---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,this version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects4 ,italics are delimited with the #8' character as italic4 ,the text utilized a variety of fonts1 effects which cannot be represented here4 ,footnotes have been resequenced to be unique within the text4 ,they have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced4 ,minor errors1 attributable to the printer1 have been corrected4 ,please see the transcriber's note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation4 8,david ,rothman's ,,silicon ,,jungle is an aphrodisiac for anyone interested in the computer revolution4 ,there is a real sense of self-liberation for the reader1 in whose mind the dawn lights up the incredible1 awful1 wonderful reach of the little computer chip40 ,william ,f4 ,buckley1 ,jr4 8,everything you've always wanted to know about computers but were afraid to ask for fear of not getting a straight answer in plain ,english4 ,david ,rothman is ,indiana ,jones1 guiding us through the hype1 hardware1 software1 and confusing jargon of ,,the ,,silicon ,,jungle40 ,bettina ,gregory ,,abc ,news ,correspondent and ,,ibm ,,pcxt owner 8,david ,rothman's ,,silicon ,,jungle is an inspired1 fast-paced1 often maniacal view of today's microcomputer scene4 ,while laced with hard facts1 ,rothman's anecdotal style makes the book fun reading4 ,the perfect book for the newcomer to the scene and the old-timer lost in the jungle40 ,john ,c4 ,dvorak ,technology columnist1 ,the ,san ,francisco ,examiner and ,info,world 8,,the ,,silicon ,,jungle has proved helpful in both my business and personal use of computers4 ,it is down-to-earth1 easy to understand1 and has made me and my computers better friends40 ,ellen ,r4 ,gordon1 ,president ,tootsie ,roll ,industries1 ,inc4 8,,the ,,silicon ,,jungle is an insightful book that provides a foundation for dealing with the complicated world of personal computers40 ,chris ,christiansen ,senior ,analyst ,the ,yankee ,group 8,of all the books about computers1 ,,the ,,silicon ,,jungle is the best ,i've seen4444 ,fun to read and ,instructional as well4 ,david ,rothman not only blazes a sure path through the jungle1 but he has told us almost everything there is to tell about the computer world at this point--and told it very well40 ,jerald ,f4 ,terhorst ,ford ,motor ,executive ,,david ,h4 ,,rothman ,the ,,silicon ,,jungle ,,ballantine ,,books ,,new ,,york ,copyright #aihe ,david ,h4 ,rothman ,all rights reserved under ,international and ,pan-,american ,copyright ,conventions4 ,published in the ,united ,states by ,ballantine ,books1 a division of ,random ,house1 ,inc41 ,new ,york1 and simultaneously in ,canada by ,random ,house of ,canada ,limited1 ,toronto4 ,library of ,congress ,catalog ,card ,number3 #he-ijfde ,,isbn #j-cde-cbjfc-h ,manufactured in the ,united ,states of ,america ,first ,edition3 ,july #aihe ,,with ,,love ,,to ,,harry ,,and ,,hortense ,,rothman ,special thanks to ,michael ,canyes1 ,mack ,truslow1 ,david ,fay ,smith1 ,don ,carrol1 ,robert ,b4 ,wyatt1 ,richard ,mc,coy1 ,frank ,lavena1 ,pat ,ehresmann1 ,ruth ,aley and ,berenice ,hoffman ,contents #a ,the ,silicon ,jungle #a #b ,the ,kaypro ,phenomenon3 ,how ,solana ,beach ,took on ,silicon ,valley #ad #c ,after the ,war #cf #d ,word,star3 ,the ,creators #de #e ,the ,select ,word ,processor3 ,martin ,dean versus the ,command-,driven ,restaurants #fe #f ,three ,software ,stories3 ,motorcycles1 ,homes1 and the #bjj1jjj-;a-,year ,disk #gc #g ,graphics 7or ,how a ,mouse ,helped ,joe ,shelton's ,friends ,stop ,feeling ,like ,rats7 #ic #h ,people3 ,the ,who-,how ,solution #ajj #i ,the ,hal ,syndrome #abh #aj ,jewels that ,blip #afc #aa ,wired to ,work #bjj #ab ,how ,i ,found 8,god0 on ,,mci 7and a ,few ,other ,odds and ,ends ,about ,electronic ,mail7 #bbh #ac ,net ,gain #bcd #ad ,as the ,jungle ,thickens 7,,aka the ,great ,modeming7 #bdi ,afterword #bga ,,backup ,more ,tips and ,tales from the ,jungle #bgi ,,backup ,i ,twenty-,six ,questions to ,ask at 7and ,about7 the ,computer ,store #bha ,,backup ,,ii ,a ,few ,grouchy ,words on ,printers #bid ,,backup ,,iii ,the ,lucky #ac3 ,what to ,look for in ,choosing ,software #cjb ,,backup ,,iv ,on the ,evolution of ,software 7and a 8,perfecter and ,perfecter0 ,program7 #caj ,,backup ,v 8#c-;,d0 versus ,mail-,order ,software--and ,how to ,shop #cai ,,backup ,,vi 8,easy0 ,data ,bases3 ,another ,view 7,mensa ,member ,versus ,info,star7 #cbc ,,backup ,,vii ,graphics ,tips #cca ,,backup ,,viii ,consultant ,contracts3 ,some ,who-,how ,questions #cci ,,backup ,,ix ,window ,shopping #cdc ,,backup ,x ,of ,mice and ,men--and ,touch ,pads1 ,touch ,screens1 ,etc4 #cdf ,,backup ,,xi ,the ,micro ,connection3 ,some ,critical ,explanations #cdi ,,backup ,,xii ,,modem#g3 ,an ,almost-,free and ,fairly ,easy ,way to ,talk to ,other ,computers #ced ,,backup ,,xiii ,why ,not an ,electronic ,peace ,corps8 #cff ,,index #cge ,the ,,silicon ,,jungle #a ,the ,silicon ,jungle ,americans are fighting each other not just in the marketplace but also in the ,silicon ,jungle4 ,the jungle isn't greenery4 ,it isn't land4 ,it's nothing more than the mineral in tiny computer chips that switch electronic impulses4 ,but a jungle it is3 ,airline ,x accused ,airline ,y of electronically sabotaging ,x's reservations operation and contributing to a #gcc-million bankruptcy4 ,the charges may have been false4 ,but their very existence dramatized the increasing link between computer security and corporate survival4 ,car thieves have computerized to keep better track of hot auto parts4 ,that's bad news not only for police but also for rival thieves with antiquated record keeping4 ,meanwhile1 a hooker ring1 too1 has automated4 ,and a gambling operation analyzed its profits daily through a big computer hooked up to smaller ones in forty-three cities4#a ,an editor confesses he snooped on the competition by figuring out the computer password of ,brand ,x newspaper 78it's like playing ,scrabble--a matter of time and an interested mind074 ,millions of more scrupulous ,americans are increasingly relying on micros to outwit their rivals4 ,footnote #a3 ,computerworld1 ,july #bc1 #aihd1 is the source of the reports on criminals' use of computers4 ,consider two deadline-ridden lawyers locked in combat over the same case4 ,lawyer ,a might ferret out legal precedents through eye-straining research at libraries1 while ,b could cover the same territory in minutes through the right taps on a new ,,ibm personal computer4 ,siliconized war is 8in0 between and among giants and gnats4 8,one hundred years ago in ,colorado1 the ,colt 4#dd was a great equalizer10 a westerner once said2 now he said his suitcase-sized micro was4 ,today better machines sell for around #a1jjj4 ,with trimmings they can3 ,electronically zip messages to other computers and people across the country4 ,be word processors1 doubling some writers' production4 ,prepare spreadsheets1 which help businesses quickly calculate the future costs of providing products or services4 ,keep records electronically4 ,help you whip up jazzy charts to whet your boss's interest in your work--in a nice way4 ,this book will tell you how to make the best use of portables and other business computers wherever you are--large company1 small1 or on your own4 ,big bureaucracy is here1 also1 complete with the ,case of the ,missing ,cafeteria 7explained in ,chapter #g74 ,instead of hearing just about computers in the abstract1 you'll learn about them in life4 ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke1 the world-famous science-fiction novelist who wrote #bjja and #bjaj1 will tell how ,word,star software made him 8a born-again writer40 ,and the ,,fbi1 top consultants1 and a felon named ,captain ,zap will warn against electronic crooks4 ,there'll be computer tips1 too1 from obscure but savvy business people1 such as a ,new ,york real estate executive whose micro skills lead to his six-figure income4 ,you'll also hear from some stars of the industry1 including ,word,star's creators1 and you'll learn how their lives and philosophies tie in with the products on sale at your local computer store4 ,we begin with the ,ten 7,micro7 ,commandments3 ,,don',t ,,fall ,,for ,,the ,,soft ,,sell--,,or ,,hard ,,sell4 ,,the ,,computer ,,business ,,is ,a ,,jungle4 8,this machine here is a ,mercedes10 a ,radio ,shack man once told me4 8,apple's the ,ford4 ,you want to buy a ,mercedes or a ,ford80 ,how do you cut through the hype to buy a machine that is better than your competitor's8 ,you've got your own jungle to survive1 and1 by learning how computer firms make and market their offerings1 you'll be a better shopper4 ,especially beware of the computer hawker who says he's a 8technician0 with your interest in mind4 ,,but ,,remember ,,that ,,good ,,guys ,,can ,,finish ,,first4 ,the ,new ,york executive saved his blue-chip company a fortune and won his #ajj1jjj-plus salary without firing anyone1 groveling before his boss1 or cheapening a product or service4 ,by picking the right computer or program1 you just might get a head start on the office toady4 ,,avoid ,,the ,,snack-,,food ,,programs--,,the ,,ones ,,easy ,,to ,,learn ,,but ,,less ,,satisfying ,,to ,,use4 ,with press agents and flashy boxes for disks1 the software market is going ,hollywood4 ,it's also1 however1 becoming more like the cupcake industry--geared not to nourish but to please instantly4 ,some marketeers are trying to displace good1 solid business programs with ,twinkie-like products that sell well but don't work well4 ,,learn ,,about ,,computers ,,as ,,they ,,relate ,,to ,,your ,,job4 ,normally1 you and your employees needn't become true computer experts4 ,in most cases you'll lack the time or talent to write the programs you need to be fully competitive4 ,very likely you can use off-the-shelf software instead4 ,also1 you can find the right computer consultant and carefully oversee his work2 this book will help you avoid gobblers4 ,,be ,,humane--,,profitably4 ,micros can be efficient and humane at the same time4 ,don't confuse ,the ,silicon ,jungle with ,winning through ,intimidation4 ,often1 for instance1 some humanity can improve your efficiency by lowering the number of errors your people may make4 ,this book tells how to choose equipment that's easiest on your people's eyes and backbones4 ,,bone ,,up ,,on ,,computer ,,crime--,,but ,,don',t ,,neglect ,,routine ,,ways ,,of ,,making ,,your ,,electronic ,,records ,,safe4 ,you should worry about computer crime1 while not neglecting garden-variety problems of 8data security10 like coffee spilled on floppy disks4 ,pity a poor wedding-cake maker4 ,the other day on the radio ,i heard that he couldn't fill his orders because a forgetful computer had wiped them from its memory4 8,,wire ,,in0 ,,to ,,telecommuting ,,if ,,it',s ,,right ,,for ,,your ,,company--,,and ,,perhaps ,,save ,,thousands ,,in ,,office ,,rents4 ,working at home on a computer isn't for everyone4 ,some jobs will always require face-to-face contact4 ,telecommuting1 however1 is a nifty new way to gain an edge on the competition while ending some workers' rush-hour woes4 ,say1 you now spend #d1jjj annually on rented space for each employee4 ,allowing home work may save you more than #h1jjj per telecommuter1 totaled up over five years1 if your tax rate is #ce percent4 ,,rejoice6 ,,most ,,likely ,,you',,ll ,,justify ,,your ,,travail4 ,computerization is harder than your friendly computer store might lead you to believe1 but most likely you'll justify your travail4 ,someone once said he never knew of an author who gave up his computer and returned to a pen4 ,i'll buy that4 ,,through ,,it ,,all1 ,,know ,,what ,,the ,,other ,,guy',s ,,up ,,to4 ,you're better off if you know what the other guy--or woman--is up to4 ,this book is1 frankly1 for top executives and mid-level people1 small businessmen1 and professionals4 ,and if your employees read it8 ,well1 so much the better4 8,you0 here is many people4 ,some of my most enterprising readers1 by the way1 won't just be interested in computers for themselves or their companies4 ,they'll also see them as marketing opportunities involving the rest of the world4 ,take ,mike ,bell1 a ,xerox executive4 ,we talked about munytels--neighbor centers offering child care and other services for people 8commuting0 to the office via computer4 ,and ,mike had an idea4 ,why not franchise the munytels like ,mc,donald's hamburger stands8 ,maybe ,xerox will start a ,munytel ,division4 ,the 8other guy0 principle also applies to small businessmen selling to the ,xeroxes of this world4 ,if you know how the data-processing people think in a large corporation1 you may be more understanding if you're having problems hooking up to a large customer's computer4 ,likewise1 the 8other guy0 idea can help businessmen keep up with competitors and appreciate their own employees' computer-related fears4 ,in short1 this book is for people who want to survive--and make money--by listening4 ,ranging over many topics1 it may come across as a series of essays rather than a normal guide4 ,so be it4 ,i'm not going to cheat you of helpful facts that most readers won't care about or that are far removed from the main thrusts of the chapters4 ,you may be desperate for this very material4 ,and items at the ends of the chapters will refer you to 8,backup3 ,more ,tales and ,tips from the ,jungle40 8,backup0 follows my main book4 ,,break ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,users-,,guide ,,ghetto4 ,you already have4 ,the ,silicon ,jungle is for owners and prospective owners of ,radio ,shacks1 ,apples1 ,i,b,ms--all kinds of machines4 ,do buy a guide for your model of computer or your pet software program2 this book isn't a replacement4 ,it offers1 however1 more detachment than a guide touting the virtues of a single machine4 ,i'll write about the computer ,i own--yes1 ,i have my biases--but it'll be as an example1 not as the final answer4 ,frankly1 for graphics work alone1 my ,kaypro ,,ii would not suffice4 ,the screen isn't good enough4 ,the ,kaypro's electronic brain just is not very visually inclined1 and all in all1 ,i'd be far better off doing charts with an ,apple ,macintosh4 ,many good paths wind through the ,silicon ,jungle4 ,there's no doubt--the computer business is a jungle4 ,while ,i was writing this book1 ,osborne ,computers filed for bankruptcy under ,chapter ,,xi4 8,i'm just devastated10 said ,adam ,osborne4 ,the previous year1 his firm had sold #aaj1jjj portable computers listing at #a1gie4 ,i1 too1 was sorry he'd failed4 ,osborne's was the first company to produce a bargain-priced business computer with good1 free software thrown in4 ,if his company hadn't revived itself under new management1 the industry would have offered buyers that much less choice4 ,part of ,osborne's problem were his marketing blunders4 ,also1 however1 an arch rival1 ,kaypro1 had come out with a better machine4 ,i bought one4 ,chapters #b and #c tell how ,kaypro has fought ,osborne and other foes--wars of interest to you1 since you'll win a better deal if you know about micro-makers and the origins of their computers4 ,while this chapter and the next one focus on ,kaypros1 much in them would apply to other machines4 ,most microcomputers don't emerge from tile-floored laboratories2 instead1 they come from companies that refine existing technology and carve out niches in the marketplace4 ,but what's 8refine08 ,high tech is enough of a gamble for the more solid computer makers4 ,shakier ones can be reckless1 and often at customers' expense4 ,a newspaper perceptively observed1 8,computers are hyped before they're ready1 announced before they're shipped and sometimes outdated and outpriced before they reach retailers' shelves40 ,i'll try to help you find the machine that's best for you--not necessarily the one that computer hustlers envision on your desk4 ,beware3 ,in ,maryland1 a sail maker ended up with a micro useless as anything but an anchor4 ,a midwestern company sued a major micro maker for #def1jjj because an #h1jjj computer allegedly didn't perform as advertised4 ,a construction executive invested over #i1jjj in a name-brand computer but could do next to nothing with it1 while a colleague was making out fine with a little ,zenith micro selling for around half the price4 8,i've seen too many company presidents march through there hoping to make a final decision in less than an hour10 said a sales manager at a ,michigan computer store4 8,in almost every case he's ended up paying either too much for the right equipment or too little for the wrong equipment40#b ,footnote #b3 ,the ,michigan quote comes from a magazine article by ,washington writer ,joel ,makower4 ,just as important as the hardware--the computers and other machines--are the programs on those plastic disks4 ,in fact1 you should even think 8software0 before you do hardware1 because your machine will be useless if it doesn't do the tasks you want it to4 ,and the programs supply these necessary instructions4 ,more than thirty thousand programs for micros are on the market2 so ,the ,silicon ,jungle can't say which one is exactly right for you1 but it can help you find out for yourself by showing how a software classic comes into existence4#c ,footnote #c3 ,chris ,christiansen1 with the ,yankee ,group1 a ,boston-based marketing research firm1 offered the estimate on the number of programs4 ,i talked to ,seymour ,rubinstein and ,rob ,barnaby--the subjects of ,chapter #d1 8,word,star3 ,the ,creators0--and learned that ,barnaby and ,i had some common work habits4 ,maybe that's why ,i like ,word,star so much4 ,i feel as if the people behind it used ,,esp to discover how ,i liked to move words around on my spooky green screen4 ,some complain that ,word,star is too complex4 ,i disagree4 ,new versions of ,word,star and other programs1 however1 will become simpler to learn as the machines themselves grow more powerful4 ,the new ,word,star #bjjj is an example4 ,smart production-minded buyers meanwhile should avoid the 8user-friendly0 software that's easy to learn but hard to use4 ,one example is the ,select1 a clunky word processor discussed in ,chapter #e after ,word,star4 ,i expressed my loathing with my wallet4 ,although ,select came free with my ,kaypro1 ,i junked it4 ,had ,i not spent my #bej on ,word,star1 ,i would have taken much1 much longer to write this book4#d ,footnote #d3 ,kaypro1 too1 junked ,select4 ,select ,information ,systems claims that's because ,kaypro wanted a cheaper word processor4 ,kaypro says it was unhappy with ,select because it didn't work right with some printers4 ,in ,chapter #f1 8,three ,software ,stories10 businessmen tell how they coexisted--or didn't--with their software4 ,one of them is the ,new ,york real estate executive mentioned earlier4 ,he saved his new employer #bjj1jjj a year by boning up on software and using micros rather than expensive time and an outside company's mainframe4 ,a ,maryland construction executive did well1 too4 ,he thinks his software knowledge helped him snare a new job as a company president with one-third interest in the firm4 ,like the ,new ,yorker1 he successfully concentrated on micros as they related to his job4 ,another man1 an accountant good at his work but uneasy around computers1 offers some observations on the failings of existing software and his difficulties finding the right program4 ,graphics will be one of the hotter software topics over the next few years1 now that cheap computers can do more visual tricks4 ,and in ,chapter #g and ,backup ,,vii1 you'll learn 7#a7 the basics1 7#b7 when charts are worth the trouble1 and 7#c7 how to select the best programs in that category4 ,most existing computer guides are overly technical about graphics1 or they just about shun the subject4 ,that's too bad4 ,graphics can actually save your company money2 computerized charts can help you set priorities and keep your projects on schedule4 ,at times1 too1 there are other advantages4 ,a little ,macintosh won't replace your art department1 but it might enable you to whip up flashy graphs to impress your customers4 ,even with the supposedly simple ,mac-style machines1 however1 you may still need a good consultant--one of the topics of ,chapter #h1 8,people40 ,he or she can help you select the right software1 for instance1 or teach you how to use it4 ,but you can't always trust credentials1 and here you'll read of a young company that wasted #dj1jjj on the wrong consultants and their bungles4 ,one man was so learned in computers that he had helped design the systems on an aircraft carrier1 yet he lacked the exact technical expertise to help the company get its work done4 ,my old newspaper in the ,midwest made another people-type mistake1 letting a computer expert befuddle staffers with technical jargon4 ,a white-haired editor suffered especially4 ,although he knew his town better than did just about any other newsman and had been a fixture in the scruffy city rooms since ,world ,war ,,ii1 the paper exiled him from the copy desk after the training program failed him4 ,his health gave out amid the strain1 and he ended up on extended sick leave1 done in partly by the course's scary talk of bits and bytes4 ,you use a calculator without being--as one man put it--8calculator literate40 ,why must you be 8computer literate08 ,be so if you're an aspiring programmer or if you enjoy computers as a hobby4 ,if1 however1 you don't1 well1 forget it4 ,instead1 simply concentrate on 7#a7 finding the right experts for the grubby technical chores and 7#b7 helping yourself and your employees learn the programs of use on the job4 ,you can also treat people well by guarding against 8,the ,hal ,syndrome40 ,i've named ,chapter #i after the uppity computer in #bjja and #bjaj4 ,the best weapons against ,hal are good1 common-sense ones1 like viewable screens and easy-to-use keyboards1 which can cut down on headaches and backaches4 ,forget about the white tiles and bright fluorescents you see in traditional computer rooms4 ,they can torture your eyes4 ,as for keyboards1 you'll learn the wisdom of using the detachable kind1 which makes it easier for you to be the right distance from both the keyboard and the screen4 ,why not buy equipment that can adjust to both your eyes and your back8 ,foreigners caught on to this issue much more quickly than we did2 some ,european firms even sawed the keyboards off ,american-made terminals4 ,and now ,u4,s4 workers are demanding action4 8,they affected my stomach quite a bit10 a former insurance company worker says of the machines that caused her to quit her job4 8,most days ,i worked ,i would throw up in the ladies room40 ,whether you use micros or big computers1 you'll get more work out of people--and be able to hire better ones--if the equipment is comfortable to use4 ,still another precaution against ,hal is good job design4 ,see if you can rotate your employees' computer work with other duties to reduce the stress of being at the keyboard all day4 ,in the ,hal ,syndrome chapter1 you won't simply read academic wisdom4 ,instead1 you'll hear about the true health and safety concerns of people working the computer keyboards--eminently valid worries in many cases4 ,and you'll read in an accompanying backup about another hot topic in this era of contact between man and machine4 ,it's the mouse1 the palm-sized gadget that you push along your desktop to guide the cursor 7the little blinking line or other marker that shows where you're typing on the computer screen74 ,some manufacturers love the mouse as a marketing gimmick4 ,and it's indeed nice for graphics4 ,if you're a writer or secretary1 however1 and if you lack three hands1 you may be better off mouseless4 ,why8 ,see ,backup ,x1 8,of ,mice and ,men40 ,i'll also try some candor on another touchy topic--computer crime4 ,in ,chapter #aj1 8,jewels that ,blip10 you'll learn how to protect your company secrets inside your computer and how to prevent the machines from suffering amnesia and destroying electronic records4 ,although electronic ,willie ,suttons exist1 your real worries are often mundane4 ,this book won't keep you from spilling coffee on a floppy disk1 but it will tell how1 using good software and good habits1 you can help ward off both crooks and accidents4 ,much of ,chapter #aj is about larger computers1 and quite logically so4 ,increasingly1 your micros will be talking to mainframes1 as the big machines are called1 and your facts are only as safe as the electronic repositories where you store them4 ,computer security will particularly matter in the era of telecommuting1 a subject covered in ,chapter #aa1 8,wired to ,work10 which will show you how 8electronic cottages0 often can be both productive and humane4 ,a ,california professor says by #aiij as many as #aj million ,u4,s4 workers could be tapping away on keyboards at home4 ,in ,chapter #aa1 you'll learn how you may be able to 8telecommute0 within weeks or months if 7#a7 your boss and company are sympathetic and 7#b7 your office politics permit you to do so without harming your career4 ,why wait for official telecommuting programs from corporate headquarters8 ,chapter #aa advocates nothing less than a grass-roots telecommuting movement by corporate writers1 programmers1 salespeople1 and working mothers4 ,toting up the savings that telecommuting can yield1 more and more corporations will encourage experiments4 ,many people--though not all--thrive on it4 8,it seems foolish for me to get in a car to go to an office10 said a ,washington-area telecommuter1 8if ,i can go to that office by phone40 ,without the wear and tear of rush-hour