Introduction

Why "since1994"? Because I bought my first computer, a PowerPC 6100 Apple Mac, in November 1994 and went on-line 10 days later.

I started with Fetch (FTP), Mosaic (WWW), NewsWatcher (USENET) and Eudora 2 (mail). Netscape Navigator 1 wasn't released until 15 Dec 94. In those blissful days there was no Microsoft internet software of any type. This was 6 months before Bill Gates sent his 'tidal wave' memo. I have never owned a Wintel PC.

I was customer number 211 of my ISP, Easynet. I signed up in their cafe off Tottenham Court Road. The wives ran a coffee shop downstairs and Easynet was a just a mail and web server above the shop. I was given half a sheet of A4 paper listing the PoP mail servers and my fixed IP address. Included was a floppy (1.3 MB) with a copy of Fetch. I was told to use this to rummage around the net for the applications I would need, download and install them. In those days, no PCs or Macs were sold with any internet software installed, other than the basic IP stuff. My first modem was a dial-up 28kb/s.

My first 2 e-mail exchanges were with a German friend in New Zealand and a Danish friend in Hong Kong on 4 Dec 1994 . I've still got those mails. I didn't know any friends in UK on the internet.

I hope you like this default WordPerfect colour setting from the early 90s. Very restful on the eye.