Monster Media 1993 #2/Image.iso/magazine/mpc93jun.zip/LOOKBACK.TXT

Text File | 1993-05-30 | 14KB | 238 lines

     Looking Backwards Towards The Future

     by Lynn L. Krauer
     Saginaw Valley Computer Association

     I recently received a letter inquiring about upgrading an old
     computer. As I read the letter, it was like turning back a page, to
     1982 when I became interested in computers. Then my wife, Crystal,
     asked about brand names  ...I remember considering the purchase of a
     Texas Instrument computer with a tape drive that was on sale for only
     $99.00. Fortunately for me two things happened:

        - I had a friend recommend that I learn something about computers
       before buying one.

        - I didn't have the $99.00.

     I continued to look forward to purchasing a computer and at one time
     actually tried to buy a Commodore. Again the price was too high for
     my pocket book. Besides, I really didn't feel comfortable buying a
     technical piece of equipment from a glorified dime store. What I
     didn't know was the CPM operating system, which Commodore uses, was
     destined to become a dinosaur. The IBM Corporation was developing
     the DOS operating system that would soon become the industry
     standard. It was during this period in history that Lotus Corp was
     developing their spreadsheet program that we now know as Symphony.
     During the process of development they started to run short of money.
     They approached Apple about introducing a "cheap" version of
     Symphony that they called Lotus 123. Apple in their wisdom stated,
     "No Thanks. We already have VisiCalc. There isn't a need for another
     spreadsheet program."

     Thus Lotus approached IBM with the same offer not knowing that they
     were developing the PC. They hoped there would be a niche for the
     program in the mainframe world. To their surprise IBM welcomed their
     proposal and Lotus 123 was born at almost the same time as the IBM PC.
     Ironically, if Lotus hadn't been their the PC probably would have
     failed. Fortunately IBM could market their product with a viable
     third party supporter.

     Somehow it made sense to learn something about computers so I took a
     class. In the SVCA it becomes a bit frustrating when we get a call
     from a user who has just purchased their first computer. They
     usually buy it on sale, spend a lot of money for it (too much like
     I did), and expect us to turn them into a power user in ten minutes.
        Too often new users come to us after the purchase and the damage is
     done. If they were lucky, the machine they purchased had a hard
     disk of minimum size of 100 meg (200 meg is better) and enough RAM
     (4 meg minimum) to function with today's software. Unfortunately,
     too many are sold by ignorant or unscrupulous dealers, with 40 or
     60 meg drives and 1 or 2 meg of RAM. I guess P.T. Barnum's
     philosophy still works, "There's a sucker born every minute, and
     two to take him."

     Emerging Technology: Mainstream or Jetstream?
        My introduction to computers in 1982 was on an Apple II, with 16k or
     RAM. The computer used the advanced technology of one floppy for
     storage. Tape drive technology was becoming extinct and died with
     the Texas Instrument sellout.

     Within one year the RAM storage in the machines leaped from 16k to
     32k and 128k! None of us could imagine, a need for a machine with
     more memory. Interestingly, the Apple machines I learned on are
     still used to "teach" computers to students today. This is
     unfortunate because when the student touches the real world they
     will realize that they have been trying to learn how to race in the
     Indy 500 with a model T.

        Hopefully my viewpoint of history will serve to work as a guide for
     persons who are considering buying or upgrading to a new(er)
     machine.

     The PC-XT is Born

        Around 1982 IBM introduced the PC using a 8088 microprocessor with
     one floppy drive, 128k of RAM, and a monochrome monitor. This was
     soon followed with a machine upgrade option to 256k. Around 1985
     512k was the IBM standard with the option to upgrade to 640k of
     RAM! Floppy disk storage of 360k was considered more than adequate.

        When the introduction of a 10 megabyte hard disk hit the street the
     PC world thought it had arrived. Just imagine, "Ten megabytes of
     storage on one disk. Ain't technology wonderful!" The introduction
     of the hard disk caused the PC to be called an XT. As I understand
     it the XT was an acronym for eXtended sTorage. Very few of these
     machines are sold today. The hardware is considered extinct. New
     machines of this type are hard to find and a reputable dealer will
     not try to sell you one. You can purchase them used with a 20 meg
     hard disk for under $200. I still use mine for BBS work and simple
     stand alone DOS programs. I find that working with an XT system is
     like trying to run the 100 yard hurdles with both hands in your
     pockets.

     The Clone Was Born as the Lisa and PC-Jr Died
        It was about 1985 that the Apple Lisa was introduced. It was the
     forerunner of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) and was the
     forerunner of the Macintosh. The problem was that the Lisa used a
     different operating system than the standard Apple. Little software
     development was performed and it died a quick death. A similar
     demise was destined for the IBM PC-Jr. At the time it was one of
     five operating systems for the IBM world just when people started to
     consider compatibility in their purchasing decisions. Compatibility
     was one reason that the clone makers flourished. As I understand it,
     "IBM" compatibility meant that their machines were compatible to
     software that IBM wrote. Unfortunately, IBM never wrote very good
     software. One of the leaders in compatibility followed suit and
     stressed compatibility to mean compatible with any software written
     for the DOS platform. The company was Compaq.


