Re: Computing Editorial (please read)

["Ross Simpson" <yeah_whatever>]

"Lee Hart" <leeahart@earthlink.net> wrote in message...

> I saw an article in Popular Electronics magazine to build the computer.
> (Today, Popular Electronics is gone; there are no magazines on the
> newsstand with "how to" plans to build a computer).

The computer magazine I used to collect (which ceased in 1995) used to have
little How-To's in it, but then they ceased having them. When people asked
about it, they stated that because inexperience people were messing up their
computer they had to cease publishing those articles.

But Popular Electronics would be different because it's main demographic
would be for people who want to do Electronics. Still it takes just one
clown to blow himself up & the shows probably off.

> I bought the parts at Radio Shack. (Today, they don't carry the parts to
> do it).

Well unless those parts had evil applications, I don't see why they should
of either.

> I had built Heathkits to learn how to solder, read resistor color codes,
> troubleshoot, etc. (Kits are largely gone, and the ones that remain
> teach you little if anything).

Few years back while doing a computer course, I did a bit of Physics which
brought in eletronics. Back then our general eletronics stores had a few
kits which allowed anyone to use & learn. I have to see if those places
still cater for those kits.

> There was a local computer club, full of other people I could ask for
> help. (Computer clubs are now essentially gone, and nobody at them
> builds anything anyway).

The Internet plays a part of destroying those clubs. It brings everyone to
these newsgroups!

> But, there are lots of missing rungs at the bottom of the ladder. An
> experienced engineer or technician can build things cheaper and easier.
> But not someone starting out! Try to remember yourself when you got
> started in computers and electronics. If you were at that level today,
> would you have been able to start again? Or, would it have been so hard
> that you would have given up and pursured some other interest instead?

Eletronics interests me (not for building bombs & stuff, geez those people
deserve to be blown up), but the wobbles with the ol' solderning iron
doesn't help.
I really need a more approate environment.

> If you know how, it is easier to get PC boards than ever before. But,
> beginners don't know how. And nobody is showing them!

Sure a computer hardware course should give a few clues! :-)

> Really? What "significant inventions" have large corporations recently
> produced? They mostly seem so focussed on the bottom line that they have
> largely eliminated R&D, and only make slow incremental improvements on
> the status quo (though they patent them and loudly trumpet them as
> "breakthroughs").

Computers are just becomming bigger & slower, mobile phones seem to develop
in all fields except the sound quality (sure you can do stuff like record
tunes, but it sounds like the chipmunks playing), I'd want a mobile phone
that can sound as good as my Sterio as well as hearing the person clearly on
the otherside (mono is sooo dated!).

Regards,
Ross.