Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 05:17:50 +0200 From: Brad Knowles <brad.knowles@skynet.be> To: David Kelly <dkelly@hiwaay.net>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: KMail or Evolution?? Message-ID: <p05111758b8f9023d9519@[10.0.1.8]> In-Reply-To: <200205040124.g441Ot4I038449@grumpy.dyndns.org> References: <200205040124.g441Ot4I038449@grumpy.dyndns.org>
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At 8:24 PM -0500 2002/05/03, David Kelly wrote:
> In theory this isn't in my job description. In practice I'm wondering
> if when telephones first came out if the "telephone guru" didn't have
> to go around periodically and uncoil user's handset cords.
Not that I know of. However, they did have to regularly go out
to everyone's homes (and other places where telephones were
installed) and replace the batteries, which were usually put in the
wall somewhere near the phone.
In those days, the phone company couldn't provide enough power
over the lines to supply the phones, and lead-acid batteries were the
only solution -- power from lines were either not available, or not
reliable enough, and you had fights between the companies providing
short-distance DC power and those providing longer-distance AC power.
When the phone company started providing power over their own
lines for the phones, they quickly became the largest or
second-largest power supply company in the world. I think it was
sometime in the 70's when the very last of the original style of
battery-powered phone was retired, but you'd have to check the
history books to be sure.
> One reason I use Macintosh at work. Especially for internet and email.
Welcome to the club. ;-)
--
Brad Knowles, <brad.knowles@skynet.be>
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania.
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