     Compaq Sets Compatibility Standards

    Compaq has an interesting history. They originated the portable, by
     1986 standards, a truly carryable machine. It was about the size of
     a small suitcase, had a 9" monochrome monitor, contained a
     well-cushioned 20 meg hard drive with room for two floppy drives.
     It was literally designed on a napkin in a restaurant. The name was
     derived from Compatibility and Quality. The name Compaq was born.
    Yes, my first machine was a Compaq. The 286 class of machine was
     being produced but I still had a money problem. The 8086 machine
     could be purchased for $2,500. The 286 priced at $3,500 was beyond
     my reach. The IBM trade name machines carried a price tag of $1,000
     or more above the clone maker. They were targeting the business
     community used to the "IBM" mainframe mentality. They failed to see
     that people were shopping for a Personal Computer.

    Secondly, shoppers were learning that the lack of power and
     incompatibilities with other software was something to be considered.
     The clonemakers understood their market, IBM continued to struggle
     with their image. Before I purchased my first computer I learned
     that speed was an important consideration. I'll readily admit that
     I was green as grass and twice as ignorant but I tried to get
     information from users, not sellers. The important point passed on
     to me was that the main item I should look for in a computer was:
     the speed of the processor coupled with the transfer rate.


     Processing Speed Dictates Purchasing Decisions

    The speed of the processor is based on two factors: The speed of the
     clock that we call megahertz (MHz) and the amount of data it can
     process at any given point in time that we call bits. A byte is 8
     bits of data. When I bought my first computer I chose the 8086
     processor that Compaq produced. I understood it was faster than the
     IBM 8088 or the 8088 Clones that were being sold at the time.

    I quickly learned that as soon as a person buys a computer it is out
     of date. The prices drop, the speed increases, and something new is
     just around the corner. My wife has taught me a new philosophy.
     Namely, if a person waited until everything was just perfect,
     nothing would ever get done. Always buy technical hardware a step
     above where you expect to need it. You will use it eventually. For
     the people who are still contemplating purchasing a computer for the
     first time, I hope the following information will prove useful to
     them. I call it the legacy of the first born.



     Legacy of The First Born

    Around 1986 Compaq, followed by IBM, introduced the 80286
     microprocessor with hard disks as large as 60 megs. We call this a
     286-AT machine. It is about 3 times faster than the XT. A few are
     sold today to the unsuspecting public. The hardware is considered
     extinct and not a good choice for purchase today. In 1988 IBM
     announced the 286 using OS/2. This proved to be pre-promotional hype
     as it took almost 4 years to put a workable software product into
     the market place. It did open the door for the development of the
     high resolution VGA monitor, higher density floppy disks, and larger
     capacity hard disks. About this time IBM introduced the lower end
     PS/2s which were poorly received. It was recognized as the PC-Jr of
     the XT days. The lower end models were poor choices and
     compatibility problems with third party software was rampant.

     Trade Names Lose Their Clout

    Interestingly, users began to recognize that the "trade name" on the
     outside of the box had little to do with the clone parts inside of
     the box. This gave birth to hardware vendors who would custom build
     a PC using a mixture of parts they felt were superior versus the
     cheapest from one manufacturer. During this period Compaq became the
     standard for comparison of PC hardware. Thus IBM compatibility
     disappeared from the recognized "trade names" we had become used to.
     People began to look "inside the box" at the components inside the
     machine. They found clone parts! Trade names quickly lost their
     importance. Performance became the important consideration toward
     purchases of hardware.

     386-AT

    In late 1989 Compaq introduced the 386-AT computer. The 386 allows
     the user to run more than one application at a time using a 32-bit
     operating system. It becomes a must when working with Windows
     software. I recommend people start here. The key criteria is the
     megahertz of the machine. There is a lot of difference (almost ten
     times) in speed between a 16 MHz and a 33 MHz. Early 386 machines
     had a heat problem with the chips when clock speeds exceeded 25 MHz.
     It took a year for the chip makers to solve the heat problem. Today
     33 MHz chips work without need for additional cooling. As chips
     speeds exceed 33 MHz additional cooling has to be added.


     386-SX

     To allow users to economically move up from the XT platform, and
     boost 386 sales, the 386SX was introduced in 1991. It is a 386
     microprocessor operating on a single band width of 16 bits compared
     to 32 bits. It's being marketed with the hype of "Upgradable." I
     call it a crippled 386 and a poor choice. I would strongly recommend
     that a full 386 be the system of choice instead of the SX. The price
     difference between a 386 and a 386SX is often not more than $100.
     Another consideration is that software developers are writing new
     software for the 386 32-bit platform. The SX is destined to be left
     in the dust with the XT. CD-ROM technology emerged with the 386
     machines. Most of the CD-ROM drives are very heat sensitive. Tower
     type machines appear to affect the CD-ROM drive more than horizontal
     box machines.

     486SX and 486DX

    These are the top of the line computers today. The 486DX is about
     30-50 times faster than the XT. You can buy the processor from 25
     MHz to 66 MHz with hard disks as large as 3-4 gigabytes. There are
     two configurations to consider: The ISA (Industry Standard
     Architecture) and the EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture)
     bus. The main difference is that the ISA uses a video card that
     plugs into the motherboard. The EISA has the video built into the
     motherboard. The 486SX machine is still a crippled 486DX. A survey
     we recently took revealed that the members aren't falling for the
     "upgrade" hype.

    What's next? Definitely, it won't be the 586. The manufacturers are
     tying to create a new purchasing hype for us and calling it the P5
     or some such nickname. [Editor's note: the so-called 586 has been
     officially dubbed by Intel as the Pentium chip.] Whatever happens,
     it will make the machines we work with today look like the covered
     wagons of the past.