29 Jul
2013
29 Jul
'13
7:38 p.m.
When I started grad school at CMU in 1986, PERQs were the toxic waste of
computerdom. The corridor on the 3rd floor leading to the server room
was stacked to the ceiling with PERQs. When I moved offices up to the
8th floor there was a PERQ still sitting there from a previous occupant
and everyone was in a great hurry to get rid of it.
PERQs had their moment but they were so quickly overtaken by
workstations by DEC, Sun, and even IBM. I had an IBM RT at the time and
was grateful I didn't have to use a PERQ. An IBM RT! Luckily I rose up
in the ranks enough to get a real computer -- a VaxStation 3500, if I
remember correctly.
- Joe