A sobering fact: There’s not much you can do on a modern computer without the Internet.
But there was a time when that didn’t matter. My first computer was an Apple IIGS. It came with a display, CPU, keyboard and a 3.5” and 5.25” floppy drive. I remember spending countless hours messing about on this wonderful little computer – exploring the file system, running AppleWorks, and playing a few games. All without any network connectivity whatsoever.
A few short years later, I remember begging my dad to purchase an Applied Engineering Datalink 2400 baud modem for my IIGS. With this device, I could connect to online services like GEnie or one of the many local bulliten boards in our town. GEnie was expensive ($6US per hour), so I used it sparingly. (I remember it took the better part of 40 minutes to download a Breakout clone.)
I spent hours hopping from one BBS to another, all for the price of tying up our family’s phone line. “I’m on the modem!” was a common refrain I’d yell when my mom or dad tried to use our landline. I’m sure it was annoying for them, because within a few months they succumbed and purchased a dedicated phone line for my computer shenanigans
I’m writing this post on my MacBook Pro. Our neighborhood has had no power or Internet for the past few hours, thanks to a thunderstorm. As I sit and type this, I feel a sense of solitude.
So while there’s not much I can do with a modern computer when the Internet’s down, I don’t seem to really mind.
-Krishna