> Can anyone explain the deep nostalgia and longing for old DOS era software, and in particular VGA text mode interfaces?
I can only speak for me, but perhaps others feel the same way. It is nostalgia for me because this is the first way I experienced a computer, when everything was new to me and anything was possible. Until we got a computer, the only window outside of the world of my city was a TV, but a computer ran software of all sorts, and games, and others knew how it worked and could teach me stuff. Then the Internet came and I could talk to people anywhere in the world! What a thing this was.
Now, I spend all day looking at screens. I get paid to make them work, and that's cool, but the wonder and magic of it all is gone, and I miss it. DOS and text apps just happened to be my first interface, and everyone longs for their first love.
On a slightly more tactical angle, I really like typing and my keyboard, and terminal apps make it so I don't have to move my hands to a mouse and change contexts. A small thing, but it adds up. Yes, some stuff is easier with a mouse, but it's always fun to not have to change between input devices for long stretches of time.
Two very good reasons. I agree with this but I’d also add:
When you use a computer every day then sometimes anything that is different feels novel. It might be the nostalgia of an older UI or it could be listing over something new but yet to be released.
I can only speak for me, but perhaps others feel the same way. It is nostalgia for me because this is the first way I experienced a computer, when everything was new to me and anything was possible. Until we got a computer, the only window outside of the world of my city was a TV, but a computer ran software of all sorts, and games, and others knew how it worked and could teach me stuff. Then the Internet came and I could talk to people anywhere in the world! What a thing this was.
Now, I spend all day looking at screens. I get paid to make them work, and that's cool, but the wonder and magic of it all is gone, and I miss it. DOS and text apps just happened to be my first interface, and everyone longs for their first love.
On a slightly more tactical angle, I really like typing and my keyboard, and terminal apps make it so I don't have to move my hands to a mouse and change contexts. A small thing, but it adds up. Yes, some stuff is easier with a mouse, but it's always fun to not have to change between input devices for long stretches of time.