The "FIRST PC" and personal timelines (Was: And what were

From: allisonp_at_world.std.com <(allisonp_at_world.std.com)>
Date: Fri Apr 23 11:46:07 1999

> "standards of usability", and considers that the "unusable" predecessors
> "don't count" towards being "FIRST". For some it's PRICE; for some it's
> internal characteristics; but for MOST, it's the ability to run the
> software that that user thinks is significant.

I'd say it's fair to differentiate those that had to be toggled to life or
some such but there were already many systems that were turnkey and ran
significant software without investing in an engineering degree. However
in the age of retro-revisionism and the advent of the dumbing down of the
populace I would then contend the machine that wipes ones fanny is still
wanting. While games are a real challenge and make their authors big
bucks Its relevence to a word processor or spread sheet (two killer apps)
is barely there. I would contend that the apple and cpm machine that
could run visicalc (Dbase, Multiplan and so on) are the real contenders
for the PC revolution.

Somewhere in all this pony manure is the pony I always wanted. In the
mean time I keep digging.. ;)


Allison
  
Received on Fri Apr 23 1999 - 11:46:07 BST