and they say tech support sucks

[TehnaD]

Yeah, it was the gun, not the laptop. The reporter stunk at writting the report and putting things in context.

Just think about what that laptop would look like if it were from 1989 it would have looked something like this. Haha, I really doubt anyone would hold onto that for long ;)

Heh!!! Thats great. Thanks for the clarity. I couldn't figure it out when they were talking about busting him with a 16 year old laptop and getting tech support. The reporter needs a sign on the desk showing his/her name: "Fucktard".

[Ridirich]

It would be helpful if they could speak english before being hired to be a reported writting a newspaper who's primairy language IS english.

You would not believe the errors I find in newspapers....and they are common mistakes that the proof reader should have found.

[skroo]

You would not believe the errors I find in newspapers....and they are common mistakes that the proof reader should have found.

As stupid as it sounds, a lot of that's deliberate... Think of the evident errors in maps, and it's a fairly close parallel.

[Ridirich]

So they do it on purpose? Is there a reason for it?

As for the maps, yeah I notice with civvy maps it's like that, but with charts it isn't.

[skroo]

So they do it on purpose? Is there a reason for it?

Possibly on purpose - the usual reason for doing it is so that the source of a copied (i.e., bootleg) version can be identified. Basically introducing deliberate errors (usually small stuff like misspellings and so forth) to identify ownership of the work.

[Thorn]

It isn't always the reporter. There are a number of people involved in publishing an article.

My brother is a newspaper reporter, and in the past he has complained about the butchering a perfectly good story has received at the hands of some junior editor. This type of thing apparently happens when said editor is attempting to get a full column story down to fit in four inches; doesn't know or understand the content, and could care less.

[allentrace]

As stupid as it sounds, a lot of that's deliberate... Think of the evident errors in maps, and it's a fairly close parallel.

But wouldn’t the need for this anti-plagiarism become more rare now a day’s what with the accessibility of the Internet and numerous anti-plagiarism tools. Besides plagiarism watchdogs are now at an all time high following the Jason Blair and Stephen Ambrose scandals.

[ndex]

I don't believe IBM even made laptops in 1989.

The statement:

On Sept. 29, deputies executing a search warrant on a Lincoln home found both the ThinkPad and a pistol that had been stolen in Omaha in 1989.

...is a grammatically correct conjunction, the words 'ThinkPad and' create a clear disassociation between the computer and the pistol which was stolen in a separate incident from a separate location (Omaha). According to the article he computer was stolen a month ago;

"The IBM ThinkPad was reported missing after a rural home burglary Sept. 13..."

since no year was supplied the journalistic rule of thumb indicates that they are referring to the last 12 calendar months from the publication of the article.

[TheCotMan]

http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/lenovo/about/history.html
http://www.computing.co.uk/articles/print/2071341

Heh heh.

1984 IMB PCD offers first portable computer at 30 pounds.
1986 IBM PCD announces its first laptop "PC Convertible" at 12 pounds.
1992:IBM PCD introduces ThinkPad

30 pound "portable." Heh. Back in "the day" when nerds/geeks were not "98 pound veeklings" (98 pound weaklings.)

[Thorn]

http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/lenovo/about/history.html
http://www.computing.co.uk/articles/print/2071341

Heh heh.

1984 IMB PCD offers first portable computer at 30 pounds.
1986 IBM PCD announces its first laptop "PC Convertible" at 12 pounds.
1992:IBM PCD introduces ThinkPad

30 pound "portable." Heh. Back in "the day" when nerds/geeks were not "98 pound veeklings" (98 pound weaklings.)

You're forgeting the 5100, which IBM made in 1974, beating your first figure by a decade. It was a portable, at 50 lbs. and ran BASIC or APL. I used to play with one back around 1975.

Of course, I wouldn't call it a "laptop", by any stretch of imagination. At 50 pounds, it needed a sturdy table, not a lap.

http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/ibm5100/

[TheCotMan]

You're forgeting the 5100, which IBM made in 1974, beating your first figure by a decade. It was a portable, at 50 lbs. and ran BASIC or APL. I used to play with one back around 1975.

Of course, I wouldn't call it a "laptop", by any stretch of imagination. At 50 pounds, it needed a sturdy table, not a lap.

http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/ibm5100/

Nice find. :-)

I guess in 1974, nerds/geeks of computers were even stronger. What caused them to get weaker with time?
I blame Disco.

Imagine showing up to a meeting with one of these with a bunch of car batteries.

Better yet, fill out the warantee card, send it in, and then call up IBM Tech support with a question. (heh heh.)

[allentrace]

and then call up IBM Tech support with a question. (heh heh.)

Did they even have tech support back then?

[Ridirich]

First portable laptop, 5000 BC: The Abacus.

Seriously though, yeah....there were many, many laptops available in '89. The reason you don't hear much about them is because they were basicly only owned by businesses and cost way too much for a home user to feel justified in the purchase.

[TheCotMan]

Did they even have tech support back then?

*smirk*

I think that was back before the telephone when people used the telegraph. Sadly, this was even before Morse Code, and people would just yell at their keys and try to listen to their sounders. This, of course, didn't work as desired.
Perhaps, tech support was provided through smoke signals?
"Ug. Magic smoke came out. It's broke."

[astcell]

Did they even have tech support back then?

Those were the good ol' days. The PS/2 was "THE" computer to have, and there were even services on prodigy and other IBM boards that could ONLY be accessed by a PS/2. Microchannel architecture was the wave of the future, IBM was the only game in town and everyone else was a "clone" and not a real PC. Their tech support was the best, you got a real person (no phone trees back then) and they spoke English and were probably located in San Jose, California. Everyone wanted to work for IBM.