1974 The personal computer began practically with the schmatics for 8080- based systems around 1975. By 1978 you could get a SWTP, Altair, Imsai, Netronics ELFII, or any kit you wanted. Just learn to solder first. These were the ground-breaking computers
1980 The personal computer boom began in 1980 with the introduction of CP/M 2.2 and the introduction of the Microsoft Z-80 SoftCard for the Apple ][plus. Immediately on its heels were the Osborne I, Kaypro 2, and a host of others. Add to the hardware those software solutions called VisiCalc, dBase II, and WordStar and we were on our way to doing real computing like IBM and DEC. Often better. Within 2 years came (in 1981) came the IBM PC and the boom mushroomed. In 1983 came TI with the first capable clone, but still some lacks. So some TI people left and started Compaq and made Compatible Quality the code word. 1985 And where there was money there was cloning. Franklin cloned the Apple ][ series and Taiwan companies shipped so many BAD units that we still have to sort through good and bad clone botherboards even today. Because consumers want cheap. The 1984 introduction of the Macintosh changed people's styles of computing but not really the desire for the cheap stuff. But it helped. 1988 By now you can get most anything you want for a few hundo instead of a few Gs. But margins were diappearing and IBM's PS/2 systems were its effort to regain control of the hardware marketplace (and margins). But it was not to be. Computers were now a commodity. They best they could hope for was to give us reasons to upgrade constantly. (They were successful!) The last 15 years has been nothing but upgrades. Windows has improved little. The Mac made 2 major OS changes. Not much for two big players. What does this portend for the camera industry? We saw the early SCSI (e.g., Polaroid) digital cameras about 10 years ago. Then we saw the industry learn -- high end and low end were cleanly divided. The low end was, for a long time, junk. Now it's become nice and taken over the mid-price range. The $50 digitals are toys but are more usable than the $1000 SCSI units of 10 years ago. Now the big boys have figured out that we're ready to UPGRADE. We're not satisfied with the average p&s camera, and we're not satisfied with film. At least that's what they keep telling us. Pentax will surely answer the $1k price point. Probably after Christmas. Make that "Certainly". (Moving with the speed of Pentax.) The DSLR will enter the commodity phase. What they don't have is the next upgrade step that will make us want to get the next one. Right now we're upgrading our computers to handle large volumes of image data. At least 100 gig HDs are cheap these days. What could they give us -- more speed, processing power, networkability, so much more. But will they? They need to. For their own good. Collin p.s. I still maintain that the first company to turn the DSLR into a self-contained & secure network device can control the PJ market. Now if only Pentax would hire me to head an engineering section. After all, I'm working contract @ Honda R&D now! :)
