikkitic:

 

But you could program the data lines.

 

You could also do useful things with the CD and a few other lines on the RS-232 port. And they could supply enough juice to use as a 12V power supply for LCD shutter glasses.

And, on my first computer, it produced sound via the serial port.

frankv:

 

You're only old if you also have a drawer full of null-modem cables, 9-25 adapters and RS-232 breakout boxes.

 

Yes, yes and yes. I still have them all!

Rikkitic:

 

frankv:

 

You're only old if you also have a drawer full of null-modem cables, 9-25 adapters and RS-232 breakout boxes.

 

 

Yes, yes and yes. I still have them all!

 

Me too! (Bugger, I''m old!)

msukiwi:

 

Rikkitic:

 

frankv:

 

You're only old if you also have a drawer full of null-modem cables, 9-25 adapters and RS-232 breakout boxes.

 

 

Yes, yes and yes. I still have them all!

 

 

Me too! (Bugger, I''m old!)

 

Ditto, and Parallel port I/O boards.

I even built (on veroboard) a speech synthesiser using the SP0256-AL2 + its associated allophone controller chip, connected to a parallel port interface.