3 ms·

I'm not old enough to know - how much did it cost in say, 1980 vs 1990?

TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
As one example, an Apple 2e in 1977 cost $1300 for a basic configuration that did NOT include a modem to get online. In 2022 dollars, that’s $6086. Modems added probably another $300 (just a guess) which is $1404 in 2022. So you’re looking at $7500 (in 2022 dollars) to get online in 1977. And that does NOT include long distance telephone charges, if you needed to connect to computer outside your immediate region. Maybe now you can see why being online was an elite subculture in the late 70s and 80s. It was later “discovered” by the rest of the world when prices dropped.
- hungryforcodes 5y ago
  That’s not true at all though. By 1985 any kid with a Commodore 64 and a modem could run their own Blue Board BBS for the price of a monthly dedicated phone line. Total cost just a few hundred dollars and with free local calling very inexpensive.
  - russfink 5y ago
    But that's assuming one-at-a-time connections, no? A true BBS would allow multiple connections. Plus, OP's timeframe was 1980, yours is 1985. A couple years back then meant major differences in capabilities, costs, offerings. Not like now, where your iPhone from 2016 is only a little less capable than now.
    - Damogran6 5y ago
      Well yes, but also no. The smaller single line BBSs were great and you could get on them...frequently the multi line ones had a subscription or were constantly busy. As a teenager, I couldn't afford that...but I could afford to run a BBS from 6pm to 9am from my dormroom. Rumor had it the really BIG bbs's on the coasts had the COOLEST STUFF. But I couldn't afford to call California or New York back then.
    - TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
      > Plus, OP's timeframe was 1980. A couple years back then 1977 vs 1985 was an enormous difference in personal computing.
    - icedchai 5y ago
      Most BBSes were single line systems. I ran a BBS throughout most of the 90's. Very very few local systems had more than 1 line.
- smm11 5y ago
  The rest of the world "discovered" it when Lee invented the WWW.
  - TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
    I do not agree. The WWW was available in 1994 or so. The percent of population online in 1994 and 1995 vs 10 years later in 2004/2005 later was enormous. It was AOL that really popularized “online”, at least in the US, between those years.
GrumpyNl 5y ago
My first pc with 2 yes 2 720kb floppy drives, a apricot, semi portable was around 4.900 dollar.

As one example, an Apple 2e in 1977 cost $1300 for a basic configuration that did NOT include a modem to get online. In 2022 dollars, that’s $6086. Modems added probably another $300 (just a guess) which is $1404 in 2022. So you’re looking at $7500 (in 2022 dollars) to get online in 1977. And that does NOT include long distance telephone charges, if you needed to connect to computer outside your immediate region. Maybe now you can see why being online was an elite subculture in the late 70s and 80s. It was later “discovered” by the rest of the world when prices dropped.

hungryforcodes 5y ago
That’s not true at all though. By 1985 any kid with a Commodore 64 and a modem could run their own Blue Board BBS for the price of a monthly dedicated phone line. Total cost just a few hundred dollars and with free local calling very inexpensive.
- russfink 5y ago
  But that's assuming one-at-a-time connections, no? A true BBS would allow multiple connections. Plus, OP's timeframe was 1980, yours is 1985. A couple years back then meant major differences in capabilities, costs, offerings. Not like now, where your iPhone from 2016 is only a little less capable than now.
  - Damogran6 5y ago
    Well yes, but also no. The smaller single line BBSs were great and you could get on them...frequently the multi line ones had a subscription or were constantly busy. As a teenager, I couldn't afford that...but I could afford to run a BBS from 6pm to 9am from my dormroom. Rumor had it the really BIG bbs's on the coasts had the COOLEST STUFF. But I couldn't afford to call California or New York back then.
  - TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
    > Plus, OP's timeframe was 1980. A couple years back then 1977 vs 1985 was an enormous difference in personal computing.
  - icedchai 5y ago
    Most BBSes were single line systems. I ran a BBS throughout most of the 90's. Very very few local systems had more than 1 line.
smm11 5y ago
The rest of the world "discovered" it when Lee invented the WWW.
- TedDoesntTalk 5y ago
  I do not agree. The WWW was available in 1994 or so. The percent of population online in 1994 and 1995 vs 10 years later in 2004/2005 later was enormous. It was AOL that really popularized “online”, at least in the US, between those years.

GrumpyNl 5y ago

My first pc with 2 yes 2 720kb floppy drives, a apricot, semi portable was around 4.900 dollar.