[Coco] **JUNK** An interesting article...

[Richard E Crislip]

On Fri, 31 Oct 2014 23:57:15 -0400
"tonym" <tonym at compusource.net> wrote:

> Yep. My account on CIS was 76576,2064
> 
> Time flies, and the stupidities we remember...
> 
> Tony
> tonym at compusource.net
> 
> 
> ---- Original Message ----
> From: wdg3rd at comcast.net
> Sent: 10/31/2014 9:58:43 PM
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] **JUNK** An interesting article...
> 
> Very definitely CompuServe.  I remember that exact list of
> newspapers.  It was one of the first things we demonstrated on Vidtex
> (whether the Coco cripple terminal with built-in 300 bps modem or the
> software on the Mod One/3, the Mod 2 or the Coco cartridge
> (everything 300 bps when I started at RS).  CompuServe was just a way
> for H&R Block to spin off their excess CPU capacity during the
> off-season at first.  A bunch of DEC systems, and the account numbers
> were octal.
> 
>
<snip>

Ah Yes, I had one of those too. I do not, however, remember my
account number. I do remember using an outstanding Amiga offline mail
client called Auto Pilot. It was so well written that I had one part of
it crash, but the rest of it continued to run allowing me to complete
my downloads and to sign off gracefully. The poor author was constantly
being bitched at because of the price he charge for it, but I felt it
was a bargain at twice the price when I figure out the telephone tariff
it saved me. The CoCo was a little more expensive since it was real
time. At 300 baud you could almost hear the individual 1s and 0s go out
8-). BTW my 87 mother still has and uses her Compuserve account. She is
dial up and won't have it any other way <sigh>.