Re: Computing Editorial (please read)

["Bill Leary" <Bill_Leary@msn.com>]

Interesting perspective in your article, but a few nits...

>      As a long time owner and user of the Commodore 128, I have
> witnessed the 8-bit computer market from the early days (1982-1985)

"Early days," at least to my recollection, was more like the late 1970's.  I
recall building an 8 bit system (RCA 1802) on my kitchen table in 1978, and
lusting after an Apple II, which came out in '77 along with the TRS-80.  I
thought, perhaps, you meant early days of Commodore, but I've just looked at
the PET came out in 1977 too.

> experience the joy of computing at the apex of technological
> breakthrough. And to squeeze every once of use out of a platform

Typo there.  I expect "once" should be "ounce."

>      But today, on the cusp of a new generation, we are the carriers
> of technology from shore to shore, and from life to life. It is the
> undying dedication to computing that has driven so many people, for so
> long a time. From Creative Computing and the Transactor, to Byte,
> Compute!'s Gazette, Family Computing and today's magazines, we are
> carrying a clear but simple message: "Computing for the masses, not
> the classes." As Jack Tramiel embodied and the 8-bit community showed,
> computers are an experience for all to enjoy, at minimum cost to
> financial budget.

I don't know about that.  Everyone I remember back in the late '70's to
early '80's was doing it because (1) it was fun, (2) it was a way to show
off and (3) it was a PILE of fun.  I can't remember any of the dozens of
people I knew who were into it to bring computing to the masses.  A very few
of us managed to find a way to have a fun time and make a buck while we were
at it, and the best place to do that was to sell things to people who were
otherwise mostly uninterested.  To most of us the computer, and the
compting, itself, was the thing, not what we could do with it.  When the
machines went "to the masses" it was what they could DO that made the sales.
The masses wanted word processors.  We wanted to figure out ways to DO word
processing.

I missed what you're writing this for.  Depending on your target audience,
this may well be fine as written.  If you're target is us "oldies" or for a
technical publication, I expect you're going to get a lot of arguments.

    - Bill