Looking Backwards Towards The Future by Lynn L. Krauer Saginaw Valley Computer Association I recently received a letter inquiring about upgrading an old computer. As I read the letter, it was like turning back a page, to 1982 when I became interested in computers. Then my wife, Crystal, asked about brand names ...I remember considering the purchase of a Texas Instrument computer with a tape drive that was on sale for only $99.00. Fortunately for me two things happened: - I had a friend recommend that I learn something about computers before buying one. - I didn't have the $99.00. I continued to look forward to purchasing a computer and at one time actually tried to buy a Commodore. Again the price was too high for my pocket book. Besides, I really didn't feel comfortable buying a technical piece of equipment from a glorified dime store. What I didn't know was the CPM operating system, which Commodore uses, was destined to become a dinosaur. The IBM Corporation was developing the DOS operating system that would soon become the industry standard. It was during this period in history that Lotus Corp was developing their spreadsheet program that we now know as Symphony. During the process of development they started to run short of money. They approached Apple about introducing a "cheap" version of Symphony that they called Lotus 123. Apple in their wisdom stated, "No Thanks. We already have VisiCalc. There isn't a need for another spreadsheet program." Thus Lotus approached IBM with the same offer not knowing that they were developing the PC. They hoped there would be a niche for the program in the mainframe world. To their surprise IBM welcomed their proposal and Lotus 123 was born at almost the same time as the IBM PC. Ironically, if Lotus hadn't been their the PC probably would have failed. Fortunately IBM could market their product with a viable third party supporter. Somehow it made sense to learn something about computers so I took a class. In the SVCA it becomes a bit frustrating when we get a call from a user who has just purchased their first computer. They usually buy it on sale, spend a lot of money for it (too much like I did), and expect us to turn them into a power user in ten minutes. Too often new users come to us after the purchase and the damage is done. If they were lucky, the machine they purchased had a hard disk of minimum size of 100 meg (200 meg is better) and enough RAM (4 meg minimum) to function with today's software. Unfortunately, too many are sold by ignorant or unscrupulous dealers, with 40 or 60 meg drives and 1 or 2 meg of RAM. I guess P.T. Barnum's philosophy still works, "There's a sucker born every minute, and two to take him." Emerging Technology: Mainstream or Jetstream? My introduction to computers in 1982 was on an Apple II, with 16k or RAM. The computer used the advanced technology of one floppy for storage. Tape drive technology was becoming extinct and died with the Texas Instrument sellout. Within one year the RAM storage in the machines leaped from 16k to 32k and 128k! None of us could imagine, a need for a machine with more memory. Interestingly, the Apple machines I learned on are still used to "teach" computers to students today. This is unfortunate because when the student touches the real world they will realize that they have been trying to learn how to race in the Indy 500 with a model T. Hopefully my viewpoint of history will serve to work as a guide for persons who are considering buying or upgrading to a new(er) machine. The PC-XT is Born Around 1982 IBM introduced the PC using a 8088 microprocessor with one floppy drive, 128k of RAM, and a monochrome monitor. This was soon followed with a machine upgrade option to 256k. Around 1985 512k was the IBM standard with the option to upgrade to 640k of RAM! Floppy disk storage of 360k was considered more than adequate. When the introduction of a 10 megabyte hard disk hit the street the PC world thought it had arrived. Just imagine, "Ten megabytes of storage on one disk. Ain't technology wonderful!" The introduction of the hard disk caused the PC to be called an XT. As I understand it the XT was an acronym for eXtended sTorage. Very few of these machines are sold today. The hardware is considered extinct. New machines of this type are hard to find and a reputable dealer will not try to sell you one. You can purchase them used with a 20 meg hard disk for under $200. I still use mine for BBS work and simple stand alone DOS programs. I find that working with an XT system is like trying to run the 100 yard hurdles with both hands in your pockets. The Clone Was Born as the Lisa and PC-Jr Died It was about 1985 that the Apple Lisa was introduced. It was the forerunner of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) and was the forerunner of the Macintosh. The problem was that the Lisa used a different operating system than the standard Apple. Little software development was performed and it died a quick death. A similar demise was destined for the IBM PC-Jr. At the time it was one of five operating systems for the IBM world just when people started to consider compatibility in their purchasing decisions. Compatibility was one reason that the clone makers flourished. As I understand it, "IBM" compatibility meant that their machines were compatible to software that IBM wrote. Unfortunately, IBM never wrote very good software. One of the leaders in compatibility followed suit and stressed compatibility to mean compatible with any software written for the DOS platform. The company was Compaq. Compaq Sets Compatibility Standards Compaq has an interesting history. They originated the portable, by 1986 standards, a truly carryable machine. It was about the size of a small suitcase, had a 9" monochrome monitor, contained a well-cushioned 20 meg hard drive with room for two floppy drives. It was literally designed on a napkin in a restaurant. The name was derived from Compatibility and Quality. The name Compaq was born. Yes, my first machine was a Compaq. The 286 