November/December
of 1977. 35 years ago. That’s when I first learned about PC’s
(personal computers). I went to work at Radio Shack way back then for
one of my closest friends selling electronics gear. At that time,
computers weren’t literally everywhere the way they are now. It’s
funny. Writing this seems a little like science fiction. But, in ’77,
there were few personal computers, and certainly none that were
user-friendly.
The
good ol’ Radio Shack TRS-80 hit stores at that time. I didn’t
start selling them at the Shack until the fall/winter of 1978, best I
recall. Of course, it gets kind of hazy going back that far. The
first Model 1 TRS-80 arrived with a cassette deck. And, that’s how
we loaded programs into the beast.
Yup.
We
had to sit there and fiddle with the volume control on the cassette –
it was a sensitive rascal. Volume too high, or too low. No program.
And, the choices, not much. But, back before we had a program for
everything, we didn’t know any better. It came with 4K of RAM, and
that was it. It was truthfully a hobbyist’s computer, not practical
for much of anything yet. In fact, most people who bought one
immediately removed the case, getting “under the hood”, if you
will, and started doing all manner of Dr. Frankenstein things to it.
Some connected it to primitive home security systems or environmental
control systems for their homes. And, all was pretty much home-brew.
Most folks learned the BASIC programming language that came with the
machine and created their own, sometimes useful, sometimes not,
programs.
But
it was a start. And, it’s where we all began with what would become
known as PC’s. Interesting bit of history here. Everything was a
personal computer then, whether Tandy, or Apple, or IBM, or whatever
sprang from some young genius’s garage. Now, a PC (personal
computer) implies anything that’s non-Apple. Apple is just Apple.
Now,
we have computers (desktops, laptops, i-whatevers) with bazillions of
times more memory than those boxy little monsters from 35 years ago.
We could not imagine they would ever be useful.
Wonder
what the next 35 will bring?
It was like remembering an old friend to hear someone mention BASIC. For some years, it was considered essential to teach kids a smattering of BASIC so they wouldn't be left out of the information age. Does anyone use BASIC anymore? And what happened to all the manuals?
ReplyDeleteHi, David,
DeleteWow, I'd forgotten about the manuals! Unfortunately, I think thry've gone the way of 8 tracks and other lovable relics, ending up in garage sales and flea markets, perhaps the occasional Goodwill store, too.
Keep those cards and letters coming. Thank you for the feedback. It's what keeps me doing my blog. :-)
Tom