Re: Why an Apple II?

[John_L._Graham@adbbs.antioch.edu (John L. Graham)]

Two VERY SHORT answers (trying to avoid soap box syndrome).

I bought my first Apple II (a 48 kb II+) in 1981 because I enjoyed
programming and I was particularly interested in writing astronomy related
software. Up until then all my programming had been on main frames and I was
tired of watching my jobs get shoved down the stack by tasks with higher
priority. I'll still never forget the first time I typed RUN on my II+, and
it did! T'was the first time I ever encountered the speed of computers,
goodness knows the overall time on main frames was anything but.

I stuck with the Apple II and after years of selling high (while they still
had value) and buying low (getting them back for a song) I know have
everything from a II+ to three GS's.

When it became clear Apple Inc. was going to ignore the II to death it was
decision time. To make a long story short, I still enjoy programming and I
still write astronomy software, and the II's still get the job done. For me,
they're a lot of fun, they're paid for, and the current market offerings
aren't sufficiently different or offer significantly greater capability for
me to ever justify the cost of changing platforms while the market continues
to obsolete itself at break-neck speed. It's an insane spending marathon that
takes no prisoners.

At work I get to use the latest and greatest (there pockets are deeper than
mine) along side my IIs that I have in my office and research lab. They sure
are nice to have at work, but we drug them home a couple of times and never
turned them on, so they stay at work where they belong.

So, there you have it. For me, the IIs are still a lot of fun, they're
economical, and they get the job done. When they stop being these thing, time
will come to move on. Until then, it's fun watching for a change.

Have fun!

John