greybeard
Herd Master
I remember the cards well, and the paper punch tape too.
Magnetic storage tape is making a comeback (never really went away) ..punched tape and cards..thankfully gone for good.
For those that never saw a punch card, they probably did see a paycheck or income tax refund check with a few punch holes in it. Each hole..it's size, spacing and location meant 'something'.
I went to a big oilfield surplus equipment auction in Houston in the 80s or early 90s looking for a 300kw diesel gen set. There were dozens of big CNC machines there, all run off punch tape programs. They sold for scrap metal prices.
I worked as a machinist in the late 90s thru mid 2000s. Back then, I could write G code in my head walking down the street. I probably couldn't make a unit zero out or 'home' today, much less do any production work. use it or lose it..
Magnetic storage tape is making a comeback (never really went away) ..punched tape and cards..thankfully gone for good.
For those that never saw a punch card, they probably did see a paycheck or income tax refund check with a few punch holes in it. Each hole..it's size, spacing and location meant 'something'.
I went to a big oilfield surplus equipment auction in Houston in the 80s or early 90s looking for a 300kw diesel gen set. There were dozens of big CNC machines there, all run off punch tape programs. They sold for scrap metal prices.
I worked as a machinist in the late 90s thru mid 2000s. Back then, I could write G code in my head walking down the street. I probably couldn't make a unit zero out or 'home' today, much less do any production work. use it or lose it..