this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2025
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Programmer Humor

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[–] Quexotic@infosec.pub 29 points 3 days ago (6 children)
[–] sploosh@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

DB9 is still used on for MIDI on electronic instruments, though some manufacturers are moving to doing it with a TRS 3.5mm plug since it only uses 3 pins.

I had a mouse that plugged into the serial port, but my first computer was a Commodore 64.

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[–] Draegur@lemmy.zip 41 points 3 days ago (5 children)

"do you know what ps/2 ports are?"

"holy cow, PlayStation 2? you must be AT LEAST 25!"

[dying inside intensifies]

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[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 32 points 3 days ago (3 children)
[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This reminds me when a mouse was an option not a requirement

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] GenosseFlosse@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

What kind of connector is this? I remember seeing them on 1970s audio equipment, maybe for mic in?

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's an AT/ XT keyboard connector.

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And back then if we did have a mouse, it was square, and used a 9pin serial port

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[–] aliceblossom@lemmy.world 85 points 4 days ago (14 children)
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[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 135 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (23 children)

I raise

edit, actually, it might have been on the back...it's been forever since I touched one

[–] TheRealShadeSlimmy@lemmy.world 41 points 4 days ago (7 children)

I’ll see your raise, and up it:

[–] MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca 63 points 4 days ago (18 children)
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[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 126 points 4 days ago (12 children)

Big keyboard jack, serial for mouse, parallel for printer

[–] josefo@leminal.space 31 points 4 days ago (7 children)

Don't forget the serial input for gamepads and joysticks in the dedicated sound board for some reason

[–] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 35 points 4 days ago (7 children)

Except that wasn't a serial port, it was midi, and the reason it was on the sound card was because the input was analog.

Your joystick was just two fancy potentiometers, and your soundcard decoded the voltage on the middle legs into a position.

Soundcards handled joysticks because they had the fastest ADCs.

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[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 55 points 4 days ago (12 children)

Bitch

please.

(Kidding, you’re not a bitch and this isn’t a contest. But if it was…)

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[–] doingthestuff@lemy.lol 7 points 2 days ago (2 children)

My first PC was a Timex Sinclair 1000 and I wrote a text-based choose your own adventure game in basic for it and saved the program on audio cassette.

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[–] mercano@lemmy.world 63 points 4 days ago (2 children)

In my day, the RJ-11 jack was for connecting the keyboard, not the phone line.

The original Macintosh keyboard port

[–] Xatolos@reddthat.com 2 points 2 days ago

I remember those days.

[–] iglou@programming.dev 31 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Okay that's something I had no idea about hahaha

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[–] Spaniard@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (3 children)

An elegant port for a more civilized time

[–] surph_ninja@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (9 children)

Nothing civilized about no hot plugging. Had to restart the whole damn computer, if the cable was loose or out at startup.

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[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 2 points 2 days ago

Hokey connections and ancient peripherals are no match for a good dongle at your side, kid.

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[–] darkreader2636@lemmy.zip 18 points 3 days ago

You guys had keyboards?

[–] WanderingThoughts@europe.pub 56 points 4 days ago (7 children)

The time of the classic "Keyboard missing. Press F1 to continue."

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[–] madjo@feddit.nl 13 points 3 days ago

I remember a time when they weren't colour coded...

[–] Malasaur@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 days ago (2 children)

My brother in Christ, I also used this

And I'm 17

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[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 39 points 4 days ago (6 children)
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[–] nocturne@slrpnk.net 46 points 4 days ago (6 children)

Fairly certain my first computer used something like this for the keyboard. I did not have a mouse.

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[–] locuester@lemmy.zip 19 points 3 days ago

lol PS/2 ports are the newer ones. There were larger AT ports and ADB ports in addition to the 25-pin(!) LPT port (printer mostly) and COM ports (random peripherals including early mice, pre ps/2)

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago (2 children)
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[–] MrFinnbean@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I feel like a relic..

I used to have disc with kickstart that i needed to use so my computer would boot.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 11 points 3 days ago (9 children)

I said the real two genders.

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[–] LordCrom@lemmy.world 25 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Look at you with your fancy ps/2 keyboard port. Where's my AT port and 9 pin serial mouse.

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[–] mr2meows@pawb.social 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

i have a gaming pc built this decade that has both of those ports dude

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[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 32 points 4 days ago (4 children)
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[–] DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 4 days ago (2 children)

PS/2

No, not the PlayStation.....

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[–] DeadMartyr@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I actually wanted a PS2 port because it works with interrupts rather than polling but they aren't really included anymore.

I feel like they don't make boards for people like me who want small boards with a super niche port.

When a MoDT Mini-ITX board comes out with a PS2 port I will buy that instantly

[–] 0x0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago

Listen up, computer, I'm typing NOW. Not whenever you get around to polling the USB device. Sheesh.

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[–] halyihev@lemmy.world 25 points 4 days ago (2 children)
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[–] YetAnotherMe@lemmy.world 21 points 4 days ago (4 children)

if I remember correctly my first PC had the bigger DIN connector for the keyboard and a DSUB9 for the mouse. Guess I'm old ;)

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