On Jun 7, 2016, at 1:45 PM, Dan Roganti via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: On Tue, Jun 7, 2016 at 12:21 PM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
As it's quiet on the maillist, I'll ask about something on the edges of vintage computing. People today - I use the phrase "in the 21st century" - don't seem to know anything about how computers work, anymore. I'd like a little feedback, not a huge discussion (and not a gripe session), about how common that ignorance is, what we as vintage computer owners should do - once I clarify what I mean, and provide an example.
[snip] Herb, It sounds like you're referring to the consumer market and I don't think this is unique to the 21st century I think this really began with the advent of the appliance home computers in 1977 When the consumer market was introduced to the 3 amigo's from those competing companies, Apple, Radio Shack and Commodore Those 3 computers enabled the consumer market, and didn't require you to know the internals of the software or hardware. All else before that was strictly made for the hobbyist market, those which required some knowledge, even some made later did too of course. Not everyone needed to how to change the engine oil or rebuild an engine, much less so how to add memory or install a printer, etc, back then. So sprang the consumer computer market into action from that point on, allowing ordinary people to use these new productivity tools. Just as with TV's, stereos, and any other appliance which you didn't build from Heathkit :) Dan Dan, I respectfully disagree. I am typing a response of my experience after that time period that may elaborate. Chris