From Punched Cards to NVMe: Why Experience Still Matters

When I began working with computers in 1982, the technology landscape looked very different. Systems relied on punched cards, large reel-to-reel tape drives, and room-sized high-speed printers. For consumers, the cutting edge was a 286 computer paired with a 9600-baud modem and a dot-matrix printer.

At the time, technology advanced at a pace that felt rapid—major improvements appeared roughly every 18 months. A 286 or 386DX system running Windows for Workgroups 3.1 could cost as much as $3,000, representing a significant investment for most households and small businesses.

My earliest systems were not brand new. They were retired machines from California state agencies—hardware that had been replaced as those organizations upgraded their infrastructure. Yet those systems served me well and provided an invaluable foundation for learning.

They also taught me an enduring lesson:

Success in technology is not about always having the newest equipment. It’s about understanding how to make the technology you have work reliably and effectively.

The Evolution of the PC

By the time I founded FavaWorks in 1998, DOS was fading out and newer versions of Windows were taking over. Processors were getting faster, memory was expanding, and storage capacity was growing rapidly.

I worked through the evolution:

• • 286
  • 386 and 386DX
  • 486
  • Pentium
  • Dual-Core processors

We moved from 5¼-inch floppy drives…

• • to 3½-inch floppies…
  • to CDs…
  • to USB drives…
  • to solid-state storage.

Everything became smaller. Faster. Smarter.

Some of my early clients loved building their own systems. We’d source chassis, motherboards, hard drives, memory, and graphics cards — often from places like Fry’s Electronics — and assemble powerful custom machines for gaming or professional use. It was an exciting time.

The Explosion of Processing Power

To put things in perspective:

• • 1965: ~50 transistors on a chip
  • 1975: ~5,000
  • 1985: ~500,000
  • 1995: ~5 million
  • Today: 10–100+ billion

In the 1980s, the Intel 286 had about 134,000 transistors. By 1993, the Pentium had 3.1 million. Today’s processors contain tens of billions of transistors and are manufactured with nanometer-scale precision on 12-inch silicon wafers. Computers in the 1990s could process roughly 14 billion instructions per second per core — impressive at the time. Today, some high-end laptops contain dozens of cores and can execute trillions of instructions per minute. Technology hasn’t just improved — it has transformed.

What’s Different Today?

In today’s economy, most people don’t upgrade motherboards or rebuild desktops the way they used to.

It’s often more cost-effective to purchase a new laptop, desktop, or all-in-one system rather than replace multiple internal components.

Safely transferring years of important data from an old system to a new one.

Photos. Financial records. Business files. Email archives. Personal documents.

That’s where experience truly matters.

Storage Has Changed — And So Have the Problems

Traditional spinning hard drives are quickly being replaced by:

• • Solid State Drives (SSD)
  • NVMe drives (even faster and more efficient)

Large, slow hard drives are becoming outdated. Modern storage is smaller, faster, and more reliable — but upgrading or transferring data must be done correctly.

A mistake during migration can mean permanent data loss.

How FavaWorks Helps

While I still occasionally replace older spinning drives with solid-state upgrades, most of my work today involves:

• • Data transfer from older systems to new devices
  • Replacing aging hard drives with SSD or NVMe drives
  • Setting up new laptops and desktops
  • Improving network performance
  • Helping clients feel confident with their technology

Many of my clients aren’t looking for the newest gadget.

They’re looking for:

• • Reliability
  • Security
  • Clear explanations
  • Someone they can trust

After four decades in this field, I’ve seen just about every phase of personal computing — and every type of problem that comes with it. Technology continues to evolve. But the need for dependable, knowledgeable support hasn’t changed. If you’re upgrading, replacing a computer, or unsure what your best next step is, FavaWorks is here to help you make the transition smoothly and safely.