In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Harold Fuchs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On 13/02/2008 23:27, Lisi Reisz wrote: > > On Wednesday 13 February 2008 23:00, Bob K. wrote: > > > >> I've been using desktop PCs for over 30 years > >> > > > > Sorry to quibble, but the first PC wasn't launched until August 12, > > 1981. So it can't be _over_ 30 years!! > > > > My ability to _remember_ the history of computers is very distressing. > > Well, at least I can say that I don't remember Colossus, tho' I do > > ante-date it. :-( > > > > Lisi > > > > > Like many other things, IBM arrogated unto themselves the term "PC" for > Personal Computer. In fact, at the time, IBM had a very similar > reputation [for monopolistic practices] to Microsoft's today. There were > several personal computers available years before IBM's came on the > scene. I entered the field late (1982) with a BBC micro. One of the > things available with that system was that the BBC broadcast source code > (BASIC) over the airwaves which you could record onto tape (via a > cassette radio) and then "play" into the micro. Many programs were > distributed this way, all freeware :-)
Ah yes, the BBC B. I learned to program in BBC Basic on that machine. In fact my computing experience split into two streams, IBM and Microsoft at work, Acorn (BBC B, Archimedes 310 then 5000, Risc PC) at home. Acorn died years ago, but the machines keep going. My Risc PC ended in a skip late last year, but I'm still running the software on an emulator on a PC. It is far more productive to usr than Microsoft's bloated offerings. R -- Richard Travers [EMAIL PROTECTED] Truro, Cornwall --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
