Believe it or not, I still use my C128 to record and track some of my home financing and budgeting. I can just hear you now, wondering why I would even consider using such out-dated technology for such things. Modern operating systems and software surely do the same things easier and offer more functionality than my C64 can provide. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
I would agree that a modern PC and spreadsheet application would do the job faster and more conveniently than my C128 and associated spreadsheet and database programs. But there are some advantages to using the good ol’ 128 that I just don’t want to give up by using my modern laptop/netbook.
The most obvious advantage I can see is security. Face it; modern technology makes is much easier for your personal information to get hacked or stolen. Today’s computers and tablets are always connected to the Internet and even the most secured and locked down PC can get hacked. So, no matter how careful you are, there’s always a chance of someone stealing your information. You also risk losing this information by having it erased by a computer virus or simply from your storage device failing at the least opportune moment.
This kind of risk is greatly minimized, or even avoided altogether, by using my C128. First of all, it doesn’t connect to the Internet like today’s devices, as I have to physically and deliberately set it up to do so. And once that is done, the C128 can only transmit and receive data when I instruct it to do so. Also, because the 128 uses floppy disks, when I want to work with my personal banking data, I have to physically have that disk in the disk drive. If I don’t have that floppy disk in the drive, then there is no way anyone (locally or remotely) can access that information. I don’t need password protection or fancy firewalls - I just need to take the floppy disk out of the disk drive for complete protection and privacy.
Now, you can do backups of the data on your hard drive (and you should); just as I do for my important data on floppy disks. But some people think that if they have their data stored on cloud services, like Drop Box or any of the Google services, it is safe. But it really isn’t. By using cloud services, you’re risking your private information of being read by anyone who works at those companies - not to mention who might be “listening” to your data being transmitted over the Internet itself. I don’t have to worry about that. My back-up floppies are stored away in a cabinet, safe and sound. I also have the added peace of mind knowing that my information will be available when ever I want it. You can’t say the same for data stored in “the cloud”, as Internet connections do go down, from time to time.
Besides the security aspect of my choice to use my C128 over modern alternatives is the question of compatibility. With every new version of hardware or software, there’s always compatibility issues that go along with them. Yesterday’s files are not always compatible with today’s hardware or operating system; Microsoft and Apple are fine examples of this. Did you happen across a DVD containing a backup of an old spreadsheet of yours that you would now like to view on your modern PC? Good luck with that, as you probably no longer have a drive to read that DVD. But, because my C128 hasn’t changed one iota since the day I bought it, I know my files and data will always be compatible and usable when I want to work with them.
Sure, it takes a little extra time and effort to put the modern-day “conveniences” aside to do it this way, but I think that it’s worth it for peace of mind. Besides, who’s really benefiting from all of these so called “conveniences” anyway? Just seems to me like the people who really benefit from the modern world of technology are the ones trying to steal the most from us, be it our money or information.
[tag]commodore, 8-bit[/tag]