Re: Apple II mentioned in November 2003 Popular Science

[et472@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael Black)]

Obsbedia2 (obsbedia2@aol.com) writes:
> Pop Sci has an article on classic computers being able to handle the job. 
> Included is the observation that until the hardware in industry is removed, the
> computer isn't usually upgraded.  Among the veterns still plugging away, there
> is a mention of someone still using an Apple II with a spectroscope.  
> --Jay Edwards

If you think back twenty to twenty five years, there were plenty of
things that could make use of a computer, yet weren't common enough
to justify the expense of building a unit from the ground up.  So it's
not really a surprise that small computers were used for this sort of
thing, and still are.  Buy one, and it provides the development system.
Add the specialized hardware, if any, and then you can supply the product
to the customer, at  a price that while high, is still cheaper than
building from scratch and cheaper than the alternatives.

Some computers were better at this than others, because there
was flexibility.  The expansion bus of the Apple II obviously allowed
for a lot of additions, compared to one missing the bus.

I don't know whether they were used beyond just terminals, but
I remember seeing Radio Shack Model 100's (pretty much the first laptop)
mounted on the wall at Macdonald's for some reason.  And even 8
years or less ago, one local place was using an Atari ST as a termianl
for ticket software; I always wondered if it was running proprietary
software, or was just used as a terminal and could be replaced.

Years or decades later, if the hardware still runs there may be
no reason to replace it all.  Likely the writer of the software
has disappeared, so it would all have to be done from scratch
if there is a move to new hardware.  And if there is no need
for better software, then there's no sense in changing it.

I remember someone I know building CPU based controllers for
a record pressing plant circa 1979.  I'm pretty sure this
was either a new thing (adding timing to the process when it
was haphazard before) or replaced mechanical controller.  But
once it was in place, there wouldn't be a need to upgrade
it right up until the time they stopped pressing records.  After
all, the mechanical equipment probably had been around for quite
some time by the time the controllers were added, and they probably
ran till records ran out, unless they physically failed first.

  Michael