On Mon, Nov 24, 2025 at 3:11 AM Murray McCullough via cctalk <[email protected]> wrote: > > One of the greatest joys of classic computing was running what you wanted > on your own computer. What has happened in the intervening years? Have > ‘software walls’ created a computing environment that benefits software > gate-keepers(owners of computing technology) by monopolizing creativity, > freedom to program and establishing a defacto ‘true ownership’. Will the > future be this or will it be more like the earliest years of > microcomputing?
Even without manufacturers making things difficult, I've pointed out that : When I started out in computing, the typical home micros (PET, TRS-80, Apple ][, and later BBC micro, Spectrum, and also the original IBM PC, XT, AT) machines were simple enough that even I could understand them. I could program them and interface them to do what _I_ wanted. I now have 2 classes of machines here. The majority are like the above. Some are more complicated (PDP11s, PERQs, etc) but none-the-less they do what I want. I can understand every last logic gate in an HP9830 or PERQ. The other class of machines here contains 1 machine. A modern-ish laptop. I do not understand it. I have installed gcc and have written some simple programs to run from a command line (which is better than not programming it at all). But USB is a horrible interface to design for. I cannot interface it to my own circuitry. I do not understand how it works. Yes, it gets me on the internet, lets me looks at downloaded service manuals, data sheets and the like (which is the only reason I have it) but it's doing what the manufacturers intend, not what _I_ want. I am not convinced that this is progress. -tony > Murray 🙂
