Ben-Hur on a Computer Screen
5 days ago
- #Brazil
- #technology
- #nostalgia
- The author recalls being mesmerized by watching a clip from Ben-Hur on a computer screen in the 1990s in Brazil, which felt like magic.
- The 1990s in Brazil saw economic reforms under Fernando Henrique Cardoso's 'Plano Real', ending hyperinflation and boosting the middle class, leading to a surge in computer popularity.
- Early computer courses in Brazil focused on basic skills like using a mouse, with advanced software like Microsoft Word being beyond the curriculum.
- The author's early experiences with computers included using floppy disks, admiring a teacher's Zip Drive, and playing games like Alley Cat on an IBM XT.
- Transitioning to a Windows machine, the author experimented freely, sometimes causing issues that required a 'computer guy' to fix, but the computer never 'tattled'.
- The author maintains a fascination with computers, viewing them as mysterious and magical, preferring not to fully understand their workings to preserve their enchantment.