Re: The Science Generations

[furballs <furballs@netcom.com>]

On Fri, 6 Dec 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> At 1:12 AM -0800 12/6/96, Dale Thorn wrote:
> >Timothy C. May wrote:
> 
> >> * Generation 3: The computer generation. The 1970s-80s, who grew up with
> >> Commodore PETs and Apple IIs (and some later machines). These are the "new
> >> pioneers"  of the 1980s-90s, the Marc Andreesens and the like.
> >
> >I would guess that those who became and remained successful technically
> >(as opposed to becoming "business people") were using HP computers and
> >such in the 1970s.  I for one was a heavy user then, and PETs, Apples,
> >Radio Shack, etc. computers weren't reliable enough for serious work.
> 
> 
> My points were about the _children_ and what they were using when they grew up.
> 
> (In fact, note my use of the phrase "who grew up with Commodore PETs and
> Apple IIs...")
> 
> Indeed, in the 1970s I was using H-P 9825s and DEC PDP 11/34s, but the
> teenagers of that decade were, if they were fortunate and energetic, using
> PETs, Apple IIs, and the like.
> 
> --Tim May
> 
> 

DEC PDP 11's - spaghetti code extrordinaire! :-) 

I reall don't miss those old beasts, but they did provide the means to 
learn quite a bit about how a computer (of the day) really functions. 
It's too bad that kids today haven't been subjected to the experience - 
we might start seeing a better appreciation for coding, as well as some 
innovation outside of the "objectivfying" development that is bloating 
many a Wintel hard drive.

...Paul