8 Mar
2023
8 Mar
'23
7:54 p.m.
I don’t think there is a strict definition of what a home computer is. One can argue Plato
is one. Another might say Atari 2600. Someone can argue that the Altair is the first. It
is unfair to make the author of the video be 100% perfect because it is too technical /
debatable for the video: is it the microprocessor first? Or is it usage? Home vs, say, the
Homebrew club, vs Plato terminals etc. I personally think that the video is great as is,
regardless of the consensus on what truly is a home computer and what truly its evolution
(eg different books are not even consistent in their story telling). Maybe, this
discussion leads to more videos by Steve and his daughter, or maybe it is time now that
middle schoolers can tell us “what do THEY think is a home or a personal computer”.
Regards,
Tarek Hoteit
On Mar 8, 2023, at 11:44 AM, Bill Degnan via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
SO - To return to the video feedback - I think the author should comment on
the evolution of what "Home Computing" is/was, the evolution in
demographics of the home computer user, the cost, etc. Needs perspective
Bill
> On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 2:41 PM Bill Degnan <billdegnan(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
> My point was that "home computing" does not equal playing computer games
> at home. That is something that evolved into the early 90's. Games were
> much less of a thing in home computing of the 70's. THere are always
> exceptions, there are always variations. It's not that games weren't there
> either, it's just that economically if you wanted to play games in the 70;s
> you bought a console or went to the arcade. Home computer games were
> inferior in the earliest versions
> b
>
> On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 2:37 PM Dave Wade G4UGM via cctalk <
> cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Paul Koning via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 7:25 PM
>>> To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
>>> Cc: Paul Koning <paulkoning(a)comcast.net>
>>> Subject: [cctalk] Re: on the origin of home computers
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Mar 8, 2023, at 2:13 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk
>> <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> There is ample evidence of people doing personal computing before the
>>>> microprocessor was invented. There was a whole terminal/time sharing
>>>> scene in the late 60s, plus people who did personal computung by using
>>>> the machine at a school, work, or library. There were also people
>>>> whonowned surplussed minicomputers who used them at home. I think you
>>>> should consider mentioning this somehow.
>>>>
>>>> Really, your video is about personal computers with a microprocessor
>>>> installed.
>>>>
>>>> A person from the 70s would not look at computing the same as we do
>> today.
>>>> The larger consumer of "home computers" were doing engineering
type
>>>> work, not so much playing games. Even the apple/tandy/commodore
>> users.
>>>
>>> Conversely, computer games predates home computers by a decade or so;
>> the
>>> PLATO system is a major source of early games, documented in several
>> places.
>>
>> Computer Games are almost as old as (Turing Complete) Computers. Alan
>> Turing
>> insisted that the Manchester/Ferranti MK1 had a Random Number generator.
>> Christopher Strachey wrote a tic-tac-toe (noughts and crosses to the
>> English) program which displayed its output in patterns on the MK1 screen.
>> In 1951 he wrote a checkers/draughts program for the Mk1.
>> He also wrote the "love letters" program.....
>> .. Turing was thinking about Chess but he couldn't fit it in the MK1....
>>
>>>
>>> paul
>>
>> Dave
>>
>>