Perhaps the most amazing thing about the AOLTW merger to me is that the company which is buying Time, CNN, and Madonna is the one I first became acquainted with when I used to use the Commodore VIC-20 and later the Commodore 64. You see, AOL was originally known as Quantum Computer Services.

Quantum used to run a service for Commodore users which was known as Quantum Link, or, more commonly, Q-Link. There is an ugly, but information-rich, page about Q-Link here.

To give you an idea of how the company has progressed, I used to use a C-64 with (at first) a 150 baud modem and then later a 300 baud modem. And even then, the chat rooms were the big revenue generator for the service. Although, since I hadn’t yet hit puberty at the time, I didn’t have much appreciation for them.

Next time I get a chance to go back to my parent’s house, I’ll snap a picture of the Quantum Link T-shirt that they sent to subscribers on their 2nd or 3rd anniversary. Until I can post that, enjoy Steve Case’s words to subscribers upon Q-Link’s death.

Interestingly, I was reluctant to make the switch to any platform other than the Commodore systems. At the time, the PC’s that were available were behind the C-64 in terms of graphics, sound, music, and expansion abilities. But I eventually did make the switch. My first PC system? A Commdore Colt.