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And we wonder why reviews are so bad . . .

Russ

Russ

Active Member
I still subscribe to what I think is the last PC magazine still printed on actual paper. In its most recent issue, its Editor published an article under "Editor's Letter." Here are some of his comments, and my relevant observations:

* "When [XxxMagazine] published its first issue 30 years ago, I was still composing high-school papers on an IBM Selectric typewriter." -- Well, thirty years ago, I was composing stuff (not my high school papers) on an Apple II+. Maybe the Editor was a late bloomer.

* "But then came my IBM 286 . . . along with that came 5.25" floppy disks . . .." -- I guess he hadn't noticed that 5.25" floppy disks had been around for awhile, uh, like since 1977!

* ". . . and some inscrutable 'software program' called WordPerfect . . ." -- Well, now, WordPerfect was available in DOS by 1982. Not sure what our technologically prescient "Editor" was doing then.

Ok, Ok, I'm being picky. I know that. However, I was there then. In fact, I was "there" before he was, but I don't hold myself out as some kind of "expert" qualified to write about the state of the PC industry. I just post here.

What is useful to consider is that this is a similar experiential base as those enjoyed by so many "expert" reviewers of products we have already come to know and love. They didn't know where they were then -- and they don't know where they are now.

Regards,
Russ
 
Russ said:
'software program' called WordPerfect . . ."
Click to expand...

I've been a WordPerfect fan my entire life. I (via the U.S. Navy) started using v4.2 in 1986. I learned over the years to love it. IMO there was no better substitute. I self-published my book using WP in 1998, plus four revisions in WP up to 2010. My current WP version is x14. Over the years the Navy moved to MS Word and I learned to use that. Last time I used WP in the Navy was about 2000. As a person who loved WP I was forced into MS Office in the 2000's and now it's my primary office suite.
 
In 1982 I was a mere tadpole living in the testicular region of my dads family jewels, so I can't say that I am in a completely different boat from the "Editor", but I understand completely what you mean. The times, they are a changing. If there is even one small thing to complain about, someone, somewhere is going to find out what it is and start a blog to make sure he goes out of his way to find out how many people agree with him. Or don't.

I like to think that, due to my upbringing, I am older than my age. And most days I certainly feel like I am. I'm sure my grandparents felt the same way about the youths way back when, and my parents too, but I just feel like today's younger crowds are so god damn unappreciative.

The iPad was/is an amazing piece. The Surface, in my opinion, is just as revolutionary, just in a different way and time.
 
Perhaps after OnTheSurface was born, it was when I started programming in Assembler on a computer with 1K of RAM. :LOL: It is a hotel system that run on a computer brand your mothers (at least our mothers) knew - Singer, the Singer System 10.

To me, none of the "word" software defined personal computers, it is THE spreadsheet, VisiCalc to be exact. It ran first on a computer then called "Apple."

:LOL:
 
ArnoldC said:
To me, none of the "word" software defined personal computers, it is THE spreadsheet, VisiCalc to be exact. It ran first on a computer then called "Apple."

:LOL:
Click to expand...

The spreadsheet is considered to be the "killer app" that launched personal PCs. I first learned to build spreadsheets on an Apple IIe, using Appleworks. They sure are easier to build now!
 
VP Plus, Visicalc, Assembler, C, C++, Wordstar, PC Cobol, MicroFocus, Gupta SQL, Pro*C .... I just dont miss them at all.
 
Novell CCNE and Lotus CC Mail Administrator here - thank god when NT 4 and Windows 95 was finally approved by the company
 
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