class of machine was being produced but I still had a money problem. The 8086 machine could be purchased for $2,500. The 286 priced at $3,500 was beyond my reach. The IBM trade name machines carried a price tag of $1,000 or more above the clone maker. They were targeting the business community used to the "IBM" mainframe mentality. They failed to see that people were shopping for a Personal Computer. Secondly, shoppers were learning that the lack of power and incompatibilities with other software was something to be considered. The clonemakers understood their market, IBM continued to struggle with their image. Before I purchased my first computer I learned that speed was an important consideration. I'll readily admit that I was green as grass and twice as ignorant but I tried to get information from users, not sellers. The important point passed on to me was that the main item I should look for in a computer was: the speed of the processor coupled with the transfer rate. Processing Speed Dictates Purchasing Decisions The speed of the processor is based on two factors: The speed of the clock that we call megahertz (MHz) and the amount of data it can process at any given point in time that we call bits. A byte is 8 bits of data. When I bought my first computer I chose the 8086 processor that Compaq produced. I understood it was faster than the IBM 8088 or the 8088 Clones that were being sold at the time. I quickly learned that as soon as a person buys a computer it is out of date. The prices drop, the speed increases, and something new is just around the corner. My wife has taught me a new philosophy. Namely, if a person waited until everything was just perfect, nothing would ever get done. Always buy technical hardware a step above where you expect to need it. You will use it eventually. For the people who are still contemplating purchasing a computer for the first time, I hope the following information will prove useful to them. I call it the legacy of the first born. Legacy of The First Born Around 1986 Compaq, followed by IBM, introduced the 80286 microprocessor with hard disks as large as 60 megs. We call this a 286-AT machine. It is about 3 times faster than the XT. A few are sold today to the unsuspecting public. The hardware is considered extinct and not a good choice for purchase today. In 1988 IBM announced the 286 using OS/2. This proved to be pre-promotional hype as it took almost 4 years to put a workable software product into the market place. It did open the door for the development of the high resolution VGA monitor, higher density floppy disks, and larger capacity hard disks. About this time IBM introduced the lower end PS/2s which were poorly received. It was recognized as the PC-Jr of the XT days. The lower end models were poor choices and compatibility problems with third party software was rampant. Trade Names Lose Their Clout Interestingly, users began to recognize that the "trade name" on the outside of the box had little to do with the clone parts inside of the box. This gave birth to hardware vendors who would custom build a PC using a mixture of parts they felt were superior versus the cheapest from one manufacturer. During this period Compaq became the standard for comparison of PC hardware. Thus IBM compatibility disappeared from the recognized "trade names" we had become used to. People began to look "inside the box" at the components inside the machine. They found clone parts! Trade names quickly lost their importance. Performance became the important consideration toward purchases of hardware. 386-AT In late 1989 Compaq introduced the 386-AT computer. The 386 allows the user to run more than one application at a time using a 32-bit operating system. It becomes a must when working with Windows software. I recommend people start here. The key criteria is the megahertz of the machine. There is a lot of difference (almost ten times) in speed between a 16 MHz and a 33 MHz. Early 386 machines had a heat problem with the chips when clock speeds exceeded 25 MHz. It took a year for the chip makers to solve the heat problem. Today 33 MHz chips work without need for additional cooling. As chips speeds exceed 33 MHz additional cooling has to be added. 386-SX To allow users to economically move up from the XT platform, and boost 386 sales, the 386SX was introduced in 1991. It is a 386 microprocessor operating on a single band width of 16 bits compared to 32 bits. It's being marketed with the hype of "Upgradable." I call it a crippled 386 and a poor choice. I would strongly recommend that a full 386 be the system of choice instead of the SX. The price difference between a 386 and a 386SX is often not more than $100. Another consideration is that software developers are writing new software for the 386 32-bit platform. The SX is destined to be left in the dust with the XT. CD-ROM technology emerged with the 386 machines. Most of the CD-ROM drives are very heat sensitive. Tower type machines appear to affect the CD-ROM drive more than horizontal box machines. 486SX and 486DX These are the top of the line computers today. The 486DX is about 30-50 times faster than the XT. You can buy the processor from 25 MHz to 66 MHz with hard disks as large as 3-4 gigabytes. There are two configurations to consider: The ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) and the EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus. The main difference is that the ISA uses a video card that plugs into the motherboard. The EISA has the video built into the motherboard. The 486SX machine is still a crippled 486DX. A survey we recently took revealed that the members aren't falling for the "upgrade" hype. What's next? Definitely, it won't be the 586. The manufacturers are tying to create a new purchasing hype for us and calling it the P5 or some such nickname. [Editor's note: the so-called 586 has been officially dubbed by Intel as the Pentium chip.] Whatever happens, it will make the machines we work with today look like the covered wagons of the past.