On Fri 03 Jan 2025 at 10:54:21 (-0500), Roy J. Tellason, Sr. wrote: > Heh. I remember a 300 baud modem where you had to dial the number on a phone > and then flip the switch on the modem when the other end answered. Whether > you selected the answer or originate mode was a crap shoot, there were a lot > of c64-based BBSs in the area at that time, and they were set up either way. > And of course people would pick up the phone while you were connected...
Huh. That sounds positively streamlined compared with the acoustic couplers we used in the mid-70's, where you placed the telephone handset in a box and closed the lid. I think this is the very model: https://coimages.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/480/331/medium_smg00251098.jpg We logged on to Univ London Computer Centre by teletype at 110 baud. Although we could make calls to London at local rate, the private lines frequently weren't quiet enough, so we had to dial long-distance, $28 per hour in the mornings. Over half the department's phone bill originated from my number, and I would be sent the monthly Tiger log, with my calls heavily annotated with red circles and exclamation marks. Cheers, David.
