🚀 go-pugleaf

Doug Pardee writes:

> I disagree.  The "personal computer" is a solution searching for a problem.

     At this point in time, I would have to agree with this statement.

> Speaking for myself, I can divide my outside-of-work life into things
> that I want to do (recreation) and things that I have to do anyway
> (duties and chores).  On the recreational side, personal computers
> have run computer games from the beginning.

This seems to be the traditional home use of computers.  But if that is
all one is good for I would rather buy one specifically suited towards
playing games and displaying them on my TV.

However, there are the hobbiests out there who don't work with those
machines much on the job or at least they are not professional
programmers.  Also, many in this industry do side jobs at home or are
looking to get into business full time some day.

> There seems to be little that a computer can do to simplify my current
> duties and chores -- a personal computer can't cook my meals, wash my
> dishes and clothes, dust my home, ponder political and social issues,
> fill my car with gas or take it to the lube shop, or drive me to work.
> Heaven knows that if a computer could ease my duties and chores, I'd
> have put one to work long ago.

I don't have a machine at home and I really have no desire to get one
either.  When I go home, I have had enough interacting with a machine
for the day and I need to interact with the wife and kids to keep sane.

Whenever someone finds out in the course of a conversation that you are
a programmer, they invariable mention that they bought a Tandy or
whatever a while ago and want to learn to use it, but..........

Many people seem to be under the impression that they must get their
kids a computer, so they will do better in school.  Then they have no
idea how to use the thing and it just sits.

> The bottom line is that my personal (non-work) life revolves around
> activity, not information.  It's labor intensive.  Outside of work, I
> have little need for an information processing, storage, and
> communication device.  What needs I do have are already handled just
> fine by pencil, paper, calculator, and telephone.

Ah, but think of the future.......  information will be widely available
via the phone network.  You will be able to piece together your own
"newspaper" based upon your interests from a variety of sources.  The
library will never close, so that your children can use a computer to
access whatever information they need for a report.  The next time your
child asks you how something works, you no longer have to look like an
idiot, but you can find out very easily.

The stand-alone personal computer is limited in it's ability to be
useful to the average person at home.  But combined with the ability to
communicate via the phone network it becomes a portal to an unlimited
wealth of information and services in the future.

George W. Leach