Re: Apple Computers-collector's items?

[treiter@comet.net (Jordan Reiter)]

In article <4urijv$n9h@ns2.borg.com>, warren@borg.com (Warren Hall) wrote:

>In <4uqpat$hlb@listserv.rice.edu>, rickr@is.rice.edu (Rick Russell) writes:
>>In article <gabrielr-1208962039100001@ts35-11.wla.ts.ucla.edu>,
>>Gabriel Rossman <gabrielr@ucla.edu> wrote:
>
>>Excel can solve some easy problems, but there's no Excel plug-in for
>>the hard problems.
>>
>>Rick R.
>
>Here's another take at the situation.  The data processing paradigm
evolves about
>each 8 years:  punch cards, paper tape, mag tape, diskettes, cd,
layered/latticed cd
> = 40 years.  Then in the software arena:  binary coding, assembler, 
>3GL(COBOL/FORTRAN), 4GL, then OLE-DDE-Office Vision, etc. = 40 years.
>
>Next:  Voice activated computing, such as IBM's Merlin (the successor to WARP) 
>which is to market in 1996, deep layered cd's with more capacity than 15
gigabytes 
>per each cd (1966, for under $1200), cable modems (now) with 10 meg b-rate d/l 
>and 1.5 meg b-rate u/l for under $400.
>
>With each paradigm change, the skills, knowledge, and habits of the old ways 
>become less and less valuable.  The enduring traits of persistance,
unquenchable 
>search for knowledge, and excitement in the face of a new learning experience, 
>are common to each of the paradigm shifts I have outlined.  It is we who
are the 
>common factor, not hardware, not software.
Your last sentence is antithetical to the rest of your argument! If it
truly is "we who are the common factor", how can you say that skills
become less valuable? Curiosity was probably well-developed about 2
million years ago among our ancestors. Eagerness to learn new things?  
What about knowledge? Ability to type, ability to communicate ideas
(whether in a memo or the context of high-level programming), ability to
apply trial and error to understanding a new OS. True, old habits can
serve as stumbling blocks, but a generation born on a
"do-everything-for-you" computer system will also be dehabilitated by
their laziness (especially if a new technology is born).

It is true that people who have no computer knowledge and refuse to learn
how to use them are hurting themselves, but the majority of people who
bought and used computers in the early eighties continue to be on the
leading edge of technology (if they can or wish to afford it).  People who
know how to use a computer from 10 years ago will have no problem becoming
adjusted to modern technology. After all, would you say that if a 5
year-old boy or girl could intuitively use the MacOS interface of 1984
that this 17 year old, even if they had never used a computer other than
their Mac 128k would be unable to operate a Macintosh or Windows 95
computer? Just something to take into consideration.

Toby Reiter

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