Re: Computing Editorial (please read)

["Ross Simpson" <rosssimpson@my_spammers_address(optusnet).com.au>]

"Michael J. Sch�lke" <news0301@mjschuelke.de> wrote in message...

> True, but that was just old 8 bit processors finding a new market niche
> (quite a large one, though) in home computing.

But it wasn't just Home Computing. Computers suchs as the Amstrad PCW which
were targeted at the business users also used Z80 8bit processors. This
series began in the mid 80s & possibly went into the '90s. The earlier model
(the 8256 I believe) which had the same size 3" drive as the CPCs used CP/M
as it's primary Operating System had 256k memory, while later models like
the 9512 had 512k memory & I also believe to be an 8bit. This set the scene
for later PCW16 which was another Z80 based 8bitter which came out in 1994!
Check here if you don't believe me:
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=52
Any European should also be able to tell you that those machines did well
there, which was one reason why IBMs struggled there for a long time. The
CPC based machines were more set to be an anyones machine (except big
business), a small business could use it, but even the home user could as
well, while the PCW was more for those serious business users.

> Professional microcomputers (what you might call workstations, nowadays)
> used 8 bit processors in the 1975-1982 timeframe; with the appearance of
> machines like the Sun 1 (68000, 1981), they moved on to 16 bits, and the
> personal computing market followed quickly with the Apple Mac and the
> IBM AT.

It really depends which part of the world your looking at this from. America
would probably have been the first place business could have been looking
for the 16 bit computers, while Europe would have been battling it with
machines like the PCWs. To be producing machine almost 10 years after the
initial release should give you some idea that it didn't die overnight. Even
machines like the PCW16 would have given the good old Mac, which would have
costed more at the time, a run for there money. Where I am in Australia it
was a long battle with the IBMs Vs everything else. Companies 10-15 years
ago would have used a machine (not necessary an IBM based computer) which
could have filled it's purpose. Nowadays it's the battle of IBM Vs Macs due
to the price of them comming down.

Regards,
Ross.