1940s-50s Laptop

I remember lugging one of these dial up data terminals around in the early 70's, they cost about $2,200.00 at the time. People really thought I was brilliant to be able to use such a sophisticated piece of equipment, most of my success was based on just such illusions, LOL!!!

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That looks like a word processor I had at the time. It is still in a closet with my other museum pieces...
 
Looking back at the computers/data processing equipment I worked on during my career, the changes have been awesome. When I entered the business, punched cards were the norm, and mainframe computers, using vacuum tubes, were just starting to appear....and took up more floor space than a full size pickup truck. Today, there are smart phones that have more capabilities.
 
Gotta love punch cards,

FORTRAN

BASIC

I took a slide-rule class as a prerequisite for an electronics class. The teach said that in a couple years the slide rule would be obsolete, but that you could still stir paint with it.
 
In high school around 1970 they got a new computer to make report cards in the form of punch cards. A friend and I cut a few random holes in our cards not really thinking about any consequences. It ended up crashing the computer which was the principal's pride and joy. My parents got called in for a conference but they thought it was funny. Does that make me one of the first computer hackers? :)
 
Worked for a while as dispatcher for a police/fire department. We were so excited to get a "Telex" to run quick background checks on drivers or see if their car was stolen. When the officer radioed in the information, I would write it all down. Then, I'd have to type it in to the Telex by way of the keyboard on the machine. The machine would then spit out a "tape" full of holes. You would insert that tape into a slot in the front and it would feed through. Some time later, you would hear the machine begin typing our a message back on the "daisy wheel" printer inside. Took forever, but was certainly quicker than going landline and have to go through long-distance operators.
 
In college I took courses (with labs) on analog computers, digital computers, and hybrid computers. Us geeks took pride in how fancy, sophisticated, and accurate our slide rules were over a wide temperature and humidity range. Seems like bamboo was the high tech version and Post slide rules ruled.
 

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