24 Apr
2002
24 Apr
'02
1:20 p.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Hellige" <jhellige(a)earthlink.net>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 10:34 AM
Subject: Re: Micro$oft Biz'droid Lusers (was: OT email response format)
>Computers of the '80's had mass storage.
Video toys did not. That's why I
>refer to things that didn't/couldn't have internal mass storage interfaces
as
>toys and allow that things that did/could have
them as computers. Later
on,
>that was no longer a valid basis for classifying
them, since it simply
became
>cheaper to put the mass storage interface inside
the box. In the '80's,
toy
>vendors wanted you to buy small, at an inflated
price, and then buy small
>again, also at an inflated price. Computer makers had to compete with one
>another, while game/toy vendors didn't have to compete with computer
makers.
Plenty of people couldn't afford what you consider a computer
and had their first experience with computers using what you deem as
'toys'. I doubt that early user's of the Atari, Commodore, TRS-80 or
Sinclair machines would appreciate that label though. Nor did
everyone have either the ability or desire to write major portions of
the OS to get into the S-100 bus boxes, even if they could afford
them.
Jeff
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