driving he became more productive4 ,you needn't telecommute every day4 ,the chapter1 in fact1 starts with the example of the rush-hour hater who made it a point to keep up with the office crowd in person on occasion4 ,chapter #ab1 8,how ,i ,found #8,god' on ,,mci 7and a ,few ,other ,odds and ,ends about ,electronic ,mail710 tells more about sending computer messages over the phone lines4 ,some ,e-mail nets even link up with the old ,telex networks4 ,during the writing of this book ,i corresponded via computer with people ranging from ,william ,f4 ,buckley1 ,jr41 to ,captain ,zap and the ,,mci mail-,telex connection transmitted last-minute changes to my publisher4 ,in ,chapter #ac1 8,net ,gain10 you'll learn how different computers in your own office can share the same programs and exchange information without people constantly having to carry floppy disks from one desk to another4 ,a ,michigan company may be enjoying as much as ,,dlr #a1jjj a year more in effective work time from each staffer as a result of its internal computer net4 ,of course1 with today's imperfect technology1 such hookups can be a real struggle4 ,but so often they're worth it4 ,you could say the same1 indeed1 of micros in general--today and in the future4 ,it seemed especially true when1 for my last chapter1 ,i tried to reach ,arthur ,clarke's micro in ,sri ,lanka4 ,i wanted him to answer questions about microcomputers in #bjja--the year in which his ,hal was killing humans4 ,did our phone-computer connection succeed8 ,read ,chapter #ad1 8,as the ,jungle ,thickens40 ,struggles notwithstanding1 computers often do pay for harried professionals and business people4 8,this #e1jjj machine has saved me from hiring a #bj1jjj-;a-year assistant10 said a ,new ,york investment adviser using an ,,ibm ,,pc to write reports and make financial calculations at home4 ,a young trader forsook the bedlam at the ,new ,york ,cotton ,exchange for an electronic office in his apartment4 ,now he can go to work in his bathrobe and delay his shower until lunchtime4 8,it's more challenging this way10 he said4 8,more contemplation1 less raw instinct40#e ,footnote #e3 ,the examples of the investment adviser and cotton trader come from ,new ,york magazine4 ,another self-employed man1 ,jimmy ,carter1 composed his memoirs on a word processor--perhaps inspired by the example of a former ,carter speech writer who wrote a well-reviewed book on national defense4 ,then there's ,isaac ,asimov1 the legendary science-fiction novelist1 who1 even with an ancient manual1 could write faster than the old ,teletype machines could clatter along4 ,but he didn't always produce the neatest copy4 8,how different now60 he exulted in an article4 8,staring at a page of type on a television screen1 ,i eagerly look for typos so ,i can have the fun of changing them40 ,you needn't be a professional author1 however1 to benefit from computerized writing4 ,in ,maryland1 an architect-consultant1 once typewriter shy1 is now churning out reports several hundred pages long on his ,,ibm ,,pc4 8,a boon to the small businessman0 is how ,hugh ,hunt1 a son of the late oilman ,h4 ,l4 ,hunt1 described micros4 8,now he can compete with the larger corporations as far as obtaining data and processing it quickly40 ,hunt himself was using portable computers in his land-development business4 ,but he also noted their helpfulness in law3 8,computers are one of the ways that small attorneys can compete with large corporations4 ,by joining a computer bank1 they can research briefs and do word processing1 just as the large companies can40 ,many ,americans apparently shared his views4 ,in #aihe1 they might buy six million computers for business use1 and within two more years1 that number might almost double4#f ,while ,i was writing this book1 the ,united ,states was emerging from the worst economic ordeals since the ,great ,depression2 a few college graduates had been reduced to shopping-bag ladies1 but the microcomputer business was still growing1 even if at a reduced rate4 ,you might wait three months or more for your ,macintosh or ,,ibm4 ,some companies died1 but others took their places2 and even in times of inflation most prices on micros were dropping2 years would pass before scientists could no longer keep dramatically increasing the silicon chips' powers4 ,forget about the physical smallness of the chips4 ,it was as if the entrepreneurs in ,silicon ,valley--in exploiting the scientists' advances--were opening up a vast electronic territory4 8,the only thing you worry about with computers10 ,hunt said1 pleased1 8is #8,should ,i wait until something better comes along8'0 ,footnote #f3 ,the estimates of the number of business computer buyers come from the ,yankee ,group's ,chris ,christiansen4 8,i'm sort of a computer groupie10 said ,art ,buchwald1 the syndicated humor columnist4 ,he was caught up in the new pornography of the era3 those luscious1 ad-packed micro magazines crammed with the vital statistics of ,i,b,ms and ,apples4 8,it used to be that when ,playboy arrived at the house1 my wife would say1 #8,your ,playboy's here1'0 ,buchwald told an advertising magazine4 8,now she says1 #8,your ,info,world's here4' ,i'm not sure which she prefers4 ,i have a feeling that ,playboy1 at least1 she could discuss with me40 ,it was like radio during the #aibjs1 this micro craze4 ,time had proclaimed the computer 8,machine of the ,year0 in #aihb1 and ,i recalled a song that a friend of my parents1 an old woman1 had written years ago4 8,marconi1 ,marconi10 the lyrics went1 8the world is at your feet40 ,how long until the novelty of microcomputers seems just as quaint as that of radio8 ,the parallels could be there4 ,two ,san ,francisco-area authors1 ,andrew ,fluegelman and ,jeremy ,joan ,hewes1 in ,writing in the ,computer ,age1 urged readers to 8become full-fledged computer citizens--as writers1 poets1 artists1 musicians1 programmers1 number-crunchers1 networkers44440 ,the ,fluegelman-,hewes book was useful and well done4 ,but 8computer citizens08 ,the phrase grated4 ,i was a user at the keyboard1 a 8citizen0 in the voting booth4 ,still1 ,i could understand why ,fluegelman and ,hewes called themselves 8computer evangelists40 ,i felt the same way4 ,after having brought us ,muzak and junk food1 technology for once was making life better4 ,i say this with reservations4 ,educators correctly warned of the computer literacy gap between ,harlem and ,scarsdale--of the dearth of machines in the slums and the bounty in some suburbs4 ,rich and poor clashed at school-board meetings4 ,in my own county1 ,fairfax ,county1 ,virginia1 a well-off ,,pta reportedly saved up for micros1 then withheld purchases until it learned whether the school board would spend tax money helping other schools catch up4 ,and what about unemployment as automation cost more jobs8 ,or ,u4,s4 firms using computer-satellite hookups to pipe in the work of #c-;an-hour clerks8 ,the ,people's ,republic of ,china was even preparing to sell programming skills to the rest of the world4 ,a billion programmers1 maybe8 ,so much for high tech as a refuge for the ,american jobless4 ,how could you make computerization a joy to all8 ,that was one answer you'd never find in a computer store4 ,you could1 however1 set up the right retraining program for valued employees to see them through automation4 ,you could fight the ,hal ,syndrome4 ,you could work to end boring tasks4 ,in short1 you could do your best to make your computers benefit both your employees and your company's earnings4 #b ,the ,kaypro ,phenomenon3 ,how ,solana ,beach ,took on ,silicon ,valley ,as ,the ,silicon ,jungle was lighting up my ,kaypro screen one ,september day in #aihc1 several similar machines were whirring and clicking in the ,washington offices of ,walter ,mondale's presidential campaign4 ,kaypros kept track of donations and the #ah-million budget4 ,they helped churn out news releases1 speeches1 and letters to voters in important primary states4 ,just eighty people worked at headquarters seven months into the campaign2 ,kaypros and other affordable micros were a major reason why ,mondale wouldn't need legions of back-room staffers in ,washington later on4 ,i didn't know if ,mondale would win or lose the primary1 but whatever happened1 it wouldn't be for want of computing power4 ,forty-five miles away1 near ,baltimore1 ,kaypros at a ,westinghouse plant were receiving computer messages from defense installations abroad4 ,other ,kaypros sat on the desks of ,william ,f4 ,buckley1 ,jr41 ex-,governor ,jerry ,brown's research director1 and the president of ,tootsie ,rolls2 and still another1 some months earlier1 had helped study ,barney ,clark1 the first man with an artificial heart4 ,a ,kaypro in the ,midwest was tracking something else1 the milk and manure output of cows4 ,all of us1 ,mondale's people1 the others1 and ,i1 had benefited from the struggle between ,adam ,osborne and ,andy ,kay4 ,osborne1 a brash ex-columnist for computer magazines1 had marketed the first mass-produced portable computer4 ,andy ,kay had soon followed with the ,kaypro4 ,adam ,osborne was a dark-haired1 mustached man in his forties who enjoyed toting his product within sight of photographers4 ,his father1 a ,british missionary of unconventional stripe1 had tried to convert ,christians to ,hinduism4 ,nor did the younger ,osborne himself blend into the crowd2 he founded his computer company in #aiha and was soon comparing himself to ,henry ,ford and the ,osborne #a to the ,model ,t4 8,i give you10 he said1 8ninety percent of what most people need40 ,his rival1 ,kay1 was shorter1 about five feet seven inches1 but also slim2 like ,osborne1 he had studied chemical engineering and was a maverick and newcomer in the personal-computer business4 ,there1 however1 the resemblances ended4 ,kay was soft-spoken1 graying1 an old electronics hand2 his friends depicted him as a quality-obsessed engineer and ,osborne as a flashy marketing man4 ,they said ,osborne had seemed technically incapable of making a good portable with a nine-inch screen4 ,adam ,osborne1 in turn1 spoke of ,kay's computer as if he were a four-hundred-pound wrestler forecasting an instant demise for a foe3 8,the ,kaypro's gonna die40#g ,footnote #g3 8,gonna die0 is from ,popular ,computing4 ,the ,osborne statements come from oft-repeated statements to newspapers or from magazines4 8,mr4 ,osborne10 an aide said when ,i revealed that this chapter was on ,brand ,x1 8does not want to discuss the ,kaypro40 ,andy ,kay himself did not speak to me in a normal interview4 ,his literary agent-friend1 ,william ,gladstone1 feared that it might conflict with a project of their own1 and ,gladstone sought to deny me ownership of quoted material4 ,normally ,i would have told him to stuff it1 but ,i needed the right quotes to tell the full story of my computer4 ,so ,gladstone and ,i worked out a compromise4 ,after ,i sent thousands of words of questions via my ,kaypro over the phone lines1 he obtained ,kay's replies on tape4 ,i submitted follow-up queries when ,kay's answers did not satisfy me4 ,gladstone insisted on reading this chapter for accuracy but never tried to censor me2 in fact1 he was helpful and pleasant to deal with4 ,he even brought this manuscript to the attention of a publisher he knew 7although ,i placed it through my agents74 ,gladstone's help1 incidentally1 didn't influence my perception of the ,kaypro ,,ii as better than the archrival ,osborne4 ,i bought a ,kaypro at a time when 8,william ,gladstone0 was nothing more to me than the name of a nineteenth-century ,english statesman2 ,i already loved the company's product4 ,just the same1 determined not to write an extended press release1 ,i've consulted with the corporation's critics1 and ,i have run this chapter past a ,san ,diego ,union reporter named ,dan ,berger1 who exposed some of ,kaypro's less admirable management practices4 ,i'm as grateful to ,dan as to ,bill4 ,the computer magazines had portrayed ,osborne as a lone maverick taking on the ,silicon ,valley establishment with the portable that the rest of the industry said couldn't be built4 ,but ,kay claimed a similar idea had hit him at the same time4 ,andy ,kay had seen his son-in-law struggling to carry an ,apple and its trimmings between home and office and decided that a market might exist for a small machine for engineers1 architects1 and other professionals4 ,then1 ,kay said1 he had heard of the ,osborne4 ,modifying their original plans somewhat1 his people at ,non-,linear ,systems had homed in on their rival's weaknesses1 giving their own computer a better screen and a better keyboard and the ability to store more data4 ,adam ,osborne had struck back with a jazzed-up version of his first machine4 ,by #aihc1 many other companies were in the fray1 including ,seequa ,computer ,corporation1 a ,maryland manufacturer whose computer sold for less than #b1jjj and ran most ,,ibm-style programs4 ,in mid-#aihc an industry expert was saying ,kay and ,osborne might together enjoy #bjj million a year in micro sales at the retail level4 ,that was just a fraction of the #e-;billion-a-year market for business micros1 but the two firms then seemed the largest makers of portables in the #a1jjj-b1jjj range4#h ,their fight was pivotal4 ,lines were fuzzing between economy business computers and the home machines2 the winner of the portable battle might go on to fight ,apple and ,,ibm1 provided it survived the onslaught of #a1jjj computers that ,japan was expected to unleash4 ,by the end of the decade1 powerful portables with a quarter the bulk of the ,kaypro ,,ii might jam the shelves of the discount stores4 ,footnote #h3 ,the #bjj-million and #e-;billion estimates came to me from ,chris ,christiansen of the ,yankee ,group1 who said the latter figure might be very conservative4 ,info,world quoted another research firm1 ,info,corp1 as saying that #ebg1jjj portable computers were sold in #aihb--;and that #e4a million would be sold by #aihg4 ,kay waged his marketing war from several hillside buildings in ,solana ,beach1 a small town near ,san ,diego1 hundreds of miles south of ,osborne and the rest of ,silicon ,valley4 ,his was a family business4 ,kay's personal housekeeper served salads and fruit juice in the corporate lunch room1 and his eighty-six-year-old father1 known around the plant as 8,grandpa10 repaired electronic equipment and ran a forklift4 ,andy ,kay's wife was secretary of the company4 ,one son1 ,david1 was the vice-president for marketing and had helped develop the ,kaypro2 a second son worked in personnel1 and a third ran the print shop2 and ,andy ,kay's daughter and her husband had designed the buildings--which were now the same light blue as the 8,,kaypro ,,ii0 lettering on the computer4 ,altogether1 some #dej people worked for ,kay's company by mid-#aihc4 ,that was more than twice the number a year earlier when the ,kaypro ,,ii was just hitting the market and ,kay was counting on a mere #aj million in sales4 ,bulldozers were growling away amid the expansion1 and the company newspaper said equipment-cluttered grounds resembled a scene from a bad disaster movie4 ,no longer was ,kay a semiobscure maker of voltmeters and oscilloscopes and other test equipment4 ,sales1 once #d or #e million annually1 were barreling along toward #ajj million4 ,even his company name soon changed--from ,non-,linear ,systems to ,kaypro--in recognition of the success of the division making his hot new computer4 ,wall ,street and ,andy ,kay were getting to know each other4 ,that summer four million shares of common stock hit the market at #aj each2 and the prospectus said ,arthur ,b4 ,laffer1 the 8,laffer ,curve0 economist1 would serve on the board of directors4 ,kay still owned most of the company personally4 ,and now1 with the new money1 he could give ,,ibm and ,apple a better fight4 8,after #cj years in business10 ,san ,diego ,magazine had said1 8he's suddenly the new kid on the block1 clutching under his arms a couple of excellent bags of marbles40#i ,footnote #i3 ,the ,san ,diego ,magazine article appeared in ,may #aihc4 ,before the ,kaypro1 ,kay hadn't exactly been on the verge of starvation--he owned an art-filled home overlooking the ,pacific and gave to the local symphony and other cultural causes--but now he'd reached the point where his admirers were depicting him as a silicon-age ,horatio ,alger character4 ,that's a little exaggerated4 ,kay1 though poor in his ,new ,jersey days1 was never an orphaned newsboy toughing it alone4 8,grandpa0 prodded ,andy4 ,frank ,kopischiansky--an ,eastern ,european immigrant and an ex-coal miner--worked in silk mills and wool factories and as a chauffeur4 ,frank had come to the ,united ,states from what is now ,poland4 ,andy ,kopischiansky would later become ,andy ,kay after his original name baffled some colleagues at work and they kept calling him 8,kay0 for short4 ,the ,kopischiansky home lacked a bathtub4 8,but10 ,andy recalled1 8we always had food1 and ,i always had a nickel in my pocket40 ,frank enjoyed fixing broken-down cars and tinkering with electrical equipment1 and ,andy himself built a shortwave radio when he was only twelve years old4 ,math was another love4 ,andy even considered a career as an actuary after ,prudential ,life told him he could eventually make #ae1jjj a year4 8,i flipped out10 ,andy said1 8because it was a lot of money in #aice40 ,frank shrugged off the #ae1jjj1 however4 8,that's not very much10 he said4 ,the words1 incredibly1 came from a man who seldom made more than #a1jjj a year during ,andy's youth and who sometimes earned just #ae a week4 ,andy1 growing up in ,clifton1 ,new ,jersey1 took it for granted he could never afford college1 but then the letters ,m4,i4,t4 came up in a drafting class4 8,what's that80 ,andy asked4 8,i've never heard of the place40 ,frank had lost most of his savings in a bank crash1 but his wife somehow scraped up enough money to help ,andy reach ,m4,i4,t4 on a partial scholarship4 ,andy graduated in #aidj with a bachelors degree in chemical engineering1 mathematics1 and premedicine and worked for the ,bendix ,corporation and several other companies before founding ,non-,linear ,systems in #aiec4 ,kay reached ,california through a job1 although for years he'd been hoping to enjoy the warm climate there4 ,he started his company in ,solana ,beach rather than ,silicon ,valley because he was already working in the area4 ,osborne himself would found his own firm while living in ,berkeley--he'd locate it in ,hayward1 a medium-sized city within twenty miles of the ,valley proper1 the ,palo ,alto-,san ,jose area southeast of ,san ,francisco4 ,for ,non-,linear ,systems ,kay developed the world's first commercially successful digital voltmeter4 ,it was the result of some memories from ,world ,war ,,ii1 when unskilled workers were constantly damaging voltmeters and having trouble reading them accurately4 ,kay's new machine easily survived the careless4 ,the instrument displayed numbers and didn't require workers to make a reading off the thin needle of a conventional meter adjusted for the right voltage4 8,i don't look at myself particularly as an inventor10 ,kay said4 8,i'm a solver of problems4 ,there are inventors who have many1 many more ideas than ,i get40 ,instead1 he tried to refine ideas in 8ways that make sense from an industrial-engineering standpoint and a customer standpoint40 ,kay's digital voltmeter was perfect for the military and for the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration 7,,nasa7 and their contractors2 unskilled people could help test thousands of voltages on ,american missiles4 8,the silos are full of our instruments10 he said4 ,but the ,,nasa cutbacks of the ,nixon era hit ,non-,linear ,systems hard4 8,the seven vice-presidents went10 recalled a trade publication1 8as did their white ,cadillacs40 ,frank ,kopischiansky was willing to help see ,non-,linear ,systems through bad times1 loaning thousands of dollars of painfully saved money4 ,but that was hardly enough to sustain a corporation4 ,what about the future8 ,how to avoid the boom-and-bust cycle of government spending8 ,kay decided to carve out a niche as a maker of rugged portable test gear for private industry4 ,he wanted to offer many of the same wrinkles found in costly1 bench-bound equipment1 and one of those features was a microprocessor in a voltmeter3 a miniature electronic brain that would make it easier to use4 ,the idea came from an old friend1 ,bill ,mc,donald1 whom ,kay had met decades earlier at ,m4,i4,t4 ,their gym lockers were next to each other's there2 both men had loved handball and hated team sports4 ,mc,donald1 a husky man of basketball-player height1 had worked for ,non-,linear ,systems in the early #aiejs1 then had returned ,east1 where he had acquired a computer background4 ,then1 in the late #aigjs1 he'd rejoined ,non-,linear ,systems1 where his friend ,kay hoped he would help develop a computer4 ,correctly or not1 ,kay believed that 8ninety percent of the electronics business was computer and ten percent was test equipment1 hi-fi1 stereo1 and stuff like that40 ,non-,linear ,systems had offered other companies' minicomputers in systems it packaged for military contractors1 but still wasn't making machines of its own4 ,maybe a small business machine would be one way to enter computerdom4 8,two months after ,bill came to work for me10 ,kay recalled1 8he showed me some microprocessor-based computers for doing accounts payable-receivable at the local computer dealer's place4 8,they were very reasonable1 so ,i bought some and was very intrigued with them4 ,and ,i wondered3 #8,why not make this stuff8 ,i could make a better disk drive4 ,and look at this3 this connector doesn't work too well4' ,and ,bill said1 #8,we could make them1 all right1 but ,i don't know where you'd sell them4' ,this was in late #aigi4 ,i said okay and dropped the idea40 ,two years later1 however1 ,kay watched his architect son-in-law1 ,michael ,batter1 struggling with an ,apple and knew the time was ripe for an easier-to-tote portable4 ,kay tried ,visi,calc1 the electronic spreadsheet1 on the ,apple and came away thinking the machine was too complicated1 beyond being a hassle to move from home to office4 ,so ,kay told ,bill ,mc,donald1 8,listen1 we're selling instruments to engineers4 ,let's make a computer that we can walk in to an engineer and set on his desk and say1 #8,hey1 look at this4 ,you can use it4'0 ,still1 ,kay worried about the new technology4 8,it's a fairly stylized dance10 ,mc,donald reassured him in spring #aiha4 8,you buy the chips1 and there is black magic in getting them to work--but not in how they work40 8,okay10 came the reply1 8that's it4 ,we'll get rid of the disadvantages of the ,apple and cram our computer into one box without cables all over the place40 ,in ads the ,apple looked incredibly compact4 ,actually1 though1 serious computer users needed disk drives to store large amounts of information for quick retrieval4 ,they also needed a ,,tv-like monitor to see the letters and numbers they typed out on the computer4 ,and ,kay wisely wanted everything squeezed into one box4 ,if you bought his machine1 you'd get the whole works except perhaps for the printer1 which spewed out your calculations or typed up your letter4 ,also1 it would cost you less than a full ,apple system4 ,kay could bring down the cost of a complete machine if he planned on every computer being one4 ,all this was the logical culmination of ,kay's skill in shrinking gear for the military and aerospace industry4 ,for years he had been making printed circuit boards and filling them with components4 ,and he could order the disk drives1 keyboards1 and other special computer-type parts from outside suppliers4 ,the way ,kay tells it1 he had no idea--at first--that he was about to take on ,adam ,osborne4 8,it was six months10 he said1 8before we ever saw ,osborne's literature4 ,he introduced his computer in ,march #aiha1 but ,i didn't know anything about it40 ,some would question that statement1 of course1 given the novelty of the ,osborne #a and its creator's flair for publicity4 ,whatever happened--with ,osborne in mind or not--,kay selected the same basic technology and essentially similar parts4 ,a ,z#hj-,style ,microprocessor ,a microprocessor is simply the main brains that tie together the memory devices1 the keyboard1 and other parts of the computer4 ,you can also call it a central processing unit 7,,cpu74 ,okay1 but why a ,z#hj in the ,kaypro8 ,that's simply a style of chip from a company called ,zilog4 8,you could buy those all over the place10 ,kay said4 8,we wanted something proven and reliable40 ,the ,z#hj was the only kind of ,,cpu that could run ,,cp_/,m 7,control ,program for ,microcomputers7-style programs1 then an industry standard4 ,the ,z#hj1 though1 can't handle programs as complicated as the newer #hjhh chip that ended up in ,,ibm ,p,cs and countless clones4 ,here's why4 ,a bit is a 8#a0 or a 8#j40 ,patterns of bits form bytes4 ,and what's a byte8 ,nothing more than a letter or number4 ,so how does this tie in with the early ,kaypro's ,z#hj versus the ,,ibm's #hjhh8 ,well1 the ,z#hj processes information in words of only #h bits at a time4 ,the #hjhh in the ,,ibm1 however1 gulps it down in #af-;bit chunks and works with larger memories--so that the ,,ibm can run more complicated programs1 like the more elaborate electronic spreadsheets for forecasting profit and loss4 ,there's another benefit1 too4 ,a #af-;bitter doesn't need to call up programming information as often from the spinning floppy disks1 which are slower than the purely electronic memories4 ,the ,kaypro ,,ii1 however1 won't immediately become a has-bit--er1 has-been4 8,converting the ,kaypro to a #af-;bit machine is no big deal10 ,kay observed4 ,in fact1 several months after he said it1 his company announced a computer called the ,kaypro ,,ii ,plus #hh with both the #h-;bit ,z#hj and the #af-;bit #hjhh4 ,it couldn't run all ,,ibm programs1 especially those boasting graphics or pictures as well as words and numbers4 ,here1 as in many cases1 the term 8,,ibm compatible0 is grossly misleading4 ,there are degrees of compatibility1 and even if a computer supposedly uses the same style of floppy disks1 you must test it with the program you want to run4 7,many computer aficionados test for general ,,ibm compatibility by running a game called ,flight ,simulator1 or ,lotus #a-b-c1 a program combining a spreadsheet with graphics and several other capabilities47 ,some existing programs1 by the way1 are configured so that it doesn't matter much whether you're running the #h- or #af-;bit version4 ,that will change as special programs come out for the #af-;bit machines and as old ones1 like ,word,star1 begin to take full advantage of #af-;bit capabilities4 ,already ,apple and other companies are writing new software for computers like the ,macintosh1 which1 if not universally regarded as a true #cb-;bit machine1 contains chips faster than the ,,ibm's #hjhh4 ,for many small businesses1 however1 #h bits may be powerful enough even for number crunching as long as the right programs are available4 ,the wisdom in the micro business is that no machine is ever obsolete--just so it does the job for you4 #fd,k ,random-,access ,memory 7,,ram7 ,,ram1 once the power goes off1 will throw out everything you've typed4 ,this temporary computer memory1 this electronic scratchpad1 is like a bright student cramming for a quiz in a useless subject3 he's a quick learner--and a quick forgetter4 ,don't confuse ,,ram with ,,rom1 or read-only memory4 ,r,o,ms keep remembering even after the power goes off4 ,but you can't 8write0 new material on them2 commonly1 ,r,o,ms store programs used over and over again4 ,what about the ,,ram1 though8 ,how to get around the forgetting8 ,you just transfer the information to floppy disks1 which are slower but as stable as a music cassette4 ,different computers hold different amounts of information in their ,r,a,ms4 ,the ,kaypro ,,ii holds #fd,k2 ,k is normally a scientific abbreviation for #a1jjj4 ,so #fd,k stands for a memory capacity of about #fd1jjj letters or numbers4 ,no1 ,i won't mess with the technical explanation of why it isn't exactly #fd1jjj4 ,okay1 but why #fd,k8 ,it's a magic number to the computer4 ,sixty-four ,k bytes is the largest memory with which the ,z#hj and other #h-;bit microprocessors can easily communicate without too much technical trickery4 ,also1 you need at least #fd,k to make good use of some popular software like the ,word,star word-processing program4 ,moreover1 the ,,ram must be roomy enough to handle electronic spreadsheets4 ,most small businesses will find that the #fd,k ,kaypro can juggle around enough columns and rows on the sheets4 ,but in some cases you may still want a micro with #ejj,k or even #a1jjj,k or more of ,,ram4 ,to sum things up1 that's because3 #a4 ,bigger ,r,a,ms can work with more and larger numbers--a handy capability for a company with extremely complicated spreadsheets4 #b4 ,more ,,ram can accommodate programs more complicated for the computer4 ,note the words 8for the computer40 ,some of the programs most complicated for the computer may be the easiest for you to use4 ,or they may be the most versatile4 ,lotus #a-b-c1 a combination of a spreadsheet1 a graphics program1 and several others1 is far too complex for an #h-;bit machine with #fd,k ,,ram4 ,many #af-;bit programs require #aib,k or more just to load the program before you even put in your reports or spreadsheets4 #c4 ,you may want the most sophisticated software to thwart computer crooks4 ,that could be particularly true in a large company where many people can poke through a computer's memory either in person or via other machines connected by phone or other wires4 ,never buy a computer without seeing for yourself that it and the software will together serve your needs4 ,don't take the sales rep's word4 ,instead1 make him or his software specialist put the machine through its paces4 ,do so even if you're not buying software at the store4 ,of course1 the sales rep may not have access to the software1 in which case you may want to visit another store for a demo4 ,and if no one can assure you1 no ifs or buts1 that the computer-software combo works fine8 ,then you may want to hire a consultant4 ,use of ,,cp_/,m ,software ,,cp_/,m is a kind of operating system4 ,it tells a computer how to do garden-variety jobs1 like moving data from a memory unit to one that does the machine's electronic reasoning4 ,,cp_/,m isn't the only operating system that business microcomputers use4 ,when ,i was writing this chapter1 however1 it was one of the more common1 with variation present on more than half a million computers4 ,a company called ,digital ,research marketed ,,cp_/,m1 selling to manufacturers1 which1 in turn1 didn't have to create their own operating systems4 ,in the early #aihjs1 the big software hits almost always came in ,,cp_/,m formats4 8,we wanted to use ,,cp_/,m because #aj1jjj programs were available10 ,kay said4 ,they were for computers with #h bits1 not #af--;another reason he made the original ,kaypro an #h-;bitter4 8,if we'd used #af bits10 ,kay said with uncharacteristic profanity1 8people would have said1 #8,where the hell's the programs8' ,,ibm could sell their computers without programs1 which is what they did essentially and let the programs come later40 ,in contracting software design to outsiders1 8,big ,blue10 as ,,ibm is called1 was defying its own tradition4 ,it hired ,microsoft--a ,washington ,state software company headed by a brilliant young ,harvard dropout--to create a whole new operating system4 ,called ,,ms-,,dos1 the system would become an industry standard by #aihd4 ,and from the start1 independent software houses hustled to market ,,ms-,,dos-style programs usable on the hot new machine for applications like word processing and spreadsheets4 ,the existing ,,cp_/,m applications programs wouldn't work on an unmodified ,,ibm ,personal ,computer unless the programmers converted them to ,,ms-,,dos or another compatible operating system4 #8,two-,disk ,they're the gizmos into which you insert the floppy disks through slots in the computer4 ,from the outside a disk looks square4 ,it's inside a container that helps protect it from fingerprints and other threats to the plastic disk's magnetic coating4 ,you can't cover the delicate disk completely1 though4 ,some of it must touch the head of a disk drive4 ,a head 8writes0 magnetic patterns on the oxide coating of a disk2 in other words1 it stores information that you've typed into your computer or the results of your calculations4 ,and to fetch the information8 ,then you simply type out commands instructing the head to 8read0 from the disk to the ,,ram4 ,it's much like a tape recorder storing your voice magnetically4 ,but a disk drive can read or write information much more rapidly than a tape-recorder-style arrangement could4 ,that's because the disk spins so rapidly--hundreds of revolutions per minute4 ,why twin disk drives1 however8 ,there are two reasons3 #a4 ,you can quickly make safety copies of valuable disks--something that's more of a hassle with single-drive computers like the bare-boned ,macintosh4 #b4 ,you can more easily work with long electronic documents4 ,with one drive ,i'm storing ,word,star and a number of other goodies that take up almost all the space on the floppy2 there'd be hardly any room for the information ,i'm typing out4 ,all this is happening on my 8,a0 drive4 ,the 8,b0 drive is my data disk1 devoted entirely to storage of my writing4 ,i can easily squeeze the equivalent of about fifty pages of double-spaced typing with ,word,star1 which is one reason ,i bought a ,kaypro instead of an ,osborne4 ,brand ,o's earlier versions could store only half that amount of material4 ,before buying a computer1 you should always analyze your paper records in terms of 8,k40 ,each ,k stands for #a1jbd characters2 and that includes letters1 numbers1 punctuation marks1 and spaces in between4 ,a double-spaced page of typing might be #ff 7the number of columns across each line7 #bh 7the number of lines71 or #a1hdh characters4 ,bingo6 ,that's #a4h,k1 plus a little slack for safety4 ,since ,andy ,kay allowed #aia,k of working space on each floppy1 ,i'd have enough room for a document some hundred pages long1 except that ,word,star makes an electronic carbon copy for additional security4 ,so my actual working space is around #ej pages4 ,that's easily enough for this chapter to fit on one of the ,kaypro ,,ii's floppies4 ,and newer floppy disk drives can accommodate more than #b4e million bytes4 ,although the ,osborne and ,kaypro both used twin drives1 there were also major differences between the two--beyond the double-density feature that allowed ,kay to squeeze twice as much material on each floppy4 ,osborne's first computer1 for example1 came with only a five-inch monitor4 8,adequacy is sufficient10 he once said4 8,all else is irrelevant40 ,it was a neat excuse for his early machine's limited disk space and for the five-inch1 black-and-white screen1 which could display only #eb columns and which wasn't as kind to the eyes as green4 ,the production-model ,kaypro1 on the other hand1 boasted a nine-inch1 #hj-;column green screen from the start4 ,and the ,kaypro keyboard made the ,osborne board seem flimsy4 8,i like something ,i can feel when ,i'm pressing a letter down10 said ,kim ,de,filippis1 a dealer relations woman who was one of the touch-typists chosen to try out different keyboards for the new machine4 8,the board doesn't feel like one on a computer4 ,it feels like a typewriter40 ,and the keys1 unlike the ,osborne's1 were in all the right places for people weaned on ,selectrics4 ,kay had used the same ,tiffany-quality keyboard found on computer terminals costing thousands of dollars more than his economy machine4 ,kay1 moreover1 had given his ,kaypro a metal case unlike the plastic one of the ,osborne4 ,metal dispersed heat better1 and that meant that the parts might last longer than those in the early ,osbornes4 ,brand ,o tended to overheat floppy disks4 ,recalling that ,non-,linear ,systems made test instruments1 however1 one reviewer gibed that the metal case betrayed the ,kaypro's heritage4 ,i didn't care4 ,the ,kaypro reminded me of old ,heathkits1 of smoky soldering irons1 of crisp1 cold evenings in my youth when ,i'd listened through the static for the whistling dots and dashes from my fellow hams4 ,but many people shrugged off the ,kaypro's appearance as unprofessional1 and so ,i asked about the case4 ,kay said its contents dictated the shape4 8,unless we created air space and made it larger10 he said1 8we couldn't have made the shape much different40 ,a hood shaded the ,kaypro's cathode ray tube 7,,crt2 the ,,tv-like screen74 ,and as it turned out1 that matched the comfortable slope of the keyboard that attached to the front of the machine for carrying4 ,i noticed only a few adornments added for buyers' eyes4 ,one was the blue 8,,kaypro ,,ii0 lettering on the case and the stripes on it and the keyboard2 another was the blue color of the keys on the calculatorlike numbers pad4 ,no1 you couldn't mistake the ,kaypro for a ,gucci creation4 ,and yet1 as good1 functional design1 the ,kaypro succeeded3 at least one other portable appeared in a sharp-edged metal box4 ,the location of my ,kaypro's two disk drives1 to the right of the ,,crt1 was especially logical4 ,kay and his engineers wanted them well separated from a high-voltage transformer on the left--an electrical component that was part of the video circuitry and whose magnetic radiation could interfere with the operation of the drives4 ,bill ,mc,donald noted the ,osborne disks were on either side of the tube4 ,circuitry for a nine-inch tube produced more electronic noise than that given off by a five-incher4 ,and ,mc,donald speculated that this was one reason ,osborne had to make do with the smaller size4 ,inside the ,kaypro1 atop the printed circuit boards1 you saw integrated circuits with leglike leads of the kind that one writer compared to caterpillars4 ,you found somewhat similar looking parts inside the ,osborne4 ,but there was a difference4 8,oh1 my ,god10 said ,michael ,pond1 owner of a ,washington-area ,kaypro dealership1 the ,computer ,shoppe1 8once you take the cover off the ,osborne1 everything sort of falls apart in your hand4 ,it's held together by the wiring harness4 ,it's like a jellyfish40 ,that may have been a bit off target4 ,chris ,christiansen1 however1 a computer analyst with the ,yankee ,group1 a high-tech marketing research firm1 compared the ,osborne to a ,chinese puzzle and said an ,osborne user 8in the next office gets very nervous when ,i come around with a screwdriver40 ,by contrast the ,kaypro looked eminently repairable4 8,when you take one part of the machine off10 ,pond said1 8the rest of the machine doesn't fall apart40 ,andy ,kay's people had divided up the circuitry into several modules that repairmen could remove easily4 ,his computer had far fewer chips than the old ,apple ,,ii4 ,and with fewer chips1 repair people more often could locate glitches by replacing various parts until the machine was working again4 ,fondly1 ,pond said the ,kaypro ,,ii was 8over-engineered10 like an early-model ,volvo4 8,well10 you're wondering1 8what about the ,kaypro ,i80 ,it never existed except as a prototype4 ,of course1 the ,,ii didn't hurt ,kay's efforts to convince buyers that he had one up on ,osborne4 ,the prototype's screen was between the disk drives1 interfering with them1 and another flaw became clear3 the shortness of the cable between the keyboard and the main unit4 ,bill ,mc,donald was worried4 ,suppose a customer crushed a finger while wrestling with the little cable8 ,why not hinge the keyboard to the twenty-pound console8 ,and that's how ,non-,linear ,systems indeed built the prototype4 ,but ,mc,donald still fretted that someone might undo the latches2 and so1 driven by fear of a lawsuit from a klutzy ,kaypro owner1 the engineers redesigned the computer to accommodate a coiled cord several feet long4 ,altogether1 ,andy ,kay's people spent only a year and less than half a million dollars developing the ,kaypro ,,ii4 8,after we'd been at it eight or nine months10 he said1 8someone brought in some literature from ,osborne1 who had just announced his portable computer4 ,i said1 #8,oh1 oh1 somebody beat me to the punch4' ,but ,i saw he had a different idea in mind--a smaller screen1 plastic case1 different market40#aj ,the words 8different market0 are more than a little off mark4 ,andy ,kay1 like it or not1 was in direct competition with ,osborne4 ,kay might sell his computers at independent stores rather than at the ,computer,lands and ,sears stores where many of ,osborne's machines ended up4 ,but at meetings of ,kaypro owners and 8,ozzies10 ,i found the same hodgepodge of small-business people and professionals4 ,footnote #aj3 ,san ,diego is the source of the 8,after we'd been at it eight or nine months0 quote4 ,hearing of ,osborne1 ,kay actually was grateful in a sense4 8,when he started telling the world about how many orders he's got1 ,i said1 #8,well1 if he's getting all these orders1 ,i'll start making more of them4'0 ,kay used an electronic spreadsheet on his newly developed computer to forecast its sales4 ,the ,kaypro ,,ii had better succeed1 since the half million in expenses didn't include marketing costs and miscellaneous ones such as manuals--another million altogether4 ,kay1 however1 said the high-interest loans for the project 8never really bothered me that much4 ,i felt confident of getting it done4 ,in one sense ,i place very little value on money4 ,my wife1 ,mary1 is quite different4 ,she said1 #8,you'll lose your money4' ,she was secretary of the company4 ,she had to sign mortgages on our home that we had paid for1 property we owned1 the plant site4 ,it was a heavy burden for her4 ,if you're in an airplane or car1 going up a winding road on a mountain1 the fellow who's driving isn't as nervous as if someone else is driving4 ,i was involved in getting it done4 ,she was on the sidelines worrying about it40 ,the ,kaycomp--that was the original name before the ,kays changed it because it resembled another computer firm's--first went public at a ,san ,francisco computer fair in ,march #aihb4 ,just a routine item appeared in ,byte1 the phone-book-sized microcomputer magazine4 ,i wondered why4 ,maybe it was because ,andy ,kay's technology wasn't new1 merely good repackaging1 and he wasn't selling himself as ,god or ,henry ,ford4 ,but dealers at computer shows were raving4 ,the ,kaypro's suggested retail price was #a1gie1 the same as the ,osborne's1 and ,kay1 too1 threw in software3 a word processor1 an electronic spreadsheet1 and other programs that could have cost more than #a1jjj if purchased individually4 ,kay was smart4 ,osborne had pioneered by including business software for 8free0 with an economy-priced machine1 and now ,kay must follow with its own 8bundled0 programs4 8,has ,catch #bb's ,milo ,minderbinder1 ,world ,war ,,ii's greatest wheeler-dealer1 hired on as a software buyer at ,,nls80 ,san ,diego marveled4 8,you don't think that took a lot of time to put together80 ,kay said4 8,we purchased some software outright and pay royalties for some40#aa ,footnote #aa3 ,san ,diego contains the quote on software purchases and royalties4 ,by mid-#aihb1 customers and dealers had placed several thousand advanced orders4 ,kay's production lines cranked up1 though the pace was slow at first as his people searched for bugs4 ,they did not always stamp them out4 ,a disk drive on my ,serial #cjhc1 lasted only a year2 my warranty was for the industry's usual ninety days4 ,moreover1 despite visits to several dealers1 my computer still streaked lightly across the screen when ,i typed1 and finally ,i had to have the monitor replaced4 ,but the view easily beat the ,osborne's4 ,and later1 modifying the circuitry and positioning the disk drives horizontally instead of vertically1 ,kay ended the streaks on new units4 8,in an emergency ,i get all the senior engineers on the job10 he said4 8,we don't let problems go on like old man river40 ,andy ,kay rewarded his top problem solvers with benefits like stock options1 and the stock offering prospectus from ,prudential-,bache ,securities anticipated that in #aihc ,kay himself would earn #ahg1jjj in salary1 bonuses1 and other remuneration4 ,not everyone fared so well2 ,kay said his labor costs were half those of competitors4 8,the wages on the line are so low10 quipped a disgruntled ex-employee1 8,i'd call them south of the border40 ,kaypro was typical of many high-tech companies2 the production workers were mainly women1 many of them foreign born1 some of them incapable of speaking ,english1 all of them nonunion4 ,adam ,osborne1 too1 tried to cut labor costs to the bone4 ,and ,atari had laid off scores of ,americans and farmed out jobs to cheaper labor abroad1 reddening the faces of the politicians known as 8,atari ,democrats0 who believed that high tech could fight unemployment4 ,regardless of the low wages1 ,kay's own company at least appeared to be the antithesis of a sweatshop4 ,his hillside buildings didn't look like normal factories2 they were long and narrow1 well windowed1 split into small rooms without the racket of mechanized production lines4 ,kay described his workers as 8always moving1 interacting constantly4 ,if one piece is missing1 they work around that4 ,if one person is slow because he happens to be new1 they work around him and help him out4 ,it's exactly the same approach we used for stuffing printed circuit boards on the voltmeters4 ,it uses the least amount of capital equipment1 and it's the easiest on the assemblers1 because they aren't just sitting or standing in one spot40 ,lacking a conventional assembly line1 ,kay said he needed few mid-level managers2 and even after ,kay went public1 he still hated to bring in ,m,b,as4 ,managers built empires4 ,they feuded4 ,they got in producers' way4 ,that was how ,kay felt1 apparently--a legacy of the #aifjs when ,non-,linear ,systems had splurged thousands on those seven vice-presidents and their white ,cadillacs4 ,but some practices from the go-go years lingered4 ,one1 said ,kay1 was participative management1 the philosophy that had led to the formation of those small1 friendly assembly teams4 ,the atmosphere around the plant was informal4 8,we have very few written policies on anything10 he said4 ,no dress code existed1 save for an informal ban on attire like short shorts--a policy bent to accommodate workers who labored in the hot ,southern ,california sun4 ,also1 ,andy ,kay's company at times hired people with unusual backgrounds4 ,clifford ,odendhal1 a musician-dancer-songwriter in his thirties1 had come by way of ,,cojo ,wind1 ,david ,kay's alternative energy firm4 ,david asked ,odendhal to help ,non-,linear ,systems catch up on back correspondence1 leading to a customer-service job there4 ,eventually1 ,odendhal was helping with public relations4 8,this is the first job outside of entertainment that ,i have ever cared about beyond my paycheck10 he said4 ,andy said of ,david1 8,he's less cautious about hiring people than ,i am4 ,if they don't work out1 he just lets them go40 ,david1 a six-foot-three-inch surfer with a degree in math and a hobby of collecting dictionaries1 had himself started with the company several years before the birth of the ,kaypro4 ,now he was vice-president for marketing1 and when an investment banker asked ,andy if ,david was a vice-president because he was ,andy's son or because he was the best man for the job1 ,andy replied3 8,both40 ,he believed that ,david's role in the development and marketing of the ,kaypro 8was extremely important4 ,in thirty years ,i've never seen a man in marketing who measures up to one-tenth the dedication and performance he's shown40 ,andy's son used what the ,wall ,street ,journal described as 8idiosyncratic0 marketing techniques4 ,dealers couldn't sell ,kaypros by mail4 ,they didn't enjoy extended credit4 ,the ,kaypro ,division1 in fact1 did not even spend much at first on national advertising4 ,examined closely1 however1 each policy seemed logical4 ,most customers couldn't just walk out the door of their computer dealer and wave an eternal good-bye4 ,chances are that they'd be back for advice or repairs4 ,so ,kaypro wanted local dealers not to face competition from cutthroat mail-order houses that left the customer on his own4 ,without a strong network of local stores1 ,kaypro might perish4 ,andy ,kay appreciated this4 8,if a fellow does mail order and the contract says he can't10 ,kay said1 8,david cuts him off without a qualm4 ,maybe the dealer says we need him or he won't be able to support his family and kids4 ,well1 forget it4 ,this is a business1 but it's also our livelihood1 too40 ,of course1 not all mail-order establishments in the computer trade were unethical3 ,i knew of some good ones4 ,but from a manufacturer's viewpoint the policy made sense4 ,the ,kays at the time wanted to befriend the independent dealers1 who were less likely to flood the market with heavily discounted computers than the chains were4 ,however sympathetic to the independents1 ,kaypro didn't follow the lead of some expansion-minded computer companies and grant extended credit--a sensible policy in this volatile business4 ,a ,california chain folded1 owing hundreds of thousands to ,apple as well as customers4 ,as to how he originally picked up many dealers1 ,andy ,kay said1 8,the orders just started rolling in4 ,now we're sort of clearing out dealers which are operating out of backs of cars or whatever40 ,kay was also benefiting by selling through his own network rather than being at the mercy of distributors--and supporting their profit margins4 ,by the summer of #aihc1 ,kaypros were selling at some thousand dealerships4 ,christiansen observed that ,kaypro gave dealers 8#cj or #dj percent margins4 ,so does ,osborne4 ,that's how they get the dealers to carry the damned things4 ,you know1 when you have fifty guys a week knocking on your door1 you pick the one who's going to put the most money in your pocket1 and ,osborne and ,kaypro both know how to play this game as well as or better than anyone else4 ,how do you think ,kaypro went from nothing in #aihb to #ajj1jjj units in #aihc80 ,kay disputed this4 ,he said that the ,kaypro's quality sold the computers1 that he hadn't offered more than #be percent dealer discounts1 and never would2 and his claim seemed creditable enough when some stores dropped the ,kaypro because the markup wasn't big enough4 ,whatever the facts1 ,kaypro in #aihc boasted sales offices in some fifteen ,u4,s4 cities and one in the ,netherlands4 ,one-third of the computer-store ads in the ,washington ,post business supplement of ,august #h1 #aihc1 mentioned the ,kaypro4 ,the limited national advertising was equally wise4 ,why not depend at first on local ads telling where people could buy the product8 ,and what was the use of creating a demand for more computers than ,kaypro could make8 ,andy ,kay had learned from ,osborne's example4 ,adam ,osborne's splashy ads had helped create the market that the ,kaypro was now enjoying4 ,besides1 ,kay was benefiting from something better than advertising3 the articles of friendly writers4 ,and why not8 ,writing was just another form of word processing--a category for which most ,kaypro owners had bought their machines4 ,certainly the ,selectric-style keyboard and #hj-;column screen had impressed me4 ,peter ,mc,williams1 the very same writer who had led the cheering in the micro magazines for the ,osborne1 was a ,kaypro convert4 8,put simply1 as a personal computer1 the ,kaypro ,,ii is superior to the ,osborne #a in almost every detail10 he wrote--8yet it retails for the same #a1gie4 ,as ,david ,letterman might say1 #8,unbelievable6'0 ,james ,fallows1 the ,washington editor of the ,atlantic ,monthly1 free-lancing for ,,tv ,guide1 called the ,kaypro 8the best value0 for 8complicated accounting0 or 8heavy-duty word processing40 ,i was used to seeing hype in and out of computer magazines for inferior products4 ,the ,kaypro1 however1 deserved the paeans4 ,granted1 ,i didn't like ,perfect ,writer1 a word processor included between #aihb and early #aihd2 and the sharpness of the monitor was no match for some more expensive machines4 ,the ,kaypro wasn't the best computer1 period4 ,but at the time ,fallows praised the ,kaypro to the millions of ,,tv ,guide readers1 it may well have been the best dollar-for-dollar value4 ,fallows himself didn't own a ,kaypro4 ,he honestly reached his conclusion unassisted by a special offer from ,kaypro3 #dj percent discounts for writers2 the company said--convincingly or not--that it didn't attach any strings4 ,as production increased1 ,kaypro finally did trot out national advertisements4 ,one1 in ,esquire1 showed a young ,kaypro user in an office swept by a fierce wind1 blowing coworkers' papers away and tousling his hair1 while he was typing happily away with his chair and desk raised a foot off the floor1 8,,kaypro ,,rises ,,to ,,the ,,occasion10 said the advertisement4 ,i didn't really see the point4 ,the technical specs were buried in small print at the bottom of the page2 why couldn't the ad tell me in large print and simple language what the ,kaypro could do8 ,a ,kaypro staffer said the ad was to build name recognition4 ,then the company might unleash a campaign portraying its steel ugly duckling as the ,volkswagen of small computers4 ,it seemed a sensible-enough idea4 ,then1 again1 it was another indication that the computer business was becoming more like ,detroit--selling not only economy but the image of economy4 ,finally1 the new ads came out4 ,in simple1 helpful language they told novices what to look for in a small business computer4 ,and yet you could hardly confuse the ads' goals with ,consumer ,reports'4 ,the ads for beginners recommended consulting with an expert before choosing a machine2 at the same time ads in sophisticated magazines like ,byte asked computer pros to suggest the ,kaypro to beginners4 78,once you tell people about the complete business computer for #a1eie10 said an ad appearing after the ,kays lowered the price #bjj1 8they'll probably stop bugging you with a lot of questions407 ,the public relations campaign was just as slick4 ,no one lied4 ,but ,hill ,knowlton1 the fast-track public relations agency1 laced its ,kaypro releases with quotes skillfully reflecting the computer makers' self-interest4 ,in one1 ,david ,kay said1 8,if it isn't portable1 it doesn't pay to buy it40 ,that was hyperbole1 pure and simple4 ,the nine-inch screen1 for instance1 was a major improvement over the ,osborne1 and it was entirely right for an economy portable from which many buyers would eventually trade up1 anyway2 but writers and other heavy-duty users might prefer a twelve-incher from the very start4 ,for not much more than the ,kaypro at the time of the release1 you could buy a desktop computer called the ,morrow ,micro ,decision with good software and a twelve-inch screen4 ,milton ,viorst1 a ,washington journalist1 couldn't stomach the ,kaypro monitor4 ,he considered the ,kaypro the kind of machine you might tote back and forth between home and the beach but not the best for heavy-duty viewing4 ,he bought the ,morrow1 or two1 actually3 one for himself and one for his wife1 ,judith1 a well-known poet and magazine writer4 ,however pro-,kaypro1 ,i could see why4 ,the ,kaypro1 strictly speaking1 wasn't even portable2 instead1 it was transportable4 ,unless you were a #cjj-pound tackle playing for the ,pittsburgh ,steelers1 you weren't about to tote a sharp-edged1 #bf-pound computer and battery pack as casually as you would an attach case4 ,other 8feature information0 from ,hill ,knowlton in spring #aihc offered more tips for computer shoppers in a way cunningly designed to steer them to the ,kaypro without the customers' quite knowing what was going on4 8,,kaypro ,division of ,non-,linear ,systems0 appeared on the first page in big blue letters above the text4 ,but the seven-page 8feature information0--the part intended for publication--mentioned the computer by name just once and in an inconspicuous location4 ,it laid out the specs for a good portable4 ,then1 several hundred words after the ,kaypro mention1 it triumphantly concluded1 8,for as little as #a1gie1 you can already buy the only fully portable personal computer with a full-sized screen1 one that offers large enough memory capacity to handle business1 entertainment and educational programming and a service network that's available anytime or anyplace--just like the optimal portable personal computer itself40 ,i recalled the canned releases from food companies that women's pages ran verbatim4 ,how many newspapers and magazines would do the same with 8feature information0 from ,kaypro8 ,david and his father had made a good machine4 ,and yet ,i wondered how many manufacturers of bad computers might start using similar tactics4 ,joel ,strasser1 at the time the ,hill ,knowlton man handling ,kaypro1 later protested that he was engaging in standard public relations practice1 but his remarks simply dramatized how the welfare of shoppers might clash with that of the manufacturers4 ,disguised puffery was hardly in keeping with ,david ,kay's portrayal of himself as a consumer advocate4 ,around the time the ,kays were calling in high-powered public relations people1 ,adam ,osborne himself went a step further4 ,in ,january #aihc he hired a professional manager to be ,osborne ,computer's president1 ,robert ,jaunich ,,ii1 formerly president of ,consolidated ,foods4 ,osborne would later blame ,jaunich for many of the computer firm's problems1 telling a reporter that ,jaunich wasn't fleet-footed enough for a young company in an industry with a fast-changing market4 ,jaunich's recollections would differ4 ,recalling the discoveries he made during the audit before the never-to-take-place public offering of ,osborne stock1 he told the ,wall ,street ,journal1 8,every day you came in1 the numbers got worse4 ,every number you touched went soft40 ,he blamed the corporate chaos on ,adam ,osborne4 8,the real message10 said ,jaunich1 who resigned as ,osborne president in ,december #aihc1 8is the professional people got here too late to help40 ,osborne was also critical of another executive2 he accused him of cutting a deal with a supplier--while still working at ,osborne ,computer--to make a rival machine4 ,whatever happened1 the internal squabbles at ,osborne may have wasted time and energy that he and colleagues could better have devoted to their battle against the ,kaypro4 ,he himself would later admit in his book ,hypergrowth that 8new product development moved slowly0 until the second half of #aihb4 ,a smaller1 cheaper ,osborne #a1 the ,vixen1 never reached the market while he was running the company4 ,his #b1die ,executive computer--with a seven- rather than five-inch screen--did make it out the door4 8,wayne0 didn't4 ,introduced early enough1 ,wayne could have given the ,kays fits4 ,this #a1iie model was to offer a nine-inch screen and include a built-in printer and a pile of free programs for word processing1 communications with other computers1 and other tasks4 ,but technical problems bedeviled ,osborne4 ,when ,osborne finally caught on that ,,ibm had established a new industry standard1 he sought to make his ,executive compatible1 but he was aware of his own company's 8dismal record in engineering development40 ,osborne entrusted the task to a ,san ,diego firm4 ,by ,may #aihc1 however1 ,osborne realized that the firm's ,,ibm-compatible prototypes were 8expensive1 late1 and included wholly unacceptable features such as circles that would be displayed as ovals when an ,executive user switched from ,,cp_/,m to ,,ibm compatibility40 ,adam ,osborne was clearly losing his sales war with ,andy ,kay4 ,he had talked to reporters about the ,executive in early #aihc1 and in ,july newspapers said this had discouraged some dealers from ordering too many ,osborne #as4 ,the story was that ,osborne's cash reserves had fallen as orders for the older machines dropped from #aj1jjj a month to almost nothing4 ,apparently he'd forgotten one of the precepts of any business with changing products3 you're always competing against yourself4 ,if you make too many old models or brag too soon about the new ones1 then you may imperil your cash flow and see surplus product inventory pile up4 ,your customers will keep their wallets shut as they await your coming attraction4 ,it was a most plausible explanation for ,osborne ,computer's cash-flow problems but perhaps not the main one4 ,in ,hypergrowth ,osborne revealed that his sales levels for his ,osborne #a had been dwindling even without all the puffery about the forthcoming ,executive model2 he confessed that he had lied to the press to throw it 8off the scent of the real story40 ,his bankers were threatening to call in loans2 he was laying off workers1 yet he still hoped to woo private investors4 ,as the end neared1 ,osborne dealers were fighting ,kaypro ones with price reductions4 ,an ,osborne #a1 discounted1 sold for as low as #a1jjj by late ,august #aihc4 ,stores also were dropping the ,executive's price1 and with good reason3 why so expensive a machine without ,,ibm compatibility right off the bat8 ,the first prototypes of the new ,,ibm-compatible ,executive weren't being built until ,september #aihc1 or as ,osborne later observed1 8precisely at the time the company was filing for bankruptcy40 ,the bankruptcy papers showed next to no income and #de million owed creditors4 ,newsweek ran a photograph of ,osborne leaving his office without a portable computer in sight4 ,instead1 a briefcase was shielding his face1 and the caption read3 8,founder ,osborne exits3 ,,ibm was too big40 ,that was somewhat wrong4 ,the ,,ibm-compatibility issue notwithstanding1 ,kaypro had been ,osborne's main competition4 8,i've always had a great deal of respect for ,kaypro10 he would later confess to ,popular ,computing4 8,you've got to make those statements knocking the ,kaypro4 ,it makes good copy1 damn it40 ,it didn't make for the best-informed computer buyers1 however4 ,bowled over by ,osborne's marketing campaign and well-publicized disparagement of the competition1 some consumers had ignored the information that mattered in the end3 the numbers4 ,the screen measurements1 disk-drive capacity1 almost everything1 said the ,kaypro was a better computer for common applications4 ,osborne had faced a moral dilemma4 ,should he badmouth the competition and help his company survive8 ,or should he tell the truth--that ,brand ,x was better than his own product8 ,not surprisingly1 ,osborne1 like any other computer manufacturer1 had made the former choice4 ,in fighting ,osborne1 ,kay had dropped his suggested retail price #bjj in ,may #aihc to #a1eie1 an indication that small business computers were becoming no more impervious to price wars than the home ones were4 ,he also offered a souped-up version of his ,,ii and beefed up his software4 ,his ,kaypro ,,iv--the jump from ,,ii to ,,iv reflected the substitution of two #djj,k floppy disk drives for the ,,ii's #bjj,k ones--sold for #a1iie4 ,yet another weapon against ,osborne was the ,kaypro #aj1 a deluxe model with a #aj-megabyte hard disk4 ,it sold for #b1gie1 an amazing deal at the time4 ,a hard disk is an aluminum platter coated with magnetic film1 and #aj megabytes is the equivalent of #e1jjj double-spaced typewritten pages2 yet ,kay was selling the computer and software for less than the prices of many hard-disk add-ons4 8,adam ,osborne10 said ,kay1 8has said he couldn't make a portable hard disk because the hard disks are so sensitive to shock4 ,well1 engineering advances are such that hard disks now are capable of being moved4 ,our very first one was shipped to a show in ,germany40 ,an ,info,world headline was less sanguine3 8,hard disk1 portable #8newlyweds' face some problems40 ,could ,kay succeed with his hard disk8 ,another company made the disk itself1 and ,kaypro had to replace some drives on the early ,kaypro #ajs4 ,but some glitches were hardly a surprise in any new micro1 hard-disk style or floppy4 ,meanwhile1 no less than ,control ,data1 the computer giant1 was planning to offer a #e-megabyte hard disk for portables4 ,already some smaller companies had put out portables with hard disks4 ,and yet ,kay1 turning out thousands of the machines1 was gambling more heavily on their reliability than the others4 ,it could pay1 however4 ,new technology might or might not succeed2 but in his fast-moving industry1 old technology sooner or later would surely fail4 ,to stay alive1 he must be among the leaders4 ,more than #aej companies were clawing their way through the micro business in late #aihc1 and some analysts believed that fewer than #bj could survive five more years4 ,many of the #aej had only what one expert called 8press release products40 ,but others were real threats2 and without the resources of an ,,ibm or ,apple1 ,kay ideally would fight back through innovation as well as good marketing4 ,he needn't invent any new micro technology4 ,yet as a survival-minded 8solver of problems10 he had better be prepared to make prompt use of the breakthroughs of others4 ,so major risks were ahead--inevitable--as ,kay girded for his next fights with the valley4 ,backups3 ,i1 ,twenty-,six ,questions to ,ask at 7and ,about7 the ,computer ,store1 page #bha4 ,,ii1 ,a ,few ,grouchy ,words on ,printers1 page #bid4 #c ,after the ,war ,the ,silicon ,valley gossips in late #aihc said ,adam ,osborne was trying science-fiction writing4 ,then1 the next spring1 stories suddenly blossomed about his new software company2 he bragged that it would be the paperback publisher of the micro world1 a mass-market operation that would undercut rivals just as his computer firm had4 ,the name of the new company1 in ,berkeley1 ,california1 was ,paperback ,software ,international4 ,and his quotes against competitors were just as colorful as in the old days4 8,there's a helluva lot of software out there10 ,osborne told ,,usa ,today1 8and a lot of it's overpriced garbage40 ,he planned to sell his programs at book chains and book racks at less than one-fourth the prices of the ,brand ,xs4 ,the idea seemed apple-pie admirable1 but most people would rather not buy more software than they had time to learn and use2 how many hardcore buffs were out there itching to spend hours mastering cheap new programs8 ,circumstances might change as software becomes easier to use4 ,but could you imagine a ,word-,processor-of-the-,month ,club or a spreadsheet rack to the right of the gothic romances8 ,no1 except for games programs and very cheap enhancements of existing business programs like ,lotus #a-b-c1 the paperback concept seemed dicey4 ,even ,osborne wasn't infallible as a seer and market analyst4 ,once he'd predicted that ,,ibm would fail in the micro market1 and hadn't he been too slow to grasp the importance of ,,ibm compatibility for his own products8 ,still1 although ,osborne ,computer ,corp4 itself had floundered1 it had not been for want of the right vision at the company's inception4 ,his new software enterprise might indeed survive in the proper niche4 ,first1 however1 he would need capital4 ,in fall #aihd ,info,world reported that ,osborne had paid for a booth at a software show but had not set it up because1 for want of funding1 his first products weren't ready4 ,investors may have shied away due to ,osborne's earlier failure to overcome the classic entrepreneur's challenge3 not just to start a company but keep it prospering4 ,in shrunken form1 with ,osborne having resigned as president in ,september #aihc1 his old company lingered on in early #aihd1 selling old machines and still promising a new ,,ibm-compatible portable4 ,andy ,kay at the time had no need to fear this corporate husk4 ,for a while1 in fact1 ,kaypro may even have been the fourth largest maker of personal computers shipped to stores specializing in them4 ,and his hard-disk gamble was paying off for the moment--the same risk that ,osborne himself had avoided as too perilous for a portable manufacturer4 ,orders had kept piling up for ,kaypro #ajs4 ,then again1 so had the problems with ,tandon1 ,kaypro's major hard-disk supplier4 ,david ,kay even claimed that ,kaypro was receiving ,tandon drives 8with #8,,ibm' stamped on them that also have #8reject' stamped on them40 ,delivery delays allegedly had cost perhaps #cj million in sales of the ,kaypro #ajs over eight months4 ,tandon1 while conceding that some rejected drives may have accidentally reached ,kaypro1 claimed that such problems were rare4#ab ,footnote #ab3 ,business ,week is the source of the facts on ,kaypro's disk-drive problems4 ,the ,kays' #aihd sales would exceed #ajj million4 ,but some rivals were growing faster1 and ,,ibm1 ,panasonic1 and other household names were now muscling in on the portable market4 8,kaypro's immediate prospects are good10 said one analyst of the industry4 8,i don't know about the long-term ones40 ,he told of a big white tent that the ,kays had put up on a hillside to store badly overstocked computer parts4 ,the ,kays might argue that they wanted to keep expenses down4 ,to the analyst1 however1 the white tent symbolized amateurish management4 ,in ,september1 ,kaypro acknowledged that millions of dollars in computer parts might be missing from the tent and some large trucks2 and whatever the cause1 theft or bad accounting1 the crisis hardly endeared ,kaypro to investors4 ,they now could recover only #d per share--a fraction of the #aj offering price4 ,around the same time1 some angry investors filed lawsuits charging ,kaypro with falsely reporting its finances4 ,kaypro denied this4 ,i hadn't any idea of the validity of the suits4 ,an official with ,osborne ,computers1 however1 discussing the tent and the general management problems it symbolized1 appropriately observed3 8,it was dj vu to hear about ,kaypro's inventory situation40 ,six regional sales managers had left earlier that year for a competitor4 ,former ,kaypro executives griped that the ,kays paid too much attention to trivia4 ,andy ,kay even interviewed prospective security guards4 ,some employees relished this personal touch1 but ,blair ,g4 ,newman1 ex-director of marketing and strategic planning1 complained to ,business ,week1 8,there are too many ,kays and not enough pros40 ,unconvincingly1 a ,kaypro spokeswoman shrugged off the resignations1 saying a small clique of friends had left and plenty of people had lined up to replace them4 ,andy ,kay's antipathy toward professional managers was coming back to spook him4 ,all along his attitude hadn't been so different from that of ,adam ,osborne1 who1 stubbornly1 told a reporter after the ,chapter ,,xi filing1 8,the major lesson ,i learned from this thing is that ,i'm as good a manager as any of those guys40 ,an ex-,kaypro employee complained to me3 8,the ,kays are worried that professional managers will take away their power4 ,andy ,kay wants to run the company himself4 ,it's a feudal society there4 ,a lot of employees call it the ,kay fiefdom4 ,it's like a training ground for young knights4 ,you can learn a lot1 but it locks you into a rigid structure4 ,there are no changes from the bottom up4 ,that's the big problem4 ,i don't know how they get away with calling it #8participative management4' ,ordinary employees never have any meetings with ,kays to discuss major decisions4 ,there's no checks and balances4 ,if the guy at the top makes a mistake1 there's no way to correct it4 ,no one can call the king's bluff and stay40 ,the ,kays fired someone close to the outspoken ,newman4 ,it was ,clifford ,odendhal1 the bearded musician who a year earlier had told me1 8,this is the first job outside of entertainment that ,i ever cared about beyond my paycheck40 8,part of it had to do with salary10 he said3 his request for a raise4 8,they'd been paying me no more than what an assistant manager makes in a ,k-mart4 ,and ,i'd handled user groups1 done publicity1 and edited their in-house newspaper40 ,the users groups were mostly local organizations of ,kaypro owners who traded technical tips and gossip and bargained with stores for discounts on equipment2 they kept ,kaypro in touch with the best-informed customers1 the trendsetters4 ,they also relieved the strain on ,kaypro's own technicians and stores4 ,but ,kaypro had cut back the money budgeted for sending people out of town to meet with the users groups2 skeptically1 ,odendhal said the company had hoped to do this work almost entirely via a computer network4 ,then there was the question of whether ,kaypro had a true marketing department4 8,they don't10 ,odendhal said4 ,he and others around ,newman had hoped that the ,kays would sound out the need for products scientifically before turning the engineers loose4 ,odendhal may or may not have been right4 ,if marketing men at the large computer companies were so smart1 how come ,kaypro and ,osborne had been the first firms to make portables usable in business8 ,and what about all the ,,ibm clones8 ,couldn't the marketing men's me-too-ism have stifled innovation8 ,then again1 another company dominated by engineers--,texas ,instruments--had flopped in the home-computer market because it didn't pay enough heed to marketing4 ,the ,kaypro ,corporation1 at least1 still boasted a dealer network of more than a thousand stores in mid-#aihd4 ,but some stores in my area had dropped or downplayed the ,kaypro line in the earlier part of the year4 ,one reason was that just about all the ,kaypro machines were still #h-;bit and didn't run the new ,,ibm-style software4 ,also1 ,computer,land and other big-name chains1 a growing part of the business1 complained that margins on ,kaypros were ten percentage points under competitors and that the machines' software hurt sales of off-the-shelf programs4 ,so ,computer,land shunned ,kaypro4 ,it was a clear case of the interests of the consumers being at odds with those of the computer dealers4 ,for the ,kaypro ,,ii at the time was a remarkable bargain2 ,andy ,kay had lowered his retail price in ,march to #a1bie4 ,what a contrast to the overpriced ,,pcjr from ,,ibm4 ,just rumors of the machine--nicknamed the ,peanut--had kept the entire industry on edge4 ,it bore the three magic initials4 ,and as the pros said1 ,,ibm was compatible with ,,ibm4 ,only it didn't work out that way4 ,the ,,pcjr1 at least the first version1 couldn't run some electronic spreadsheet software and other important programs written for the ,,ibm4 ,the introduction in ,november #aihc had been anti-climactic in other ways4 ,jr's little keys were like chiclets1 horrors for the touch-typist1 and by the time you bought your software and added a second disk drive1 you'd be paying hundreds of dollars more4 ,even after ,,ibm upgraded the ,,pcjr's keyboard in summer #aihd and lowered the price to #iii with one drive1 the ,kaypro ,,ii was still superior for word processing4 ,so were other machines4 ,with two disk drives and ,word,star1 the ,sanyo ,,mbc#eej--;a somewhat ,,ibm-compatible desktop from ,japan--listed for just #a1djj4 ,not that the ,sanyo lacked limitations of its own4 ,its keyboard1 too1 was no match for the ,kaypro's4 ,in #aihd the ,kays introduced the ,new ,kaypro ,,ii1 which offered only one disk drive but sold for just #iie and allowed for another to be added for a few hundred dollars more4 ,anyone using the ,new ,kaypro ,,ii for business would be foolhardy to depend on just one drive4 ,not surprisingly1 the #iie machine inspired jibes that ,kaypro was guilty of using the same gimmickry as ,,ibm and ,apple had been with their single-disk computers4 ,moreover1 all the ,kaypro models1 despite their low prices1 made some customers pay for their bargains with headaches4 ,take ,chris ,jensen1 a writer in ,cleveland4 ,he futilely tried for months before he could send his stories to his newspaper from home via the phone lines4 ,his dealer had sold the ,kaypro ,,iv1 promising that ,jensen could4 8,it's really scummy to put this out10 the ,plain ,dealer reporter said of his machine1 8and know that the communications software has serious bugs in it4 ,it's the kind of thing that the government would kick the shit out of the automobile companies for doing40 ,a ,kaypro employee admitted that the communications software for the ,kaypro ,,iv had come out with bugs1 but not those of the kind that were plaguing ,chris ,jensen4 ,he confirmed another of ,jensen's complaints3 that the ,kaypro ,,iv model with the modem couldn't use the most popular communications software at the time4 ,coincidentally or not--shortly after ,jensen griped to me1 the ,new ,york ,times1 and computer writer ,peter ,mc,williams--,kaypro released ,supr,term version #e4c4 ,and that did the trick for him4 ,the machine delighted ,jensen in other ways1 but he still wondered about all the ordinary customers out there who were unwilling or unable to wage a media campaign to get their software up to snuff4 ,jensen's story was atypical--many ,kaypro owners still spoke as if their computers were micro manna4 ,still1 the new ,robie1 introduced in early #aihd1 might be a sign of troubles to come4 ,it was unique1 a desktop selling for #b1cjj with two #b4e-megabyte floppy disks4 ,but disks didn't run as quickly as a hard disk1 and as of late #aihd1 the ,robie just hadn't caught on4 ,the ,robie looked so ugly--ungainly1 plastic cheap1 fit for a discount store--that even some value-minded buyers might have thought twice about bringing it into their offices4 ,it was a computer that only a designer could love4 ,and it was just an #h-;bit machine4 ,in the #h- versus #af-;bit battle1 people were accusing ,kay of living in the past4 ,it was ,osborne all over again1 some might have said--just like ,kay's old rival babbling on and on about the virtues of a machine with a tiny screen4 ,this may have been unfair4 ,for simple word processing1 for instance1 an #h-;bit machine could be a terrific bargain4 ,but many buyers still gravitated to the #af-;bitters1 worrying that future software might not appear in the ,kaypro ,,cp_/,m format4 ,kay's attitude didn't help4 ,he was showing less of the adventurousness that had led to his hard-disk portable4 ,and he now felt that the ,kaypro ,,ii was just like the old ,volkswagen bug and would always be around--an ominous parallel considering ,,vw's recent fiascos in the auto market4#ac ,footnote #ac3 ,kaypro later dropped the ,kaypro ,,ii and replaced it with the #a1eie ,kaypro #b,x4 ,it's still a ,,ii1 though1 except for some improvements such as more disk space4 ,the #b,x's disks store almost #djj,k each4 ,some software programs endured because enough people learned and liked them2 and the ,apple ,,ii in one form or another would last2 but the ,kaypro ,,ii8 ,even with hundreds of thousands of users8 ,what about the ill-fated ,osborne8 ,no1 computer buyers normally spurned antiques4 ,within a year or two ,andy ,kay might change his mind and ponder whether to update the ,kaypro ,,ii drastically or kill it4 ,in ,november #aihd1 well over six months later than ,kaypro had promised investors1 a #af-;bit ,,ibm-compatible machine appeared4 8,he'd rather not call it an ,,ibm clone10 said an industry observer4 8,he'd rather call it just a #af-;bit computer4 ,it's a matter of pride40 ,the #af-;bit model1 a portable with a #aj-megabyte hard disk and #bef,k ,,ram1 looked somewhat like the ,kaypro ,,ii and ,,iv4 ,it had an expansion slot into which you could plug a device to hype up the performance of the machine or expand its versatility2 and it offered free ,word,star along with other software4 ,at #c1bie it sold for #a1gjj less than a hard disk portable from ,compaq4 ,but it faced stiff competition from machines such as the hard disk desktop from ,leading ,edge1 which was discounted to as low as #b1jjj4 ,the #af just wouldn't wallop rivals the way the original ,kaypro ,,ii had4 ,and it shared some of the drawbacks of the ,compaq and many other ,,ibm clones--especially the keyboard4 ,the left shift key was in an awkward position like the ,,ibm ,,pc's1 with a weird1 nonalphabetical character separating it and the 8,z02 imagine the reaction of touch typists who had enjoyed the ,kaypro ,,ii's close resemblance to the traditional ,selectric keyboard4 ,many makers of #af-;bit machines had aped the horrid ,,pc keyboard1 causing one reviewer to liken them to idiot savante piano players who imitated the mistakes of true geniuses4 ,the #af1 moreover1 showed ,kaypro's internal weaknesses4 ,dan ,berger of the ,san ,diego recalled how ,kaypro had futilely struggled for more than eight months to design the computer in-house4 ,the project had flopped4 ,kaypro farmed the design out to a ,san ,diego firm1 which did the job in a fraction of the time4 ,earlier in #aihd ,andy ,kay had told ,berger that ,kaypro was spending only #a percent of revenues on research and development1 compared to the industry average of about #aj percent4 ,how frustrated he must have felt paying an outside firm4 ,osborne had had to do that1 but technically ,kay had placed himself and his company in a different league4 ,kaypro was heavily depending on the #af4 ,the company hoped it would provide #dj percent of income for the year ending ,august #ca1 #aihe4 ,early signs were good4 ,a small dealer in ,virginia1 for instance1 ,the ,disk ,connection1 sold six ,kaypro #afs in one week--half to existing ,kaypro owners and half to new customers4 ,some people had demanded an ,,ibm clone1 bungled keyboard and all2 now ,kaypro had given it to them with a vengeance4 ,appearing late1 however1 the #af had lost much of its price advantage4 ,in another six months ,,ibm might well sell its ,,xt hard disk model for as little as the new ,kaypro portable4#ad ,footnote #ad3 8,,xt0 stands for 8extended40 ,the #af1 if successful1 would triumph at a helpful time4 ,in the #aihc budget year1 the company had earned #ab4i million on #ge million in sales2 the next budget year it had lost #bfg1fhc on sales of about #abj million--blaming everything from advertising costs to price-cutting and inventory problems4 ,no longer was ,kaypro a success story4 ,it remained strong in some stores specializing in computers2 but the share of the whole domestic market for personal micros would be #b4e percent in #aihd--;a drop from #aihc4ae ,footnote #ae3 ,kenneth ,lim of ,dataquest1 ,inc41 the ,san ,jose1 ,california marketing research firm1 is the source of the #b4e percent estimate quoted in the ,wall ,street ,journal1 ,november #ad1 #aihd4 ,in the long run1 moreover1 unless ,andy ,kay made major production changes1 his computers might lose what price advantage they did have4 ,automation was improving rivals' quality control and whittling down their labor expenses4 ,eventually1 they'd be just a tiny fraction of the cost of a computer4 ,apple already had built a #bj million plant to crank out the ,macintosh computer1 using ,japanese-style manufacturing savvy2 ,macs even helped oversee the manufacturing of ,macs4 8,i don't even know if the ,kays could automate their plant10 said the ex-employee who'd accused the family of running a feudal society4 8,you've got these four buildings no wider than a single room4 ,they have a lot of windows1 and that's great for the people--but hard on computer parts4 ,often people placed piles of parts on the lawn overnight when they didn't have space elsewhere40 ,the ,kays1 to be sure1 had put up a semiautomated warehouse designed by ,andy's daughter ,janice and built by his son-in-law's construction firm4 8,but10 said the ex-,kaypro employee1 8that's not the same as automating the whole plant40 ,and ,andy's selection of the architect and construction firm was further evidence of the ,kays' tight-grip management style4 ,this lack of flexibility could especially hurt them in responding to the threat from lap-sized machines with flat screens4 ,sooner or later they would menace the ,kaypro-sized 8luggables0 in the business market4 ,about #abj1jjj flat screens sold in #aihc1 and although they weren't moving off the shelves as rapidly as expected in #aihd1 sales still might exceed several hundred thousand4 ,some showed #af lines at one time4 ,that wasn't as many as the #bd on the ,kaypro ,,ii screen1 but enough for light-duty word processing4 ,and soon others would do for the heavy-duty kind and a slew of additional uses4 ,thousands of traveling reporters and executives were already using the ,radio ,shack ,model #ajj introduced in #aihc--;despite its tiny built-in memory 7no more than #bd,k in a typical configuration7 and small screen 7#h lines only #dj characters wide74 ,but where had ,andy ,kay hoped to get his first flat-screen model8 ,from ,mitsui ,co4 in ,japan1 which would offer it to other ,u4,s4 companies1 including perhaps some with marketing clout far greater than his4 ,the ,kays had thought they'd be the only people selling the note-book-sized computer4 ,by late summer #aihd1 half a year after the original hoopla1 ,kaypro should have been shipping this miracle machine1 but a spokesman in ,september could not even tell me if the ,mitsui deal was still alive4 ,then word came out that the deal had fallen through and a flat screen ,kaypro wouldn't appear until #aihe4 ,a rival company1 ,morrow1 ,inc4--headed by ,george ,morrow1 a witty1 balding ex-grad student in math1 one of ,silicon ,valley's better hardware gurus--had meanwhile acted more successfully4 ,in late #aihd it began marketing the ,pivot1 a ten-pound1 #b1die ,,ms-,,dos portable with one disk drive and a well-reviewed clone of ,word,star called ,new,word4 ,and a revitalized ,osborne--on the verge of escaping the ,chapter ,,xi bankruptcy proceedings--would soon sell its own version of the machine4 ,data ,general1 the mini-maker written up in the best-seller ,soul of a ,new ,machine1 was another threat to ,kaypro4 ,in ,september #aihd it unveiled the ,data ,general_/,one1 which offered ,,ibm compatibility1 a built-in #gcg,k floppy disk drive1 and a #be-line flat screen4 ,a software developer joked that the letters on the screen were so faint that the machine should be sold with a coal miner's hat to read it4 ,but eventually the flat screen would be just as readable as the ,kaypro's cathode ray tube4 ,with the inevitable price drops and refinements1 machines like the ,pivot and the ,data ,general_/,one would wreak havoc on ,kaypro sales unless ,kay retaliated with the right flat-screen portable of his own4 ,,ibm1 ,,at,t1 and ,compaq1 too1 were designing their own flat-screen machines4 ,and already ,hewlett-,packard had been selling a #b1iie flat-screen computer with the popular ,lotus #a-b-c spreadsheet program in ,read ,only ,memory--permanent memory4 ,another firm--,epson1 a branch of ,seiko1 the giant ,japanese conglomerate known for watches--was shipping a #iie computer with a compressed version of ,word,star in ,,rom4 ,the screen displayed only #h lines of information at a time4 ,but within months a #af-liner from ,,nec 7formerly called the ,nippon ,electric ,company7 hit the market at the same price1 complete with ,word,star and built-in gadgetry for talking to other machines on the phone4 ,word,star was now the only word-processing program offered free with the 8luggable0 ,kaypros4 ,if ,andy ,kay's lap-sized micro couldn't run it or a clone like ,new ,word1 he might be paving the way for some of his customers to buy rivals' flat screens that did4 ,most buyers used ,kaypros to write or type4 ,and how many would relish a switch to a new word-processing program8 ,and what about piping ,word,star-composed letters and other documents from the luggables to the lap-size ,kaypros8 ,customers could do so1 but then they might have to insert new commands to tell their printers to underline or produce other special effects4 ,beyond everything else1 ,andy ,kay had better offer good software to fight rivals selling flat-screen machines similar to his4 ,and ,word,star over the years had generally been the most popular word processor for micros4 #d ,word,star3 ,the ,creators ,arthur ,clarke is the ,arthur ,clarke1 the science-fiction writer who gave us #bjja and that beastly computer named ,,hal4 ,seymour ,rubinstein is a ,california businessman with only fleeting mentions outside the magazines of the computer trade4 ,he is literate but not literary4 ,when ,i talked to him1 he had not read ,clarke's latest novel4 ,yet ,seymour ,rubinstein and a colleague played more than a small role in the the writing of #bjaj2 for they created ,word,star1 the word-processing program that ,clarke uses4 ,word,star is to micro software what ,citizen ,kane is to movies3 it is old--by computer standards1 anyway--but it's one of the best of its kind4 ,if1 when writing1 ,clarke wants to insert a phrase several sentences back1 for instance1 he can just zip the cursor to the proper place1 then type in the addition4 ,he needn't enter a special 8,editing0 mode4 ,some ,word,star rivals may break up your thoughts by making you change modes4 ,moreover1 with simple keystrokes1 ,clarke can insert1 drop1 and move whole paragraphs4 8,i can make corrections without hesitation that ,i wouldn't have done before10 ,clarke said enthusiastically about ,word,star and his ,archives micro4 8,it's at least doubled my production with a quarter of the effort40 ,his normal output for his books and articles was still around a thousand words a day1 but ,word,star had made his writing more fun1 and now he was churning out letter after letter to 8my neglected friends40 8,i said ,i'd retired10 he told me over the phone from his home in ,sri ,lanka1 8but now ,i'm working on three or four things simultaneously4 ,i haven't touched a typewriter since ,i got this computer a year or so ago40#af ,you can easily understand why he hasn't4 ,no longer1 for instance1 does a noisy bell tell ,clarke that he's nearing the right margin--he just keeps on typing and a feature called word wrap automatically takes him on to the next line4 ,footnote #af3 ,clarke responded by phone in early #aihc to questions ,i'd mailed about his use of ,word,star4 ,granted1 ,word,star is traditional software4 ,it doesn't use icons1 for instance1 those cute little pictures of wastebaskets or file folders that some snazzy new programs will flash across your screen to tell you what you're doing4 ,and as of this writing1 anyway1 the original ,word,star didn't offer split screens to show more than one electronic file at once4 ,word,star #bjjj1 a related but not identical program1 does4 ,first marketed in late #aihd1 it may supplant plain old ,word,star eventually1 but the original program will always have a special place in the hearts of the cognoscenti4 ,it's an indisputable classic4 ,more than a million people have used ,word,star since it appeared in #aigi4 ,rubinstein and ,rob ,barnaby1 the brilliant programmer who did the actual coding for ,word,star1 are legends4 ,as computer technology matures1 the machines themselves will be mere commodities like televisions or ,walkman imitations4 ,it's the programs that run on them which will make the difference4 ,word,star is at least adequate1 and mostly superb1 in all but the last of these areas3 #a4 ,absence of bugs4 ,the software maker should have gotten all the bugs out so that the program will run reliably on your computer4 ,you can't write a complex program that will be absolutely bug-free4 ,but you can make it bug-free #ii percent of the time4 #b4 ,general ease of use4 ,a program should be easy enough to learn and use4 ,being logical helps2 ideally1 you can use combinations of familiar commands to coax the program into doing many things that you haven't done before4 #c4 ,good documentation4 ,the manual should be clear and logically organized4 ,either the simplest material should come earliest1 or else there should be a beginner's version2 also1 the manual should boast a good1 comprehensive index4 #d4 ,usefulness to beginners and old pros alike4 ,you can adjust the best programs to suit your own level of skill with them4 #e4 ,speed4 ,it lets you do your job fast1 especially when you use it with a hard disk4 #f4 ,power4 ,related to speed4 ,the program can quickly accomplish complicated tasks like substituting one word for another in a contract thousands of words long4 ,imagine the boon to lawyers plugging new names into standard boilerplate4 #g4 ,fewer chances for botch-ups4 ,good programs limit the chances for careless errors in the first place4 #h4 ,the ,jewish-uncle effect4 ,ideally1 your software will slow you down or flash a warning when you're about to ruin your work with a few taps on the wrong keys4 #i4 ,damage limitations 7if you do goof74 #aj4 ,after-the-goof feedback4 ,after you've botched up--and we all do sooner or later--the program will tell you how you did so4 #aa4 ,ability to customize4 ,you or at least a software expert can customize good programs for your use on your machine4 #ab4 ,availability of 8accessory0 programs to make your original software still more useful4 #ac4 ,support4 ,ideally1 the software seller will stand behind his product if you have problems4 ,micro,pro's record here is far from the best2 this may change4 ,again1 ,word,star isn't perfect 7see ,backup ,,iii1 8,the ,lucky #ac10 for a more detailed description of it and criteria for choosing good software71 but it comes closer than most other popular programs4 ,here are a few terms useful to people shopping for a word processor3 #a4 ,a cursor is just the marker on your screen--a blinking line1 maybe--that shows where a letter will appear when you type4 ,cursor keys move the cursor up1 down1 left1 or right4 #b4 ,a file is an electronic version of a letter1 report1 or other document or collection of data4 #c4 ,a control key is what you start holding down to turn a letter or series of letters into commands for your computer4 ,used with the control key1 the letters normally won't show up in the document you're typing4 ,some programs1 by the way1 may use the control key and an escape key1 which could be a way to get from one part of the program to another4 ,or the escape key may take on functions similar to the control key4 ,in addition1 there's an alternate key that you may also use to help boss your machine around4 #d4 ,to scroll just means to move from place to place in your electronic document4 ,it's like rolling or unrolling a ,torah or other scroll1 except here there's no ink or paper1 just patterns of electrons in your computer memory and dots on your screen4 ,on most computer monitors you see only #bd lines of typing at a time4 #e4 ,a menu lists commands on your screen4 ,it can tell you how to locate a document on your disk or what to do while you're at work there4 #f4 ,a block move is the ability to move material from one part of your document to another4 #g4 ,a global search tracks down specified words in your document4 #h4 ,a search and replace substitutes one word 7or group of words7 for another4 ,word,star's creators1 ,seymour ,rubinstein and ,rob ,barnaby1 are like ,orson ,welles and ,herman ,mankiewicz of ,citizen ,kane4 ,the movie would have been hack melodrama without the brilliance of both the producer-director and his writer2 and yet critics still argue over ,kane's exact origins4 ,so it is with ,word,star4 ,when ,time said ,rubinstein had written the program1 a friend of ,barnaby's whipped off an angry letter to the editor4 ,i won't take sides here4 ,rubinstein1 however1 far from playing down ,barnaby's ,word,star role to me1 unhesitatingly passed on his phone number when ,i asked4 ,barnaby is equally willing to acknowledge the importance of his collaborator4 ,even the letter writer emphasizes the usefulness of ,rubinstein's salesmanship and his perception of the software market back in the late #aigjs when ,word,star was born4 ,a short1 stocky1 bespectacled man in his fifties1 ,rubinstein grew up in ,new ,york ,city1 the son of a pinball- and novelty-machine owner who died while ,seymour was still in grade school4 ,his mother worked as a clerk4 8,my first job10 ,rubinstein said1 8was a helper on a fruit truck when ,i was twelve years old40 ,two years later1 however1 his neighbors were 8letting me ruin their radios10 and by his mid-twenties1 he seemed settled into the routine of a ,,tv repairman4 ,but ,rubinstein grew restless after six months' reserve military duty in the #aiejs2 he attended night school at ,brooklyn ,college and took up technical writing4 ,decades later he recalled a navigational computer he encountered while a civilian1 speaking as if it were his 8,rosebud10 as if he were ,charles ,kane thinking about the ,colorado snows and the name on his childhood sled4 ,he gave me the machine's exact measurements1 eight by nine by twelve inches4 ,then1 mixing nostalgia with awe1 he said1 8,if you opened it up1 it would look like a ,swiss watchmaker's nightmare1 all those gears and little electronic things whirring and clicking away4 ,but with it you could take off from an aircraft carrier and circle overhead and press the reset button and fly anywhere you wanted1 and wherever you flew1 an indicator kept track of how far you were from that spot on the ocean and told how you could return40 ,ask ,rubinstein about his early career and you may hear more talk of machines than of people4 8#b0 ,the hardware1 however1 helped make the man4 ,rubinstein spent years working with data-communications networks--the ones that1 for instance1 handle airline reservations or credit-card information4 ,without quick1 accurate updating1 these real-time systems are worthless3 just ask anyone whom an airline has booked on an already-full flight4 ,you could have the best-designed computers in the cosmos4 ,but the question in the end may be 8,did the airline clerk key in reservations for you on the right flight at the right time80 ,and ,rubinstein's software philosophy later reflected his real-time work4 ,he originally did not intend ,word,star for the bumbling and the lazy but for 8the production typist0 on whom the boss heavily counted for both speed and accuracy4 ,in my last interview with ,rubinstein for this book1 he downplayed his statement that he created ,word,star for the fleet-fingered typist4 8,i believe that everyone deserves a product appropriate to his particular classification10 he said1 8and while ,word,star may have been aimed at a particular niche1 that is not to say we shouldn't enlarge the scope of this product4444 ,we're going to make the next version easier to learn40 ,as thousands of professionals and executives can verify1 however1 ,word,star all along has been quite learnable4 ,early in his computer career ,rubinstein also grasped the importance of clear documentation to guide people through the programs4 ,,ibm at the time was one of the world's largest publishers1 at least in sheer volume of paper consumed1 ranking right up near ,random ,house and other giants1 and ,rubinstein recalls the old manuals as abysmal3 8,you really had to have a lot of drive and patience to get through their stuff40 ,programmers rose or fell according to their ability to push through 8arbitrary collections of material arranged in an arbitrary order40 ,rubinstein1 who by now had forsaken technical writing for programming1 made a discovery helpful to any software user3 you won't serve yourself best1 necessarily1 by completely memorizing the manuals4 ,the trick1 rather1 is to know where to turn in a hurry when you do have a problem4 ,in #aigg1 wandering through a store for computer hobbyists in ,san ,rafael1 ,california1 ,rubinstein saw a box with blue-and-red switches and lights1 and 8it looked really interesting4 ,i went home1 built it1 and a week later ,i had a computer40#ag ,footnote #ag3 ,info,world1 ,april #e1 #aihb4 ,it was his first micro1 perhaps more of his ,rosebud1 after all1 than the navigational computer4 8,i had spent many hours of my life in very brightly lit1 cold rooms in the middle of the night1 surrounded by millions of dollars' worth of junk10 he once recalled4 ,and yet his new dwarf seemed 8a true computer0 to him 8in every sense of the word4 ,i could see the potential1 and ,i got very excited40#ah ,his elation grew when he saw that a company named ,,imsai1 run by an old boss1 had produced the kit4 ,he once remembered the firm1 now defunct1 as 8one of the tiny companies that really made this industry happen4 ,the industry did not happen by some big1 famous manufacturer deciding this was what he was going to do4 ,it was a grass-roots movement40#ai ,footnote #ah3 ,info,world1 ,april #e1 #aihb4 ,footnote #ai3 ,h4 ,edward ,roberts1 president of ,,mits 7,micro ,instrumentation and ,telemetry ,systems71 a ,new ,mexico company later overwhelmed by the competition1 came as close as anyone to being the father of the first successful personal computer4 ,his ,altair #hjhj made the cover of ,popular ,electronics in ,january #aige4 ,rubinstein joined ,,imsai as software-products manager and within two months was marketing director2 there he signed the first contract between a computer manufacturer and ,digital ,research for ,,cp_/,m1 the popular operating system--the only one with which ,word,star at first would work4 ,leaving ,,imsai in #aigh1 ,rubinstein 8knew exactly what ,i wanted to do40 ,he would 8build packaged software0 for businessmen and others unfamiliar with computer arcana4 ,registering out a business name in ,june1 he included 8,international0 after 8,micro,pro0 because 8,i felt that with the right1 well-designed products1 ,europe would be an approachable market40#bj ,footnote #bj3 ,the ,november #aihb ,,pc ,magazine is the source of the quotes on ,rubinstein's business plans after ,,imsai4 ,rubinstein was barely out of the ,,imsai fold when he dropped by ,rob ,barnaby's flat in ,berkeley1 ,california4 ,the two had met at ,,imsai1 which ,barnaby had left a short time earlier1 for different reasons1 after hot words between the moody young programmer and his boss4 ,barnaby was a ,harvard graduate1 a physics major1 a tennis pro's son1 the descendant of an old ,new ,england family4 ,a pattern in his life was seemingly emerging by the time he reached his thirties2 he would throw himself into computer jobs1 program masterfully for a while1 then find his interest waning4 ,just before joining ,,imsai1 ,barnaby had been fixing up old houses4 8,i kind of like creating things with computers and forgetting them