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I remember the sound of my modem. I owned only one—a 14.4K baud model that felt like a clunker, compared to what my peers owned. They all had newer computers.
AOL is actually how I first made it fully online—and how I found out I owned a turtle of a modem. Until then, I’d only logged into a free local BBS. But then I learned of the world wide web, and how it held more info about my favorite TV show.
I secretly signed up for a trial without my parents’ permission. I discovered quickly that I hated the interface, and also that I couldn’t load webpages quickly at all. (1.0kbps download speeds feel bad, man.) These restrictions didn’t keep me from exploring or meeting new people, but after I burned through my free hours, I returned to my BBS.
I never gave much thought to AOL’s dial-up service again. I got back on the internet a year or so later in a different way—a boy at school who shared his unlimited plan though the local phone company. Most everyone I knew also chose competing ISPs.
So like many others, I was surprised to hear of AOL’s plan to axe its dial-up service on September 30. I had long relegated the shambling joined corpses of Yahoo and AOL to the past, not allowed to rest in peace. Doomed to forever live on as web portals used by few but remembered by many.
Initially, I didn’t think much on the news. The end of an era, sure, but a time best left to the past. Back then, we put up with slow downloads, rudimentary interfaces, and questionable web design. (Remember marquee text?)
But I couldn’t shake the nostalgia. The internet felt special in the mid-’90s. A shared interest in the medium itself brought together strangers from all over the world—a new, earnest, and optimistic community. Everyone online wanted to be there, and they also wanted to connect. For my part, I spent hours and hours of my formative years online, whether in text-based games (I still recall Kryandia with great fondness), forum discussions, or entire troves of fanfiction.
That spirit still lingers in the internet today, even in its dark pockets. We still form communities, message one another, and use netspeak. The Full Nerd’s Discord server is a great example of the evolution—the emotes have become more sophisticated and the animated GIFs upload much faster, but the vibe is still there. You could even argue current robust industries got their start in early internet culture—I see a direct link between the prevalence of self-publishing and fanfiction.
Many of us carry forward other habits too, like sending messages in short clusters of one to two sentences at a time. Long-form comments on Reddit. Connecting for the sole purpose of just being able to say you talked to someone half a world away.
Just as the PC did for computing, AOL brought the internet into homes for millions of people. I wouldn’t be able to write for this newsletter if its dial-up service hadn’t made going online normal and common. I hope the influence from the era that it represents—the whimsy and hope of the early ’90s internet—always lives on.
PCWorld / patorjk.com
In this episode of The Full Nerd
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Alaina Yee, Will Smith, and special guest Russ of Retro Game Corps chat about AMD dominance in PC gaming handhelds (and Intel’s current uphill battle), our wishes for the Steam Deck 2, and Thunderbolt 5 eGPUs. The delicate subject of Steam Machines once again comes up—as does Will’s quiet vehemence that the concept belongs in the past.
Will isn’t against anarchy though, given his take on transferring boot drives between PCs during the Q&A.
Also of note: The pre-show, during which Adam sniffs yet another scented product. It led to this gem of a quote from Will: “I’m getting a mix of metal and industrial lubricants and a little bit of a laundry cleaner.”
Alex Esteves / Foundry
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This week’s plentiful nerd news
I started writing this newsletter expecting slim pickings, given how quiet this summer has been. But people have been staying busy—think nifty modding projects, a whole cardboard PC reproduction, and CT scans of a legendary Intel CPU. Or you know, just ignoring social norms.
Asus
- Guess I’m not the only one: Last week, I pondered Intel’s shrinking influence on tech. Seems the topic was also on other people’s minds—Steve Burke over at Gamers Nexus also dove into the topic, armed with numbers (as you’d expect).
- You can make a floppy disk from scratch: Speaking of 1990s throwbacks, this engineering project is so cool. I can’t think of the ’90s without also thinking of my collection of 3.5-inch floppies. (Yes, technically the floppy originated in the ’80s, but I refuse to think of them as over 40 years old. That would mean I’m old.)
- Would Gordon approve? This cardboard PC is beautifully elegant versus Dave Murphy’s iconic, epic take during Maximum PC’s heyday. Corrugated edges simulating mobo slots? Genius. On the other hand…the waifu stickers. (I appreciate this attention to detail.)
Korea Herald
- Someone did a CT scan of an Intel 386 CPU: You know how art does infrared and other types of scans of old paintings, to see what might be buried underneath? I love that we can do something similar for old tech. (Also, before anyone asks if this week’s link section is just a ’90s nostalgia list, I’d like to point out that I don’t control the tech zeitgeist.)
- Starbucks Korea patrons apparently give zero effs: You may have already read this news, but what you don’t know is that I am a very lone minority among the The Full Nerd and PCWorld crews. I wouldn’t mind partitions at cafes. (My coworkers say this is a monstrous take, but a time-limit policy would deal with the seat-hogging issue.) Also, did you see some of those setups? Respect.
Teenage Engineering
- RIP 5700X3D? I guess maybe AM4 could finally enter the Hall of Fame next year. Provided I can successfully navigate the inevitable rule-breaking and anarchy during the show.
- The AI industry is nervous about its future: A copyright class action lawsuit has trade groups claiming a loss would result in total financial ruin for the industry. As someone who writes for a living, all I can say is:
Know Your Meme
I’ll leave you all with a tip for the week—when giving away old hardware to your friends, don’t forget to check if the mobo’s UEFI needs an update. Otherwise you’ll mess up the timing for hand-off and set back their build plans by weeks. Sigh.
Alaina
This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld.
