** 1 page feature / 920 words **

Fun Without The Effort

George Crissman reconsiders "Power Without The Price" as he ponders the personal computer.

** SANDOO.GIF here **
** Caption **
Here's George on the side of the road at "Gaviota Pass", just
north of Santa Barbara, within 100 feet of the Pacific Ocean
** /caption **

Looking around at the world of computing it seems to me personal computers aren't so "personal" any more. Most machines made the transition to "business" tools several years ago leaving computer enthusiasts to adapt corporate tools for personal use. So how did that happen?

Over my shoulder

The original home computers, the ones which came by mail-order as a bunch of components requiring "some" assembly (soldering!) were directly aimed at the hobbyist. These machines couldn't do much more than the pocket calculators of their day but they clearly appealed to many people.

The fascination of "controlling" a computer and being in-control was more akin to playing with building bricks than running a business but it was this raw enthusiasm that fuelled ongoing development. A steady stream of new machines supporting faster and better peripherals were created but it was the introduction of built-in BASIC like programming languages which lead to explosive growth and turned a hobby into an industry.

Not only was it easy to write your own programs, but you could record them and share them with others! User groups sprung up, people got together to share tricks and tips and the rest is history.

The Beginning Of The End

Home computers with GUIs (Graphic User Interfaces) like Mac and Atari machines made computers fun to use and programming became cool.

This ease of use caused an influx of new users whose primary interest in computing was "How can this thing make it possible for me to go to lunch on time?" The hobbyist's thrill of discovery and joy of accomplishment was foreign to such people. Demands such as "Why doesn't this thing do what I mean!" and "Call Tech Support!" replaced the hobbyist's inquisitive "I wonder what I can make THIS do?"

This dearth of user knowledge, coupled with the follow-the-leader attitude of many companies lead to a small group of software and hardware companies dominating the market and the rest is history. It's an alarming situation!

Time for a rethink!

It's time to reclaim a personal computer for hobbyists. I'm one and this is what I want:

** UL **
** 1 **
Built-in operating system. Disk-based operating systems inevitably get corrupted.

** 2 **
Built-in programming language. A cuddly modern BASIC makes sense. Many computer gurus started with BASIC because it was easy to use so it got used.

** 3 **
Built-in networking and software to handle LAN (Local Area Networks) built-into the OS enabling simple cable or wireless connection between machines. Ideally the networking software would also be able to handle connections to multiple ISP (Internet Service Providers).

** 4 **
A choice between single-tasking and multi-tasking operating systems or some way to gently introduce newcomers to the flexibility and benefits multi-tasking can provide without confusing them. Maybe a third choice - text-mode instead of windowing! Text-mode still provides the fastest performance and some tasks can be performed faster and more efficiently from a command line.

** 5 **
A built-in selection of applications so the computer is ready for use out of the box. Apart from the obvious Word processor, Spreadsheet, Art Package, Database combination I'd like to see all the Telnet, terminal and FTP utilities still needed to access the web fully made available in some easy-to-use package. A "device manager" application to take care of ALL peripherals would also very useful.

The Future Today?

** UL **
** 1 **
TOS and GEM are already in ROM so, apart from updates and limited OS space, we've got this problem licked! The Milan solves the upgrading problem by using a software upgradable Flash ROM.

** 2 **
We still haven't got a perfect BASIC, something that supports very high-level calls such as:

** NP **
result = Display_Jpeg(selected_image) ' Show picture
result = Scan_Joypad(another_one) ' Any Buttons Pressed?
** /NP **

However, with software like ENCHANT, HiSoft BASIC is getting closer.

** 3 **
The networking and internet connectivity solutions for the Atari platform are still evolving but the introduction of IFusion and ongoing development does looks promising. Getting a total solution into ROM is still some way off though.

** 4 **
We are close on this one, too. GEM offers various single and multi-tasking options but the sheer choice also leads to confusion and makes it hard for programmers to support all possible implementations.
With growing interest in unix style operating systems we might be better off starting from scratch and adding TOS compatibility - the Phenix workstation seems to be taking this approach.

** 5 **
Standard applications are expected these days but the demands placed on them by most users doesn't justify the bloatware provided on other platforms. "Plain vanilla" implementations complemented with upgrade paths to more comprehensive solutions for those that need them would be an ideal solution. Standardisation of functions and the user interface across all applications is the key to success here.
** /UL **

Amiga Inc recently abandoned development of its next-generation multimedia computer which leaves the Milan and Phenix projects looking even more attractive as "Personal" computing platforms. Add to that the growing public acceptance of Unix-like multi-tasking operating systems such as Linux and BSD-Unix and one could conclude we're sitting on The Next Generation In Computing. There's never been a better time to be an Atari enthusiast!

George Crissman describes his real job as "an email clerk for a computer company" [Ed: Thanks for all your help George!]