and getting away from them when ,i'm not creating something new10 ,barnaby told me4 ,he was in no hurry1 quite likely1 to return to work after ,,imsai1 having salted away a good part of his salary4 8,i like the flexibility that saving money produces40 ,he isn't materialistic--the very antithesis of it4 ,and yet money and ,word,star are together a touchy subject4 ,barnaby's work for ,micro,pro seemingly did not make him rich1 at least not ,california rich4 8,it was originally royalties10 ,barnaby said1 8and when the royalties played out1 ,i took a salary and a stock option40 ,his total earnings from ,micro,pro were somewhere in the six figures4 8,i want you to understand where his ego is10 said the friend who wrote ,time4 8,he's often chided by people for allowing himself to be taken advantage of and he simply does not want to discuss it4 ,he says1 #8,i made a deal4 ,i kept my promise1 ,seymour kept his promise and that's it4'0 ,describing the circumstances in a peculiarly ,californian way1 the friend said3 8,if ,seymour was really greedy he would have gone to ,rob two years ago and said something like1 #8,hey1 you got to believe me1 ,rob1 ,i never expected this thing would ever do what it's done4 ,and ,i'd like to do right by you and so ,i would like you to graciously accept this check for #aej1jjj ,i brought with me here today4' ,then ,seymour would have owned him4 ,rob did not get rich writing ,word,star4 ,people think that1 but it's simply not true4 ,i've seen it4 ,the guy's a friend of mine4 ,he's back to work again because of financial need40 8,we were both very poor10 ,rubinstein told me earlier about himself and ,barnaby4 8,i had less than #h1ejj to my name1 in fact1 but ,i gave ,rob a #b1ejj retainer1 a third of my cash reserves4 ,i owned a house1 but the bank owned most of it40 ,rubinstein offered to make ,barnaby a partner4 ,barnaby1 characteristically wary of entanglements1 turned him down4 ,an early program ,barnaby did for ,rubinstein was a programmer's aid1 which1 among other things1 let you move words and numbers around more easily on the screen4 ,it was no more a word processor than a pencil4 ,nor did ,barnaby intend it to be one3 8,i was writing a program editor1 a tool for me40 ,yet 8computer stores would be trying to sell people something they could write letters with1 and it would get back to ,seymour that our program definitely did not have those features40 ,rubinstein recalls taking a big hint from dealers' enthusiasm for a program called ,electric ,pencil4 8,what they liked10 he said1 8was you could both enter and print from the same program1 and you had a lot of control over the printout4 ,you could specify things like underlining and margin settings1 but it was very primitive4 ,you certainly couldn't imagine what it would be like until you printed it4 ,you didn't know where page breaks would occur1 where one page would end and another began10 and so you might have to print several times before you got it right1 since each change might create new breaks in the wrong places4 ,that was micro word processing #aigjs style4 ,you either put up with all these nasty details or prayed for a sweepstakes killing so you could buy a #bj1jjj 8dedicated0 machine from ,,ibm or ,wang4 ,when ,you ,should ,buy a ,dedicated ,word ,processor ,here are some times when you should seriously consider it3 #a4 ,when you work for a stuffy old bureaucracy that's rich and afraid of the new4 #b4 ,when you're a procurement officer on probation4 ,as they say1 no one's lost his job for buying ,xerox rather than ,brand ,non-,x4 ,then again1 your boss may bawl you out for not buying a ,xerox micro4 #c4 ,when you want to dump the training problems in the manufacturer's lap4 ,of course1 many independent companies and consultants nowadays are training people to use micros1 especially ,i,b,ms4 #d4 ,when you prefer an extra-large1 extra-sharp screen and giant memory and when you can't easily find micros of comparable quality4 ,here1 too1 ,i'm skeptical4 ,the gap between micro hardware and the dedicateds is narrowing4 #e4 ,when you're looking for a machine that will run special software that the micros won't4 ,fondly1 a ,hollywood writer-director tells of a script-formating program 8dreamed up by some lunatic in northern ,california40 ,nowadays1 however1 more programmers are writing for micros than for dedicated word processors4 ,you should think 8,micro0 if you're working for 7#a7 yourself1 7#b7 a needy company or organization1 or 7#c7 a rich1 frugal one4 8,but10 you ask1 8what about repair80 ,well1 surprise3 many big companies--including ,xerox itself--are now in the micro repair business4 ,besides1 for the price of one dedicated1 you might buy both a micro and a backup4 ,psyching out the market1 ,rubinstein not only listened to computer-store owners but read up on the features of the dedicateds1 determined to match them4 ,in some ways1 in fact1 he hoped to surpass these rivals4 ,from the very beginning he was against built-in function keys features1 believing that they actually slowed down typists by forcing them to take their hands off their main keyboards4 ,pitting himself against ,,ibm and the other giants of the word-processing world1 ,barnaby worked in a spare bedroom from which he evicted an electric-train set4 ,he wrote the ,word,star with a brand-new ,,imsai computer1 #fd,k ,,ram1 two #ecj,k disks4 ,his big1 fat ,teletype ,model #dj printer crawled along at a pokey #aj characters per second1 but he poured out his code as if he were a muse-inspired novelist4 8,working out whatever it was he was going to code10 ,rubinstein recalled1 8he would sit in front of the machine and his fingers would fly4 ,and he would actually growl at the machine with his chin jutted out--rrr1 rrr1 like that--and he would pound the keys as fast as he could go1 because he couldn't get into the machine fast enough40 ,between fall #aigh and summer #aigi ,barnaby typically worked eighteen hours a day on ,word,star1 and sometimes many more in the frenzy of it all4 ,rubinstein said1 8,i stayed up a few nights with him1 in fact4 ,he was younger than ,i was--still is10 he said dryly1 8so ,i couldn't do it as much as he could4 ,he was an excellent coder1 one of the best ,i've ever seen in terms of speed and accuracy and putting in features that are real clever40 ,barnaby1 in turn1 praises ,rubinstein's contributions to ,word,star4 8,seymour set the general goals4 ,i wouldn't have known what the world wanted because ,i'm not in touch with the world4 ,he gave me a lot of specifics4 ,he was probably the person who used ,word,star the most and gave me the most comments1 because he bridges the range from being able to understand where technical people's heads are at and being able to relate to the outside world and the market4 ,he was a programmer years ago4 ,he's familiar with the process ,i go through4 ,he doesn't like to do it anymore1 but he sort of understands what ,i'm doing4 ,i think the menus were his idea0--the instructions that pop up on the screen if the typist takes too much time to execute a ,word,star command4 ,rubinstein also recalls contributing touches like the ,q effect1 which accelerates the impact of other ,word,star commands2 and he says he thought up the dotted lines that cross the screen to mark page breaks4 ,no matter who did what for ,word,star1 however1 it's likely that ,barnaby1 regardless of ,rubinstein's helpful studies of the market1 was writing mostly for ,barnaby4 8,i don't hear a voice from the world10 he generalized to me about his coding habits4 8,i hear a voice from the back of my head40 ,rob ,barnaby1 you might say1 was ,word,star's first user4 ,he used ,word,star as a programming aid to write ,word,star4 ,then he used ,word,star to write the manual for ,word,star4 ,as we talked1 ,i realized how close his working habits came to mine and how1 coding ,word,star for himself and ,rubinstein1 he had also programmed it for me4 ,it was not so much a fluke that the program's logic coincided with mine4 ,so1 in many ways1 did ,barnaby's personal writing habits4 8,i fiddle around a lot with text10 he said4 8,i try to get the points down1 and then ,i try to get good sentences to say them with4 ,if ,i find ,i try to word the thing right from the start1 ,i lose it4 ,i must see things on the screen40 ,amen1 ,rob4 ,i don't write my best ,english inside my head1 either2 ,i1 too1 must see4 ,like me1 ,barnaby might have loathed the programs that didn't let you zip the cursor to an error and correct it without much ado4 ,the creation of ,word,star1 by the way1 wasn't the only act of genius from ,micro,pro4 ,the name was a marketer's dream4 ,why 8,word,star08 ,micro,pro already had the programmer's aid called ,word,master1 and ,rubinstein apparently held an informal name-this-product contest for the new word processor4 8,who's this for80 asked an employee named ,barbara4 8,it's really for the production-minded secretary10 he replied4 8,why don't you call it ,word--80 she said1 using a vulgar synonym for 8cat40 8,what80 ,barbara mulled it over4 8,maybe that's a little too risqu4 ,but you say the secretary's the hero80 8,yes10 said ,rubinstein4 8,the star80 8,yes40 8,then why not call it ,word,star80 ,and so it was4 ,hitting the marketplace in the summer of #aigi1 the product clicked2 no competitor came close2 at least none offered ,word,star's get-what-you-see printing features4 ,rubinstein had come out with good1 timely software1 and now he was riding the beginnings of the micro wave4 ,just as with ,visi,calc1 buyers soon asked about ,word,star by name--before they bought their computers4 ,in fact1 often it was why they bought micros4 ,and ,rubinstein found ,word,star wasn't merely a good first sale for dealers4 ,frequently1 it would be a second4 ,balking at ,word,star's price1 customers would make do with an inferior word processor but remember the sales reps' original praise of the ,micro,pro program4 ,ironically1 as ,word,star was taking off1 ,barnaby1 its writer1 was headed toward another burnout4 ,the atmosphere around ,micro,pro was changing4 ,rubinstein1 who eventually would name a yacht the ,micro,star and move into a hilltop home with a sunken tile tub1 was losing touch with some programmers4 8,they locked us up in this little windowless room with ,customer ,support10 recalled ,jim ,fox1 ,barnaby's former assistant1 who worked on ,word,star ,version #c4j1 the one ,i'm using4 8,it was messy4 ,it was very noisy--not very good air circulation4 ,and then they were expecting us to do programming4 ,rob asked months and months for shelves1 and they never gave them until he threw a temper tantrum40 ,it seemed strange for ,rubinstein to let this happen4 ,everyone agrees that #djj1jjj home or not1 he was the opposite of a golf-course president4 ,and yet ,rubinstein had burdened ,micro,pro with high-tech bureaucrats who were turning it into a mini-,washington1 inflicting reorganization after reorganization4 ,the real producers1 whether sales reps or programmers1 sometimes suffered4 ,barnaby quit in the summer of #aihj just after working on an important sister program of ,word,star1 ,mail,merge1 which helps businesses personalize letters with names plugged in from mail lists4 8,to my knowledge10 ,rubinstein told me in early #aihc1 8he has not coded anything of significance since40 ,rubinstein was telling the truth as he knew it4 ,barnaby1 indeed1 had largely forgotten about computers4 ,he had lost excess weight2 he had traveled2 he had stopped smoking and shaved off his beard4 ,in superficial ways he seemed a different man from the writer of ,word,star4 ,and yet ,barnaby had left software before and returned2 and in late #aihb1 unknown to ,rubinstein apparently1 he had again4 ,it wasn't just that he needed the money4 ,he could no longer flee computerdom so easily4 ,a barrier had tumbled1 the one between his work and the rest of the world4 ,once micros had been mostly hobbyists' toys1 demanding hours of soldering and programming4 ,many of his friends hadn't fathomed what he did4 ,but now ,barnaby was hearing a woman--formerly perplexed--say that ,word,star was the rage at the stores where she was shopping for her new business computer4 ,barnaby's father got #bjaj for ,christmas and read that ,arthur ,clarke had written it with ,word,star2 ,clarke had sent the book to ,new ,york on a five-inch floppy and transmitted final corrections from ,sri ,lanka through his computer over a satellite link4 ,another science-fiction leader1 ,i discovered1 also was hoping to catch up with #bjaj--,seymour ,rubinstein4 ,returned to computers1 bearded again1 ,barnaby in early #aihc was working for a small rival of ,micro,pro1 ,chang ,laboratories1 aiming at the lucrative market for software compatible with ,,ibm's #af-;bit ,,pc4 ,he was like a canny ,hollywood scriptwriter4 ,barnaby was somewhat vague about his software plans1 in part because he really did not know what he would create in the end1 but perhaps also because he did not want to alert the competition4 ,he would not1 in early #aihc1 say he was working on a new word processor1 only that he was at the keyboard of his new ,,ibm4 ,it ran ,word,star4 ,barnaby1 like thousands of other people1 had bought his ,,ibm version at a local ,computer,land store4 ,you might say it was the neat completion of a circle1 for the founder of the ,computer,land chain was none other than ,bill ,millard1 the man behind ,,imsai1 ,barnaby's former employer4 ,barnaby offered his opinion of the ,word,star version he had bought at ,computer,land--competent but unimaginative4 ,well1 how could he outdo his ,word,star8 ,barnaby answered1 and despite his refusal to be pinned down on a future project 78,it could be a spreadsheet071 he gave at least an inkling of what another word processor from him could be like4 ,among other things1 ,barnaby would take advantage of the newer machines' more powerful memories2 he'd write more instructions for the ,,ram4 ,so he wouldn't have to choose as much between making the program either 7#a7 more easily understood or 7#b7 capable of moving around words in the fastest or most efficient way4 ,smart computers and dumb humans could coexist more gracefully4 ,also1 he'd reduce the number of commands in ,word,star1 a good idea if not overdone4 8,i've thought1 ,gee1 couldn't ,i have only two or three ways of deleting text rather than twenty4 ,and ,i look at my habits1 and ,i do use a lot of them4 ,but most of them ,i could replace with the same number of keystrokes or only one more keystroke using a combination of other commands4 ,i'd never tried to write a program where you didn't have to read the manual before4 ,and ,i still don't think ,i've succeeded4 ,i think that's a worthy goal for the future--to write a program that doesn't have to have a manual40 ,back at ,micro,pro1 ,rubinstein1 by early #aihc1 had fallen behind some previous goals of his own4 ,fewer than #bej people worked for the company1 or less than half the peak number1 and the company had saddled itself earlier with hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in office leases it no longer needed4 8,there were some odd things that happened internally with these visions of increasing numbers of sales10 said a former ,micro,pro man1 8and they hired too many people too quickly4 ,they pay very well1 and their salesmen were getting incredible commissions4 ,i know one guy--his first month in sales he took home five grand in commissions40 ,did he sustain that amount8 8,he didn't10 said the ex-,micro,pro employee4 8,every month after that he fell40 ,and so1 it seemed1 did the sales rep's colleagues at ,micro,pro4 8,they kept trying to break record after record10 the former employee recalled1 8and the only way to do it was to extend generous credit and get their products out the door4444 ,they had to produce all the programs people ordered1 but they weren't getting their money immediately40 ,with high interest rates1 some buyers would stall payments as long as possible4 ,micro,pro's growth problems weren't unique4 ,another pioneer in micro software1 ,lifeboat ,associates1 a distributor1 also found itself overexpanded and laid off employees4 ,micro,pro likewise suffered when programmers1 ordered to meet ,rubinstein's deadline1 cut corners on an early version of ,word,star for the ,,ibm ,,pc4 ,the software was too hard to adapt to customers' printers4 ,and then ,,ibm threw ,micro,pro a loop4 ,it suddenly changed the ,,pc's operating system in a way that made ,word,star glitch up4 ,micro,pro wasn't the culprit here4 ,and yet it was the one receiving angry phone calls from frustrated customers4 ,it was1 in a sense1 a victim of its own reputation for quality4 ,micro,pro products had bugs like other software makers'1 but fewer of them than most1 so that the ,,ibm ,word,star problems--since corrected--enraged customers with high expectations4 ,old friends of ,rubinstein's1 meanwhile1 complained that the firm had nothing truly original coming out1 that ,micro,pro had evolved from a programming company to a marketing one4 ,i disagreed somewhat4 ,micro,pro had succeeded largely because ,rubinstein had aggressively sold himself and his programs4 ,and yet it was also true no other ,micro,pro product had commanded as much attention as ,word,star1 the first big one4 ,michael ,canyes1 a computer consultant1 complained that it was 8getting a little gray around the temples40 ,it was time for updates1 drastic ones4 ,if they didn't come1 if competitors kept duplicating various features of ,word,star1 the program would eventually perish4 ,so far1 however1 that hadn't happened4 ,nothing had appeared that was both as good as ,word,star and marketed as successfully4 8,if you'd asked me when ,i first introduced it10 ,barnaby said1 8,i would have said as soon as we stopped moving1 somebody would have done something better4 ,i sort of thought ,word,star would be gone by now1 but it's growing instead4 ,it may sell a million by the time it's done40 ,he wasn't bragging2 he was right4 ,we were talking now in summer #aihc4 ,barnaby had removed himself from the payroll of ,chang ,laboratories1 and ,i suspected it might be because he worried about living up to his first success4 ,barnaby didn't discourage that impression4 ,when asked if another ,word,star might be on its way1 he said1 8,i hit once2 ,i may not hit again40 ,i understood4 ,he was no different from a writer trying to create another blockbuster book or movie2 he would be competing against himself--a contest made more difficult by the fact that ,micro,pro's marketing expertise would no longer be on his side4 ,i suggested that he and ,rubinstein might both benefit by working together again as a team4 ,if ,barnaby agreed1 though1 he certainly didn't make that clear to me1 and ,i hung up thinking that the ,barnaby-,rubinstein collaboration was as dead as the ,welles-,mankiewicz one4 8,let's just put it this way10 said ,barnaby of ,micro,pro4 8,they could have made me happier there and ,i'd still be there1 and ,micro,pro would still be growing instead of being flat40 8,rob is beloved around here10 said a public relations woman at ,micro,pro when ,i suggested that the company might benefit from his return1 8but we have many other good programmers40 ,not long afterward ,i was talking to ,seymour ,rubinstein4 ,he was decidedly more upbeat about ,micro,pro's fortune than ,barnaby had been4 ,he had added some fifty people to his staff since we'd last talked4 ,rubinstein predicted record sales of about #db million in #aihc1 of which ,word,star would be #fe percent2 he expected that his word processor would thrive inside the ,r,o,ms of #a1ejj lap-sized computers4 ,during our conversation ,i expressed my astonishment over a newspaper article2 supposedly1 a programmer--unnamed--had dreamed up ,word,star in a week or so during vacation4 8,i was amazed to see it myself10 ,rubinstein said4 8,it was really romanticizing something in a way that wasn't necessary1 beyond not being true40 8,i talked to ,barnaby10 ,i said1 8and he has the normal worries of programmers and writer-writers--whether he can ever repeat his success4 ,and ,i still wonder about the chances of you two coming together again40 8,well10 ,rubinstein said without the slightest pause1 8,i got him back working again40 8,now80 8,yep40 8,when80 8,just started a week and a half ago40 8,christ10 ,i said1 8,i sort of popped the question to him40 8,i'd just as soon you didn't broadcast it10 ,rubinstein said4 8,he's not in solid yet1 but ,i expect he will be4 ,you can put in there a blurb that as of this writing ,barnaby came back for a test run to see whether he could get involved again40 8,as a ,word,star user10 ,i said1 8,i have a selfish interest in his developing it further4 ,will he be working on ,word,star80 8,he'll be working on ,word,star10 said ,rubinstein4 ,like a movie man1 he excitedly described his coming attraction4 78,it'll just knock their socks off407 ,the new ,word,star would contain a spreadsheet4 ,also1 used with the right printers1 it would offer proportional spacing1 meaning that an 8,i0 would take up less room than a 8,w10 making the print look more booklike4 ,what's more1 the new ,word,star would be simpler to learn4 ,listening to ,rubinstein raving over his forthcoming word processor1 ,i could tell that if ,barnaby didn't work out on the new project1 ,micro,pro might use someone else4 ,ideally1 however1 it wouldn't4 8,just incredible10 ,rubinstein had said of ,barnaby's coding of ,word,star4 8,the man is a consummate artist40 ,surely1 ,i thought1 ,arthur ,clarke would agree4 ,barnaby stayed some months with ,micro,pro4 ,in fact1 he had helped fit ,word,star into the little memory of the ,epson lap-sized portable marketed that year4 ,a micro magazine1 meanwhile1 came out with a report that a version of ,word,star for big machines1 ,version #d4j1 might contain split screens4 ,in ,october #aihd1 however1 ,i was still waiting4 ,and ,rob ,barnaby had left ,micro,pro in ,july4 8,things didn't click10 he said without going into the specifics4 8,we talked about a lot of things1 but they didn't jell40 ,he was now consulting4 ,micro,pro suffered in other ways4 ,yearly income was up #ec percent1 and the company was still shipping thirty thousand copies of ,word,star each month1 but quarterly revenues reported in ,september #aihd were #ab4d million versus #ae4f million for the same period in #aihc4 ,the company sustained a loss in earnings of six cents a share1 #gef1jjj4 ,hoping to cope with threats such as ,new,word1 which sold for #bej and used the same commands as the older word processor1 it laid off #aj percent of its workers and reduced ,word,star's list price from #die to #cej4 ,new,word even offered twists of its own4 ,you could tell it to go to a certain page number1 for instance1 without having to specify a word on the page you were looking for4 ,the natural question arose3 ,why should people pay #ajj more for the real ,word,star8 ,six ,reasons ,why ,customers 7or ,noncustomers7 ,feel ,free to ,cheat ,software ,companies ,word,star clones like ,new,word aren't illegal4 ,getting a 8free0 ,word,star from a friend1 however1 is4 8,it's like illegally getting a second typewriter--copied from a friend's1 down to the serial number10 a software columnist observes4 8,you're stealing a valuable tool40 ,h4 ,glen ,haney1 the president of ,micro,pro1 told me that most copies of ,word,star in use are bootlegged ones4 ,while opposing the practice1 ,i'll list six reasons why customers cheat3 #a4 ,it takes all of two or three minutes--maybe less--to copy a disk worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars4 ,yes1 anti-bootlegging gimmicks exist4 ,but often they reduce software sales2 would you be as keen to buy a #ejj disk if you couldn't easily make backups8 #b4 ,everyone does it4 #c4 ,computer users want to befriend others with similar machines so they can draw on them for technical hints or back up equipment4 ,and what better way to cement a new friendship than at a copying session where the users swap programs8 ,that's the thinking4 #d4 ,many software companies overprice their wares4 ,yes1 it's expensive to develop good programs2 but some companies1 rather than creating innovative products1 gouge you to pay for development of copycat offerings4 ,they themselves rip off people--their more imaginative rivals4 7,no criticism of ,new,word here4 ,it is much cheaper than the original ,word,star and offers some improvements47 #e4 ,some people in large companies think software houses don't give big-enough discounts to corporations buying the same program for a number of machines4 #f4 ,many software companies don't offer enough guidance or other help4 ,customers think1 ,why should ,i buy this program when they're just going to ignore my problems once they have my money8 ,the columnist counters3 8,that's like saying1 #8,i'll just throw out the old ,judeo-,christian ethic that it's wrong to steal4' ,the other guy being wrong doesn't make you right40 ,micro,pro's responded to such competition by keeping ,word,star but developing another word processor1 ,word,star #bjjj1 aimed at offices that had shunned micros as too hard to use4 ,word,star #bjjj1 named because ,micro,pro said it would stay modern into the next century1 discarded most of the older program's commands4 ,there wasn't one line of code from plain old ,word,star4 ,and ,word,star #bjjj couldn't easily read its files--imperiling an industry standard that ,micro,pro itself had created4 ,moreover1 it couldn't run on less advanced micros like the ,kaypro ,,ii4 ,machines in that vein were still good for word processing1 and critics claimed that ,micro,pro had kissed off the #h-;bit market4 ,micro,pro replied that it had wanted to take full advantage of the hard disks and other capabilities that were showing up in powerful new computers such as the ,,ibm ,,at4#ba ,word,star #bjjj did not run well on the slower floppy-disk machines4 ,its early version was pokey1 moreover1 even on an ,,ibm ,,xt hard disk computer4 ,however1 it indeed simplified ,word,star's commands and offered split screens1 a form-letter program1 a spelling checker that you could use as you typed a letter rather than having to leave the file to call up the speller1 proportional spacing1 underlining displayed on the screen1 and the ability to go to specified pages--in other words1 what one writer called 8a catalog of wishes0 for people using the older program4 ,word,star #bjjj lacked a spreadsheet and sold for an outrageously steep #eie2 for #ajj more you could buy ,word,star #bjjj ,plus1 which included a simple list-keeping program and software to help hook you up to other computers via phone4 ,a slogan captured the ,micro,pro sales pitch3 8,easy ,word ,processing ,you'll ,never ,outgrow40 ,word,star #bjjj wasn't 8easy0 word processing--all powerful products took some time to learn--but it was easier than plain old ,word,star4 ,footnote #ba3 8,,at0 stood for 8,advanced ,technology40 ,i went to a ,micro,pro dealers' meeting just outside ,washington in early ,november #aihd and saw a slick1 professional sales campaign that would have done a shaving-cream maker proud4 ,company officials1 including president ,h4 ,glen ,haney1 said ,word,star #bjjj wasn't a fluke3 8,we're going to repeat this process again and again40 ,educators1 even science-fiction writers1 were said to have helped forty programmers make ,the ,product easy to use4 ,micro,pro billed #bjjj as having been 8beyond the capabilities of one or two genius programmers40 ,this philosophy1 as much as anything1 perhaps explained why ,rob ,barnaby was no longer with the company4 ,like many talented people1 especially writers1 he was the very antithesis of a team man4 ,there was a difference between being one of forty programmers and rrring away in front of the keyboard at midnight while the head of the company watched4 ,and yet as a user of ,word,star ,i still hoped that ,barnaby might return to the ,micro,pro fold4 ,no matter how many creativity experts ,micro,pro brought in--and the company in fact had experimented with one--you could no more replicate a ,rob ,barnaby than you could a ,welles or ,mankiewicz4 ,it was entirely inevitable that the ,micro,pro officials at the ,twin ,bridges ,marriott felt compelled to say that #bjjj was beyond one or two genius programmers4 ,word,star #bjjj indeed had some merits4 ,still1 it was far from the earthshaker that the original ,word,star had been4 ,barnaby and ,rubinstein had so brilliantly conceived their program that it could hold back the competition for years and years4 ,well into the #bjjj presentation at the motel1 the room darkened4 ,it was movie time4 ,the dealers chuckled at 8word processing throughout the ages40 ,a cartoon caveman wrote on stone1 a ,greek shuffled around stones bearing inscriptions for a temple1 and a cartoon ,george ,patton barked orders to the troops as part of a pun based on the phrase 8command-driven word processor40 7,see ,chapter #e for a definition47 ,micro,pro officials trotted out advertisements that would appear in the ,wall ,street ,journal1 ,fortune1 ,time1 and other major publications4 ,the company was as proud of the ads as of ,word,star #bjjj4 ,a lie-detectorlike device1 measuring electricity in the body1 had even gauged test subjects' responses to the copywriters' creations4 ,after lunch--salad1 roast beef1 potatoes1 and a redemptive low-calorie dessert--,micro,pro let the dealers try out ,word,star #bjjj themselves on ,,ibm ,x,ts and ,a,ts4 ,it was a combination sales talk and seminar4 ,micro,pro quizzed the dealers with questions in the vein of 8,what do you like most about the product80 ,the session greatly increased the dealers'--and my own--understanding of #bjjj4 ,at the same time1 using a teacher-student relationship1 ,micro,pro people fortified their depiction of themselves as the world's top experts on word processing4 ,similar dog-and-pony shows would take place in cities across the country and overseas4 ,micro,pro by now had four hundred employees worldwide and thirty-five hundred retail dealer outlets--a far cry from the days when ,rob ,barnaby had been writing ,word,star in the room from which he'd displaced the electric-train set4 ,if ,word,star #bjjj didn't sell well1 however1 ,micro,pro would shrink into just another software company4 ,it was a crucial time4 ,micro,pro was deemphasizing products like data bases and spreadsheets1 flaunting its reliance on word processing1 and inspiring headlines like 8,micro,pro ,back to ,its ,roots40 ,how to ,work on ,two ,files at ,once ,while ,using ,plain ,old ,word,star ,windows1 among other things1 let you view several files at once and move material back and forth 7see ,backup ,,ix1 8,window ,shopping074 ,even though plain old ,word,star lacks windows1 you might be able to upgrade your software to include them4 ,ask your dealer about ,,ibm's ,topview software and ,microsoft's ,windows4 ,for ,rubinstein personally1 #aihd had also been eventful4 ,he and his wife had separated--different interests1 he said--and he had a heart attack4 ,he had lost thirty pounds but had come back 8stronger than ever40 ,meanwhile1 an initial public stock offering in ,march had made him richer than ever4 ,it brought ,micro,pro #ac million4 8,after all is said and done10 ,rubinstein told me about the offering1 8,i'll end up with a little more than #e million40 ,he already owned a gold-colored ,corvette and a house worth hundreds of thousands4 8,and okay10 ,rubinstein said1 8so ,i'll decorate the house4 ,i'll buy some furniture4 ,so maybe ,i'll spend another couple hundred thousand1 but most of the money will be used for investment1 not to go on some wild spending spree40 ,he said that 8unless you're a dissipated type1 your life really doesn't change40#bb ,footnote #bb3 ,info,world1 ,may #ad1 #aihd1 is the source of ,rubinstein's quotes about the heart attack1 not going 8on some wild spending spree10 and his life not changing4 ,his corporate life1 however1 would be different4 ,perhaps chastened by ,adam ,osborne's failure1 some investors had insisted that ,rubinstein give up control of ,micro,pro4 ,he would still serve on the board4 ,and he would help plot long-range strategy and develop new products1 but the old entrepreneurial environment was vanishing at ,micro,pro and in much of the industry at large4 ,the ,osborne failure haunted ,rubinstein in ways besides making money raising somewhat harder4 ,some investors in ,osborne filed a suit saying that ,rubinstein--owner of ,osborne stock--had bailed out ahead of time1 using insider knowledge4 8,it's such hoked-up bullshit2 it's just ridiculous10 ,rubinstein said in ,may #aihd4 ,he had 8needed the money 444 principally to pay my taxes40#bc ,footnote #bc3 ,info,world1 ,may #ad1 #aihd1 is the source of ,rubinstein's 8bullshit0 quote4 ,by now1 the sales of personal-computer software exceeded #a4e billion a year4#bd ,throughout the industry1 accountants and others in three-piece suits were increasingly calling the shots4 ,marketing considerations--advertising1 even the designs of the boxes housing the software--often overwhelmed technical ones4 ,a word-processing program called ,select typified some so-called user-friendly software aimed at the burgeoning market4 ,footnote #bd3 ,the #a4e billion estimate is from ,chris ,christiansen of the ,yankee ,group4 ,backup3 ,,iii1 ,the ,lucky #ac3 ,what to ,look for in ,choosing ,software1 page #cjb4 #e ,the ,select ,word ,processor3 ,martin ,dean versus the ,command-,driven ,restaurants 8,gentleman ,farmers0 don't appear just in whiskey ads4 ,one showed up in ,info,world--ballyhooing ,select1 a craftily marketed rival of ,word,star4 ,embracing ,madison ,avenue-style tactics1 software companies like ,select ,information ,systems were luring some customers away from programs that would have been far better for heavy-duty business use4 ,select's word processor retailed for about #ejj in #aihb1 a year after its introduction1 including speller and mailing list programs and a tutorial disk4 ,just ,word,star--without accessory programs--listed for about the same4 ,more than twenty-five thousand copies of ,select sold in less than two years1 and major manufacturers started offering it with their computers4 ,i myself loathed ,select4 ,and yet ,i could see how the program could wow the throngs jamming their local computer stores4 ,the tutorial disk was a salesman's dream3 he could walk away while the program baby-sat the customer tinkering with the computer4 ,select ,information ,systems1 moreover1 a forty-employee company in ,kentfield1 ,california1 was running an advertising campaign as slick as any distiller's4 8,no contest10 proclaimed a ,san ,francisco ,examiner columnist in one ad in #aihb1 looking up from his ,xerox #hbj1 dangling a pair of glasses from his hand1 like some refugee from a ,famous ,writers ,school4 8,select was easier to learn40 ,the ads didn't say what he was comparing it to1 but a popular computer magazine named his equivalent of ,brand ,x1 ,word,star4 ,the columnist1 ,dick ,nolan1 never returned my calls1 and ,select wouldn't put me in touch with the secretary featured in another ad1 but ,i did track down 8,richard ,russell1 ,gentleman ,farmer40 8,nebraska soybeans10 said the ad1 8are ,richard ,russell's business4 ,but he rarely gets there4 ,richard manages his farms from a ,victorian flat in ,san ,francisco4 ,and he does it with little more than a telephone and the ,,select ,word ,processor40 ,what was this1 an ad for a word processor or a communications program8 ,and yet the copywriter had done her job4 ,i read on eagerly1 curious about gentlemanly word processors--human or disk4 8,select supports his interests as efficiently and often more quickly than could a well-run office back home4 ,the briefest bank instructions or thickest annual report can be recorded in minutes and retrieved in seconds40 ,was software so powerful8 ,maybe4 ,the ad quoted ,russell3 8,select manages the business4 ,i just reap the harvest40 ,the gentleman farmer1 however1 wasn't mainly a gentleman farmer--rather1 an interior decorator4 8,i spend more time doing that10 ,russell told me when ,i called up out of the blue1 8than on my farm operation1 which is managed in the ,midwest40 ,then why be a gentleman farmer in the ad8 8,i think they just thought the idea of a gentleman farmer was more interesting than an interior designer10 ,russell said4 ,it must have been4 ,he was deluged with calls1 including one from ,,nbc1 which was in the thick of a computer series4 ,well1 ,i asked1 did he actually use the word processor8 ,yes1 ,russell said1 but mainly in his designing business4 ,it was a successful one1 #bj percent commercial1 #hj percent residential1 including work on some mansions in the million-dollar range4 8,i design architectural interiors1 furniture1 fabrics10 he said1 8the whole thing40 ,what did he most like about ,select8 8,the self-teaching program was the main thing that appealed to me10 he said--the tutorial disk4 ,i asked ,russell about the cumbersome series of keystrokes that the ,kaypro version of ,select inflicted on people making insertions a few sentences back in their writing4 ,he knew about the problem4 ,and he knew about ,word,star1 too4 8,i'm a lot more aware of that since the ad ran10 he said of ,word,star's reputation as a powerful word-processing system1 8but ,i don't think ,i'm in a position to say much about it since ,i gave ,select my endorsement4 ,but you've brought up some valid points4 ,the whole business of personal computers is new to me in the last six months1 and so ,i'm learning about it1 as well40 ,russell said he used ,select several hours a week1 that he could legitimately endorse it even if he wasn't actually using it mainly as a gentleman farmer4 ,he was right4 ,i didn't question his basic sincerity4 ,but for me1 anyway1 ,select had proved tediously cumbersome4 ,in early #aihc ,i called up ,martin ,dean1 the head of ,select ,information ,systems1 and did the proper thing4 8,martin10 ,i said in effect1 8,i hate your software40 ,why gladhand information out of him1 then stab him in the back8 ,dean was smart and a good sport4 ,not only didn't he hang up on me2 he spent an hour on the phone giving his point of view4 ,like the developer of ,word,star1 ,dean had a philosophy1 one born of his own business experiences--in this case1 a ,word,star debacle4 ,he was a real estate lawyer eager for one of his staffers to work with a sophisticated word processor4 8,i handed her ,word,star10 he told me1 8and said1 #8,it's the standard in the industry4' ,and she came back two days later and said she was not going to do that40 8,she was vehement10 ,dean said4 ,she wasn't going to spend the seventy hours she felt it would take to master ,word,star4 ,and she wasn't 8just0 a secretary4 ,she had a year of law school1 had done ten years of legal secretarial work1 and was supervising ,dean's legal research staff4 8,she's one of the brightest women ,i've worked with in the legal business10 he said4 8,but she didn't have the time to learn ,word,star40 ,a major manufacturer had done a study comparing the two word processors' learning time4 8,and my understanding10 said ,dean1 8is they determined it takes about fifty hours of working with ,word,star to become as accomplished as you could become in ninety minutes of using ,select40 ,i disagreed4 ,word,star took much less time for me to learn2 ,select1 much more4 ,with other people1 it might be the reverse1 but a good company normally wouldn't have so much turnover that the employees would lack time to master a decent word processor4 ,defending ,select1 ,dean praised the tutorial disk and the program's built-in memory aids4 ,want to erase8 ,if you hit the 8,escape0 control and pressed the 8,e10 you'd eventually do that4 ,eventually4 ,dean and ,i went through a keystroke count4 ,he claimed that actually his system--improved since the one ,i'd tried--was as fast or faster than rivals if run on the right machines4 ,he said the ,kaypro just wasn't right for his program4 8,if you felt this way10 ,i asked1 8how come you let it be bundled with the ,kaypro80 ,why did he and the ,kaypro's maker sign a contract that allowed ,select to be the 8free0 word processor provided with the computer8 8,well10 ,dean said1 8we had that version on the market only three months0--in #aihb4 ,then1 according to him1 ,perfect ,writer underpriced ,select4 8,kaypro then thought that was a bargain4 ,they do not now40 8,why80 8,try to get a call through to their service department40 ,he was right4 ,kaypro owners were swapping war stories4 ,theoretically1 ,kaypro--not ,perfect--would guide the owners through the software maze4 ,actually1 it didn't4 ,not always1 anyway4 ,i heard people at user groups deciding which machine to lie about owning so the ,perfect ,writer staffers would listen to their problems4 ,kaypro1 in fact1 dropped ,perfect software in #aihd after dealers said they preferred ,word,star4 ,okay1 but what about my printer not underlining with the ,kaypro using ,select8 ,here again1 ,dean blamed ,kaypro1 and the printer maker1 too1 but ,i wasn't about to zero in on who was at fault here4 ,all ,i knew was that my daisy wheel wasn't that exotic a machine4 ,and yet1 involuntarily1 ,i'd been sold cumbersome software that1 unmodified1 did not even work right with the other parts of my #b1ejj investment4 ,you may love ,select1 maybe even after you've been running it a while4 8,cumbersome10 remember1 is my opinion4 ,a ,washington ,post staffer named ,eugene ,meyer1 a ,kaypro owner1 liked ,select and said the slowness 8gives me more time to think40 ,he was working on a book around the same time ,i was and turned out one as long4 8,but10 ,i half joked1 8if you'd been using ,word,star1 then you might have written one three times longer than mine40 ,i called up ,ben ,shneiderman1 an expert on matches between humans and software systems4 ,just what did an academic feel about ,select-style systems and ,word,star8 ,shneiderman1 an associate professor of computer science at the ,university of ,maryland and author of ,software ,psychology3 ,human ,factors in ,computer and ,information ,systems1 said3 8,select has very few commands4 ,there are very different people in the world4 ,you're very attracted to choice and options1 and you seek the power that ,word,star offers4 ,but very simply1 people are different4 ,some like to drive ,maseratis1 and some like to go twenty miles per hour40 ,he was right4 ,there might even be a version of ,select better than today's ,word,star2 software is constantly changing1 and when you shop1 you must do your homework to make sure you're buying the best program available for your needs at the time4 ,but while ,i was writing this book1 ,i loathed ,select--even a version more advanced than the one for my ,kaypro4 ,who1 anyway1 wanted to hire a typist content to do the keyboard equivalent of twenty miles per hour8 ,and yet ,i tried to be tolerant4 ,i hit the control key to fire up ,word,star's commands2 ,select users tapped 8,escape40 8,there are twenty-five thousand people happy with using #8,escape' instead of the control key10 ,dean had told me1 as patiently as a liberal ,baptist explaining to a ,klansman that ,jews didn't have horns4 ,certainly it was true3 one man's joy1 another man's plastic-disked kludge--that was software for you4 ,and what you learned first was often your first love4 ,a computer magazine even called one article 8,getting ,married to ,word,star40 8,can you erase your memory modules80 ,mark ,robinson1 a marketing man with ,lexisoft1 asked before he mailed me a copy of his company's ,spellbinder word processor4 ,he had a point4 ,i liked ,spellbinder more than ,select1 much more1 because it ran faster on the ,kaypro1 but ,i still could not abide by the need to enter a new mode to make insertions or corrections4 ,it seemed inhibiting1 this requirement1 though perhaps more in writing than in secretarial work4 ,michael ,canyes1 a computer consultant1 at the time loved ,palantir4 ,it offered many of the better features of both ,word,star and ,spellbinder and let a nonprogrammer set up the numbers pads of many computers to serve as function keys4 ,canyes also appreciated ,the ,final ,word1 an excellent word processor for footnoting and other academic requirements4 ,it was clear4 ,there were serious alternatives to ,word,star--some1 anyway--even if1 like the writer of the 8,married0 article1 ,i was already well matched4 ,in some ways1 however1 ,i felt uncomfortable about the general direction in which the software business seemed to be moving4 ,would less powerful but well-marketed products like ,select drive out the future ,word,stars8 ,the ,word,star had benefited from ,seymour ,rubinstein's salesmanship4 ,but ,rubinstein also had boasted a solid computer background2 and unlike some of the new people in software1 he wasn't just a businessman cashing in on an exploding market4 ,again and again a pattern was beginning to repeat itself4 ,programmer-entrepreneurs would tough it out in the proverbial garages--for some reason programmers work in garages1 authors in garrets--and score with the right software hit4 ,propelled by little more than their drive and technical expertise1 their companies would grow4 ,then1 however1 other businessmen1 real businessmen1 would want the same niche1 and the marketing people would muscle in and set the tone4 ,or1 as with some new companies1 they might have been setting the tone from the very start4 ,this had been the classic pattern in many industries--,orville and ,wilbur ,wright hadn't exactly gone on to become major aviation magnates--but computers were improving faster than had airplanes4 ,and so the process was accelerated2 well-financed managers were rapidly replacing garage-style entrepreneurs4 ,the stakes were higher1 and striking back1 software authors were even hiring agents4 ,the question arose1 however1 of the extent to which the market would remain open to more imaginative garage people1 anyway1 what with increased use of teams to develop complex programs4 8,the frontier10 said ,jeffrey ,tarter1 publisher of ,soft4letter1 an industry publication1 8is already closing4 8,a couple of years ago you got to be successful primarily by competently executing an innovative idea and by picking the right machine to produce that execution for4 ,visi,calc for the ,apple is the classic example here1 but lots of other programs achieved success on a smaller scale by doing something useful for a microcomputer that came to dominate a market niche0--or1 ,i would add with ,word,star in mind1 by producing a program valuable for its very ability to run on a number of machines4 8,now1 however10 ,tarter said1 8the rules are changing4444 ,marketing factors are becoming more important4 ,you have to package and distribute the product with far greater sophistication than before and be able to spend the kind of money that sophistication requires40 8,it's like the record business10 said ,nick ,vergis1 then a marketing man with ,perfect ,software1 telling me about the new programs his company was developing4 8,you get a lot more bullets ready than you actually fire4 ,some will be hits1 and some won't4 ,you hope you'll get enough hits to pay for the new bullets40 ,research and development 7,r ,d7 was a major part of the costs of new programs4 ,the original ,word,star had come cheaply2 ,rob ,barnaby had toiled night and day for a fraction of the money that his counterparts now often demanded4 ,then again1 advertising and other non-,r ,d expenditures in the industry had increased1 too4 ,by spring #aihd ,select had sold #ej1jjj copies4 ,that should have been enough to sustain a small or medium-sized software company1 but even after a public stock offering in ,november #aihc1 ,dean still felt capital-short4 8,we just couldn't spend enough on ads and still have money to pay the sales force10 said ,dean1 who 8saw it coming0 by ,february #aihd4 ,that summer he licensed ,select to ,intelligent ,systems to publish and promote at the retail level4 ,intelligent1 privately held and based in ,georgia1 enjoyed yearly sales of #ij million2 its ,quadram subsidiary made well-advertised computer accessories4 ,in late #aihd ,select merged with ,summa ,software ,corp41 an ,oregon firm that offered a stock-market program called ,winning on ,wall ,street1 and ,dean laid off six marketing people from ,select1 so that his original firm had only twenty-one workers left4 ,the ,intelligent deal went on despite the merger4 8,there are many more products available today than the market can support1 and it's very confusing to consumers10 said an ,intelligent vice-president named ,frank ,marks4 8,the user needs to know that he's buying from a company that will be around in the future40 ,he was right4 ,in that sense1 the large companies' growing ascendancy in software may have been to the benefit of the consumer4 ,still1 old micro hands may have gnashed their teeth when they heard that ,intelligence would turn ,select into the 8,quadsoft0 line of software and when ,marks said that the name 8leverages ,quadram's brand awareness40 ,quadsoft might as well have been a new shampoo4#be ,footnote #be3 ,the account of ,select's capital shortage and the metamorphosis into ,quadsoft comes from ,info,world1 ,august #ac1 #aihd4 ,the merger information is from ,info,world1 ,october #h1 #aihd4 ,to ,select ,information ,systems' credit1 the company had garnered some favorable reviews of new products in the months before the ,quadsoft deal4 7,they included ,select ,write1 a #ii stripped-down ,select47 ,even so1 some of the old-time micro people correctly questioned ,dean's style of 8user friendliness40 ,in a ,byte article1 8,simplify1 ,simplify1 ,simplify10 ,dean had pushed menu-driven software like ,select4#bf ,the idea seemed logical4 ,you'd see the choices on the computer screen rather than having to recall combinations of keystrokes1 as you would with command-driven systems4 ,dean likened a computer menu to a restaurant menu4 ,he lampooned the idea of 8a command-driven restaurant0 in which1 supposedly1 you'd try 8to remember what sort of sauce the veal came with last time and whether it was pepper or peppercorns that you liked in your green beans40 ,footnote #bf3 ,dean's ,byte article appeared ,december #aihc1 p4 #afa4 ,wasn't that stretching it1 however8 ,if you ate at the same restaurant day after day1 couldn't you order many kinds of meals without bothering to glance at a menu8 ,how would you feel about a waitress who insisted you see a menu even if the fare never changed8 ,she would be pushy1 wouldn't she8 ,all of a sudden 8user friendliness0 would be antiuser pushiness to those using a program regularly4 ,strictly menu-driven software should normally be just for occasional users1 children1 and adults wanting to be treated like children2 and many if not most adults in the business world worked too often with words and numbers to let ,select-style programs keep them in the infant stage4 ,granted1 exceptions existed justifying this kind of software4 ,a micro user who occasionally retrieved information from a mainframe1 for instance1 could take advantage of menus to guide him through complicated routines4 ,what's more1 even ,word,star employed a menu to