16 Apr
1999
16 Apr
'99
10:56 p.m.
On Fri, 16 Apr 1999, Tony Duell wrote:
However, for people starting out, getting their first
computer, they are
going to want to be able to use the software from the local PC shop.
They're going to want to be able to use the 'learn to use your home
computer' type magazines. And, unfortuantely, you can't use a PDPx or a
PERQ or a TRS-80 or an Apple ][ or a PET or a BBC or a ... for any of
that. Sure _we_ can get these machines to do useful work, but probably
others can't.
Sure, anyone can. Just deliver them an old home computer with a stack of
books and magazines that were published around it and they could figure
anything out. You can find old issues of Nibble, Incider, A+ for the
Apple ][ in lots of places. I'm sure the prevailing magazines for the
other common machines can be found just as easily. Of course a PERQ or
PDP would be a different story, but the home micros are well documented.
I'm even more amazed by the amount of test
equipment that I've been given
as 'beyond repair' that's had trivial faults. It's one thing that the
little-old-lady can't fix the TV (even if the only fault is a wire off in
the plug), but an electronic engineer who can't find an blown fuse in
some expensive piece of equipment? What is this world coming to?
I've gotten some real good test equipment that had only trivial faults for
real cheap. Now to find those faults and fix them :)
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
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