Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Yea, I had the Atari 520ST he was using. I worked on computers a lot at school (QNX workstations), but it was my first home computer. No hard-drive... first time seeing/using a 3.5" FDD and the graphics and sounds were fantastic. Later on I bought a 300/1200 baud modem for it and went BBSing.

Someone gave me a copy of a PC-DOS emulator so I can run PC applications.

Those were the days.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I'm sure someone with real knowledge will chime in (I hope so anyway, as I'd like to hear this explained properly), but my super limited wikipedia search tells me that they were talking about sending less data to and from each client, instead using the magic "software pbx" to handle most of the data on-site, then push out only the relevant bits as needed. It sounded like, when two gamers were connected via Mutiny, all the data from the game session was going to both users, through the network. I assume the software pbx would manage the data packets more efficiently? Somehow? I really don't know.

So, if that IS what they're talking about, then yes, each modem would still need a single channel on the line, but with more data processed on-site and less data moving across those lines, they could speed up the performance. Maybe? :shrug:

(I'm probably 100% wrong... but that's how I'm interpreting the pages I've been reading...)

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I started off with the Atari 400 and 800 models. Then moved up to the Atari 520st & then a 1040st. Everyone around me who were buying Commodore 64's were telling me how stupid I was.

Also jumped on the TI-99/4A computer plus the Peripheral Expansion Box when a Sears store in Norther VA had this marked down to some crazy low prices.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Sears store in Northern VA...you're not talking about the one in Landmark Mall by any chance?

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I had the Commodore 64 back in the mid 80's and had over a 100+ games that I copied from friends for free (remember you had to cut a side piece of the floppy disk to make it 2 sided so you could get more games on it). Did they really have online gaming back them for people to play, or is this just a fictional plot in the show?

That is her! I was trying to place the face since the 2nd season started as I knew her face was familiar.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

The more I think I can't like this show, they go and top it. The end scene and watching the wheels turning makes me wish next Sunday was here already.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I believe it was in Tysons Corner Center. I was in the military working at a gov building in Reston & living just outside of Fort Belvoir.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I was thinking the same thing. There was quite a behind the scenes soap opera at that company too, but so far I don't see any exact parallels.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Agreed. While retooled, this second season has been off to a great start. They're also doing a great job of giving everyone appropriate screentime and storylines.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I'm really liking this season, as they are definetly setting things up for the 4 main characters to come together again with Joe's new idea. This is the perfect DVR show, as it's not something I have to watch on Sunday night like a Game of Thrones or Mad Men, but something I watch during the week when I have time.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

We caught a glimpse of the Joe from last season at the end of this episode. I am not as enamored with some of the changes as the rest of you but seeing him like that was a positive sign. Joe's perfect new girlfriend is a strangely written character, almost too perfect for someone like Joe. I guess they wanted to move on from his relationship with Cameron.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Oh cool, I'm familiar with Tysons, though I didn't go there often. They've got a huge movie theater now. Small world.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I guess we know Joe wants to build CompuServe now. I mean, the real CompuServe was founded in 1969, so it should be "known" to everyone in the show. But that is where CompuServe came from: the son-in-law of an insurance company CEO realized their computers only "worked" from 9-5, and CompuServe came about as a way to make money from those computers after-hours.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

^^ interesting fact. I did not know that.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Another great episode tonight. I like that they specifically mentioned CompuServe, again not hiding the fact that we're seeing fictional characters in an otherwise "real" 80's setting. I have a feeling their new game is going to mimic


Bosworth continues to win my heart in every scene he's in.

I have a feeling Donna's going to

but... who knows.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Man... the show went to The Colonnade last week and The Highland Tap this week. It's like I'm reliving my 20s in random order! If they go to Masquerade or Mary Mac's next week, I'm gonna freak.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Finally caught up. The online gaming thing seems really forced - they don't even really take off for another 10 years, so you kinda know they're spinning their wheels until they can monetize chat-rooms somehow.

And while I love the title sequence and it's music, because it's perfect for '80/'81 of the first season, it is totally wrong for this season's 1985.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Metal and hard rock rule the airwaves in '85. The year after both Master of Puppets and Reign In Blood debut.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I was in high school in '85, and metal most certainly did not rule the airwaves. Except for one local station (KNAC), no one played Metallica or Slayer, and MTV was too busy with Madonna. Hair metal got big a year or two later, but metal, like punk, was still mostly underground. Here are the top 100 hits of 1985, not one single metal song.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

That is a crushing health problem to give one of your lead characters in Gordon. Donna seems obsessed with getting Mutiny off the ground when she knows that Cameron is an unreliable person to hitch your wagon to.

I hadn't really thought of that angle with Joe. He ends up dating a billionaire's daughter. I wonder if we'll find out he planned that all along.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I feel bad for Gordon. My only hope is that... it's mid-80's science, so maybe the doctor is just completely wrong. :) I didn't really catch what test the Dr. said he did, but he said something about it being fancy new tech. Maybe it's something that bombed?
I understand Cameron's frustration. Everyone's helping, and in doing so, they're taking away from her original vision for Mutiny, along with her power over the group. She's got some growing up to do, sure, but it seems like she's not ready to "run a business."
Boz, again, made me laugh the most.
Donna's mother... wow. Cold-hearted, she is.

I think Joe's intentions were genuine, but now that she's headed back to Austin, we're going to see the Joe from S1 in full-swing.

I'm not as impressed with the music as much, this season. Hopefully we get more of Cameron's 80's punk going on. :)

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I think the future for magnetic resonance imaging looks promising ;)

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Oh :lol: I honestly didn't catch what the doctor said specifically. You're right. :)

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

I dunno, The Terminator was released in 1984 (and coincidentally shown in this episode) and its score has a similar type of synthesized sound and feel as the shows intro. Many sci-fi movies in 1985 had that kind of sound.
I think the intro will be outdated if/when the show jumps to 1987 or later.

Yea, giving Gordon a big health scare and making Donna pregnant seems like something that's done later on in the shows run. We're getting this stuff already in the 4th episode of only the second season.

One anachronism I'm seeing/hearing is the sound of the modems. It sounds like a 14.4 modem sound when connecting (or at least a 9600 baud modem)... and they weren't available in 1985. They were probably using 2400 baud at best.

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (AMC) -- Season 2 Thread of catching all the fire
 

Not liking what they are doing with Gordon and his illness at all. Hopefully it's just some bullshit that they find some miraculous "cure" for and move on.