#1755: Old Days

[Cueball and Hairbun are standing together and Cueball is talking to her.]

Cueball: What were things like in the old days?

Cueball: I hear that you had to … compile things for different processors?

Hairbun: Yeah

[Same setting in a slimmer panel, now Hairbun is replying.]

Hairbun: To compile your code, you had to mail it to IBM.

Hairbun: It took 4-6 weeks.

[Close-up of Hairbun from the waist up.]

Hairbun: Before garbage collection, data would pile up until the computer got full and you had to throw it away.

[Same setting as in the first panel with Hairbun gesturing toward Cueball raising one hand palm up.]

Hairbun: Early compilers could handle code fine, but comments had to be written in assembly.

[In a frame-less panel Hairbun is seen from the front, with both arms out to the side with both hands held palm up.]

Hairbun: C could only be written on punch cards.You had to pick a compact font, or you’d only fit a few characters per card.

[Exactly the same setting as the first panel, but with Hairbun doing the talking.]

Hairbun: C++ was big because it supported floppy disks.

Hairbun: It still punched holes in them, but it was a start.

Cueball: Wow.