handle installation procedures to match the program up with various computers and printers4 ,but that was different from menus that slowed you during your regular work with the program4 ,some of the so-called command-driven programs1 moreover--at least ,word,star--actually did have the option of letting you keep a list of common commands on the screen if you wanted4 ,jerry ,pournelle1 a prominent computer columnist1 growled back at the 8user friendliness0 crowd1 saying that their software didn't let ordinary people enjoy the full power of their machines4 8,it takes a little work to join the micro revolution10 he said1 8but the rewards can be high40#bg ,i agreed4 ,you didn't have to learn programming1 but you owed it to yourself and your company to make good use of the best software for your job4 ,a user named ,alan ,scharf had done exactly that--saving his firm #bjj1jjj a year4 ,footnote #bg3 ,jerry ,pournelle's rebuttal to ,dean and others of the 8user friendly0 school appeared in ,popular ,computing1 ,may #aihd1 p4 #ha4 ,backup3 ,,iv1 ,on the ,evolution of ,software 7,and a 8,perfecter and ,perfecter0 ,program71 page #caj4 #f ,three ,software ,stories3 ,motorcycles1 ,homes1 and ,the #bjj1jjj-;a-,year ,disk ,zzzzzz4 ,i doze off reading lists of the right software for1 say1 beekeepers or chiropractors4 ,so sorry2 ,i won't cover everyone's programs4 ,besides1 software is evolving4 ,i hate ,select now2 ,i may love its future editions4 ,and what about ,word,star8 ,although #bjjj offers many improvements over my beloved ,word,star #c4c--;and ,i may eventually convert to it--,i don't like all the changes4 ,so don't think specific programs here4 ,think concepts4 ,in fact1 if possible1 don't even think computer concepts4 ,instead1 think business4 ,just how could the lessons of the three people in this chapter apply to yours8 ,ed ,boland3 ,accounting ,ed ,boland helps run a motorcycle shop1 but you'll never find him roaring off on a bike1 dodging myopic drivers4 8,i've got a wife and three kids10 he joked4 8,scares the hell out of me40 ,it doesn't matter4 ,boland1 a graying1 middle-aged accountant1 is just as useful to ,clinton ,cycles as a top mechanic or a crack ,suzuki salesman4 ,above all1 a good controller obviously knows where the money is4 ,he helps his employer avoid unneeded trips to the bank to borrow more4 ,clinton ,cycles1 in fact1 borrows rarely4 ,that's one reason why1 when ,u4,s4 motorcycle sales suffered the economic equivalent of a head-on crash1 ,clinton survived4 ,the firm even expanded during the early #aihjs4 ,also1 years before1 owner ,don ,smolinski had wisely diversified4 ,clinton ,cycles was actually ,clinton ,cycle and ,salvage1 ,inc41 a miniconglomerate with three motorcycle stores and dealings in scrap metal4 ,sales exceeded several million a year4 ,but size and complexity weren't pure joy4 ,boland's accounting software just couldn't handle a holding company and five subsidiaries1 not without costly customizing1 and nearly a year after computerization1 his feelings were still mixed4 8,i don't regret the decision10 ,boland said4 ,but at the time he had spent thousands of dollars more than planned1 and he told me1 8,there's been a few times ,i would have thrown this computer out the door in a second40 ,his horror story--even if it eventually turns into a success tale1 as it probably will--is instructive4 ,he's good4 ,and he bought his software from a good store4 ,clinton ,computers1 in the same ,maryland suburb1 won top ratings in a consumer guide in the ,washington1 ,d4,c41 area4 ,a software executive1 moreover1 an outspoken one critical of some other ,d4,c4 dealers1 praised ,clinton4 ,so a bothersome issue arises4 ,if a #c1hjj accounting program doesn't work out easily with good people selling and using it1 what happens among mediocre people8 ,and there is a second point here4 ,don't expect even the best computer store to serve as your private consultant1 intimately familiar with your business2 not1 at least1 unless you're buying a big mini or mainframe from the likes of ,,ibm4 ,a third point1 too1 comes through4 ,don't computerize a multi-million-dollar business without a consultant--at least not if you're running an extra-hairy program like an accounting one--unless you're willing to talk and think computerese or at least take a training course4 ,accounting software1 anyway1 just isn't simple and reliable enough yet4 ,any idiot can flick on a computer and stuff a floppy disk into a drive or crank up a hard disk2 most of the time his hardware will work fine1 but even the brightest of businessmen may need a consultant to unravel the mysteries of many programs--even 8canned10 off-the-shelf accounting packages like the one that bedeviled ,ed ,boland4 ,a blunt1 tough-talking man1 ,boland himself is no moron4 ,he holds a bachelors degree in accounting1 and he's worked for employers ranging from hospitals to restaurant chains1 including one where he caught a chef on the take from a supplier4 8,accounting is accounting10 he said4 8,i don't care if it's food or motorcycles4 ,life exists the same way40 ,moreover1 life is a series of ratios1 of intertwining figures4 ,that's how ,boland caught the chef4 ,he knew that food costs were normally #bj percent of the company's expenses2 two months after the chef's hiring1 they were #bc percent1 creeping up toward #bg percent1 finally4 ,the incident perhaps colored his attitude toward computerization4 ,he would computerize1 but not overdo it1 not lose himself in tangential statistics1 not hire extra clerks to key in data4 8,we carry more than seventy thousand new parts numbers alone10 he said4 8,seventy thousand different kinds of screws1 bolts1 nuts1 fenders1 rims40 ,but if he couldn't track every single bolt1 he at least could work with major numbers like sales figures for various categories4 ,normally1 for instance1 new bike sales and accessories sales went up and down together1 and if one of the two had fallen off alone1 you could bet that ,boland would demand a reason4 ,if nothing else1 computers1 by making past information available more quickly1 could help him sniff out trouble4 ,computerizing1 he saw a micro as one way to avoid greedy consultants and their expensive recommendations4 8,i've seen too many instances10 said ,boland1 8where businesses paid out #ej1jjj1 #fj1jjj to a consultant who spent six or seven months analyzing computer requirements4 ,then he'd recommend #ej1jjj or #aej1jjj worth of computer equipment40 ,boland wanted the benefits of the bigger machines without the costs4 ,his goal was to reach the point that a somewhat larger competitor in the ,d4,c4 area already had2 the rival owned an ,,ibm #cd system with a six-digit price4 8,he used to work for ,,ibm fifteen or twenty years ago1 before he went into the motorcycle business10 ,boland said4 8,he now has just about every one of his salespeople on commission1 and he knows exactly what they sell every day4 ,he can tell you where each motorcycle1 each piece of inventory1 is4 8,he can tell you whether it's in a truck1 what color it is1 where it is1 what stage of preparation it's in for delivery4 ,he puts his purchases in the computer with an inventory program4 ,the moment a salesman sells a cycle1 the register itself deducts it from inventory4 ,it's a point-of-sales system4 ,so theoretically1 at the end of the day he knows exactly what he started the day with1 what he sold1 what he added to it1 and what the bottom-line figure is4 ,we'd love to get to that point4 8,the likelihood of this happening with us1 though1 is very low4 ,i don't know if all this detail is necessary4 ,and our business is seasonal1 and ,i don't want too much cash tied up in the system4 ,and what's the sense of keeping instant track of every nut and bolt sold8 ,but we'd love to get the major items in on computer4 ,the motorcycles1 for instance4 ,they can easily sell for up to #f1jjj apiece1 so it's worth it4 8,it's a question of software4 ,this competitor has spent more than #ajj1jjj to develop specific software to get what he wants4 ,now if you've got #ajj1jjj to throw away and want to hire a programmer full time at1 say1 #j1jjj a year1 that's fine4 ,most companies like us can't afford that40 ,so ,boland bought several programs off the shelf from ,clinton ,computers1 including ,accounting ,plus1 which he began trying to use as an electronic general ledger4 ,he ran it on a ,north ,star computer with a #e-megabyte hard disk--a memory device capable of stashing away the equivalent of maybe #b1ejj typed pages of information4 ,the ,north ,star system was just a way for him to get his feet wet in computing with a general-ledger program4 ,boland1 though1 would switch computers even sooner than expected4 ,the system's memory space wouldn't suffice for the records of his miniconglomerate1 and it wasn't easily expandable4 ,and he would have trouble getting the machine repaired as quickly as he needed4 ,clinton ,computers1 however good its service department1 just could not respond fast enough to suit his requirements4 ,and the software seemed just as major a disappointment1 what with the need for complicated customization4 8,the biggest problem ,i ran into at the store10 he said of the hardware and software1 8was #8,we're going to sell you a system that we think will do the job1 but not necessarily so4'0 ,both the buyer and the seller1 in this case1 apparently lost the software gamble2 they apparently came out on the wrong side of 8necessarily40 ,clinton ,computers did not win1 because it isn't a fly-by-night operation4 ,boland's name had come to me from none other than ,sue ,grothoff1 who'd sold him the software4 ,she had enough confidence in herself and her store to offer ,boland as the source of a 8candid0 story1 and my respect remains1 especially after having talked to another business customer1 raving happy about her ability to understand his company's software needs4 ,boland emphasized that ,clinton wasn't out to cheat him4 8,sue is a very nice person40 ,and he liked the software expert there1 too4 8,he knows how to change software1 but you have one person trying to meet the needs of too many customers4 ,he's spread too thin4 ,clinton never gave him enough time to get the program running at my business4 ,and we never could seem to get together to get the twelve hours of training they've promised me4 ,to be frank1 ,i think we spent the twelve hours trying to correct the problem ,i had rather than on training40 ,giving ,clinton ,computer's side1 ,grothoff said1 8,because of changes that ,ed wanted in the software1 it took longer to adapt the program to meet his needs4 ,and that used up the twelve hours40 ,evidently1 ,boland and ,grothoff stayed on good terms1 because she later sold him a new ,kaypro portable for home use4 ,but with his big computer system at work1 ,boland--for one reason or another--seems to have suffered more than his share of woes4 8,accounting ,plus10 said ,boland of the software he bought there1 8is a very good program1 but it was designed for one single company to be subdivided into departments4 ,you could have six departments1 everything from sales to used parts1 and it will work beautifully4 ,but it wouldn't for what ,i wanted4 ,it would not treat a motorcycle store1 for instance1 as a subdivision of a holding company4 ,i could not pull off separate profit and loss statements or separate balance sheets40 ,clinton ,computers1 to its credit1 referred ,boland to a consultant familiar with the source code of ,accounting ,plus--a part of the program that would enable it to be customized4 ,the consultant took in ,boland's ,north ,star computer system as a trade-in4 ,he sold him a ,delta microcomputer and ,tele,video terminal in return1 along with a hard-disk system upgradable to #gj megabytes4 ,with the software customization included1 the cost came to #bj1jjj1 minus the #ab1jjj trade-in4 ,the consultant1 like ,clinton ,computers1 didn't know as much about accounting as ,boland had hoped4 ,but through sheer tenacity ,boland at least got himself a halfway usable program4 8,i had the software changed10 he said1 8so that instead of one company with departments in it1 it now reads a holding company with subsidiary companies4 ,the software was changed to print out separate balance sheets and separate income statements for me4 8,on the income-statement side this machine will ask me if ,i want a consolidated or individual by-page income statement4 ,it will print out a holding company and then1 in successive order1 on each page1 the income statement for each company4 ,when ,i go to the balance sheet1 it will ask me that same question4 8,if ,i tell it ,i want individuals and a consolidated by page1 it won't do it4 ,i must ask it individually each time for company one1 then company two1 right down the line4 ,i have to give the computer individual instructions to do that4 8,and that was the best my consultant could do to change the software4 ,it got the job done1 but not all the way4 8,i've since found out that for #djj1 not 1#hjj1 ,i could have bought an accounting package that would do exactly the same thing ,i wanted40 ,so why didn't he buy it8 8,why spend another #djj to delve into it further and then find out it isn't what you wanted80 ,boland asked4 8,i think it's stupid to spend money at this point4 ,i have a system ,i know ,i can make work within certain limits4 ,i'm still in the learning phase1 and ,i'll probably still be there for another year1 for all ,i know40 ,i thought he was too patient4 ,if his software system was a dog--perhaps not for everyone but for him--he should change it4 ,four hundred dollars was a pittance compared to ,boland's total investment of #bj1jjj4 ,ideally1 too1 as he said himself1 he would have gone to a consultant in the first place1 not just any consultant but one familiar with accounting4 ,and yet it's understandable why he acted as he did4 ,why repeat the mistakes he'd seen at other companies8 ,why not frugality8 ,better to be out #bj1jjj than #ej1jjj or #ajj1jjj after paying for a mini1 a consultant1 and the other trimmings4 ,his computer wasn't making or saving buckets of money for ,clinton ,cycle and ,salvage as of early #aihc2 but it might in the future as he got his software under control and could1 for instance1 easily put salesmen on commission4 ,he told me1 moreover1 that he would soon stop farming out the company payroll--up to seventy people--to a computer firm4 ,he also was mastering an electronic spreadsheet4 ,he did not plan an accounts receivable program1 because ,clinton ,cycle collected quickly through checks and credit cards1 but an accounts payable one was in the offing4 8,it's going to give me the companies' names1 the payment terms1 the volume ,i deal with them each month10 ,boland said4 8,it will flag when the bills are due1 and it will also generate checks40 ,he was also going to crank up a mailing-list program1 using a list of all buyers of new bikes within the last three years--a sensible project1 considering the market for accessories and repeat sales4 ,obviously1 here1 as in other applications1 the more information built up on his hard disk1 the more his machines would justify the #bj1jjj investment4 ,the benefits of computerization for ,edward ,boland might not be immediately dramatic1 but with his stick-to-itiveness1 sooner or later they'd almost surely come4 ,boland's battles with computers were to continue4 ,when ,i caught up with him in spring #aihd1 he said he'd bought yet another computer system4 ,charlie ,bowie3 ,data ,base and ,spreadsheet ,remember the customer who was raving happy about his software--also bought from ,sue ,grothoff at ,clinton ,computers8 ,that's ,charlie ,bowie1 who1 when we first talked1 was a vice-president of ,washington ,homes and manager of its ,southern ,division4 ,he told me he expected two ,zenith micros to save his company perhaps as much as #ej1jjj a year1 maybe more4 ,in just one month1 in fact1 his #e1jjj computer had already saved the equivalent of thousands of dollars in executive man-hours4 ,even before he and ,i met1 his assistant1 behind his back1 was singing praises of her boss and their new machine4 8,i wanted to learn word processing10 said ,julie ,grimes1 a young1 blond woman who could have been the secretary in the ,,ibm commercials saying the advertised product was 8a piece of cake0 to master4 ,gazing at the ,zenith--which she and ,bowie use for data-base work1 spreadsheets1 and some word processing--she said3 8,it really comes in handy4444 ,we were both worried4 ,charlie told me1 #8,don't worry4 ,we'll teach each other4'0 ,bowie by now was in the room1 and it was immediately clear he'd won her respect through his brains and dedication1 not through the normal trappings of executivedom4 ,he was bearded4 ,he wore a sweater and heavy boots and wire-rimmed glasses4 ,he plainly was the construction industry's version of the proverbial shirt-sleeves manager4 ,he must loathe paperwork1 prefer the field to the executive suite1 even if he was a vice-president of a publicly owned real estate company with twelve hundred stockholders4 ,he was in his mid-thirties4 ,that wasn't so much younger than ,ed ,boland1 who himself1 interviewed on a ,saturday1 had worn casual clothes4 ,and yet the two somehow came across as being on opposite sides of the generation gap that all the pundits were babbling about during ,vietnam4 ,i could imagine ,boland watching ,m99,a99,s99,h2 ,i could imagine ,bowie1 in the right setting1 being a mild version of ,hawkeye4 ,he wouldn't necessarily do things the traditional way1 but in the end no one would care1 because whatever it was1 he'd succeed4 ,ed ,boland was a man with a fondness for constants--a characteristic that in his profession had served him well4 ,charlie ,bowie1 ,i sensed1 enjoyed surprises and change4 ,bowie's company1 like ,boland's1 had to be good to have survived so long in a boom-and-bust industry4 ,everyone needs transportation1 everyone needs housing2 everyone does not need recreational motorcycles or new homes4 ,across the country1 home sales had plummeted at the start of the #aihjs4 ,washington ,homes' sales had been almost #cj million in #aihj but just half that two years later4 ,yet ,bowie's company had survived the ups and downs since #aife4 ,the management philosophy struck me as the same as ,clinton ,cycles--the lean1 mean school4 ,it was early #aihc when we first talked4 ,another housing boom seemed ready to explode1 and ,bowie was working a sixty-five-hour week1 8because we've gotten very busy1 very quickly1 and we haven't built up our staff rapidly4 ,it's hard to find qualified people1 and we don't know whether the recovery's here to stay40 ,small wonder that he welcomed his computer as a sort of financial radar--an early warning system that would buzz before the bombs fell4 ,washington ,homes was a general contractor4 ,in other words1 it was just as much in the management and budget business as the building business4 ,bowie and his company didn't hire laborers1 didn't buy every nail and brick4 ,rather1 they farmed out the construction to subcontractors1 some of whom1 if not policed1 could wreak havoc on ,washington ,homes by1 say1 finishing work late4 ,you can't do plumbing and the electrical wiring1 normally1 if the walls aren't up yet4 ,you've got to keep your invisible assembly line moving4 ,the sixty phases on ,bowie's 8,house budget summary0 started with items like 8,engineering0 and 8,water ,sewer ,charge10 continued through 8,brick ,veneer0 and 8,siding0 and went on to such details as 8,fences0 and 8,trash ,removal40 ,if ,bowie was late in submitting bids or getting what he paid for1 it wasn't a bureaucratic abstraction4 ,it meant a late house1 an unhappy customer1 perhaps1 and above all1 more interest to pay the bank on ,washington ,homes' construction loans4 ,bowie1 moreover1 had to keep track of his customer's own financing arrangements4 ,the company's houses sold for anywhere from #ee1jjj to #ace1jjj1 but most customers were first timers who had never before wended their ways through the mortgage maze4 ,bowie could reduce his company's carrying charges if he didn't rush homes to completion before the customers were ready for them4 8,we don't make any money until we deliver the house10 he said1 8so we need to keep track of the time between when people contract and make application with a lender and how long it takes for them to win loan approval4 8,when our company had ninety or a hundred houses and was backlogged1 it was fairly easy to do manually4 ,but now we have almost five hundred houses in our backlog40 ,shopping around for a system to handle all those grubby details1 ,bowie found that computer stores didn't treat their first-time buyers as well as he wanted to treat his4 8,i looked at computers for a year10 he said1 8and the biggest thing ,i found was the condescending attitude of the people in the sales centers to someone who knows nothing about it4 8,i'd walk into a store and give them a written list of my requirements1 and the first thing they'd tell me was #8,your requirements are wrong4' ,and that was the case until ,i got to ,clinton ,computers40 ,bowie showed ,sue ,grothoff1 the sales rep1 his sixty-phase budget sheet--a basic common-sense rule of software and hardware shopping4 ,if you're working with documents1 at least nonconfidential ones1 then show them6 ,do so to a store4 ,do so to a consultant if you have one4 ,explain as clearly as you can just what kind of paperwork you're computerizing4 ,here1 incidentally1 you can't compare ,bowie and ,boland in an apple-to-apple way4 ,accounting programs can be much trickier than data bases and spreadsheets1 especially for companies with unusual circumstances like ,boland's--that is1 all those subsidiaries in a small-to-medium business4 ,it's clear1 though1 that whatever happened1 ,grothoff and ,bowie communicated much better than she and ,boland4 8,at this point10 said ,bowie1 8,i was only interested in loan processing and budgets1 and the main thing ,i was interested in was budgets40 ,he thought he needed above all an electronic spreadsheet4 ,here1 however1 for once1 a computer sales rep knew his needs better than he did4 ,grothoff persuaded him that most of all he needed a data-base program--one that would help him track loans on hundreds of houses4 ,it would store information and rearrange it in patterns he needed4 ,he might not want full copies of all loan-processing reports1 for example4 ,instead1 he might want just the names of the home buyers1 say1 or just the foundation costs of each house4 ,or he might want the program to tote up all the foundation costs or perform other arithmetic1 including complicated multiplication and division or calculation of ratios and percentages4 ,and with a program like d,b,a,s,e ,,ii that's possible4 ,like many of its rivals1 it will do some complex calculations1 not just shuffle facts around4 ,there are many books on d,b,a,s,e ,,ii--yet another advantage and indication of its popularity4 7,two good choices are d,b,a,s,e ,,ii ,user's ,guide by ,adam ,b4 ,green and ,everyman's ,database ,primer featuring d,b,a,s,e ,,ii by ,robert ,byers47 ,here are some ways in which d,b,a,s,e ,,ii might organize your records if you're an executive like ,bowie3 #a4 ,the ,,create command lets you begin a file4 #b4 ,a file in a data base is the electronic version of a file drawer or cabinet4 ,it's just the space on the disks holding records--say1 the house-budget summaries for your homes4 #c4 ,a field is a category of fact like the amount of money spent on each air-conditioning system for each house4 #d4 ,structure is simply the way a record is set up4 ,there are three big considerations--the field names1 the field width1 and the field type4 ,the field name is simply a field's title4 ,the field width is the number of spaces required for the information in each field4 ,the field type can be one of these categories3 a4 ,a numeric field--just numbers b4 ,a character field or alphanumeric field--numbers1 letters1 question marks1 miscellaneous symbols like 810 or spaces between letters or numbers c4 ,a logical field--one with just two choices1 like 8,y0 for 8,yes0 and 8,n0 for 8,no0 #e4 ,the ,,edit command changes the contents of a data field4 ,you can type in modifications after putting your cursor in the right place4 #f4 ,a command to ,,append can add new records to your electronic filing cabinet4 #g4 ,sorting lets you reshuffle records alphabetically1 by date or other ways1 just as you would index cards4 #h4 ,the ,,list command tells d,b,a,s,e ,,ii to flash across the screen the records that you specify4 #i4 4,,and4 helps you narrow down the information you're looking for or changing4 ,consider this hypothetical example3 ,,list ,,for ,,sale3,,persn #8,,babbitt' 4,,and4 ,,loan3,,amt #8#gj1jjj' would guide you to all houses that a sales rep named ,babbitt sold to a customer borrowing exactly #gj1jjj4 #aj4 4,,or4 is another way to describe the desired facts4 ,,list ,,for ,,sale3,,persn #8,,babbitt' 4,,or4 ,,loan3,,amt #8#gj1jjj' would indicate you wanted to see records involving either ,babbitt or a loan of #gj1jjj4 #aa4 ,,list ,,for 4,,not4 ,,sale3,,persn #8,,babbitt' could help weed from view1 or the files1 all records involving ,babbitt4 #ab4 ,command files are programs that tell the machine how to manipulate the data so you needn't repeat complicated procedures one by one4 ,you might work out these files to simplify your secretary's work--or he or she might do the same for you4 ,bowie and ,grimes mastered d,b,a,s,e ,,ii basics in eight hours of classes at ,clinton ,computer4 8d,b,a,s,e ,,ii was real easy10 he said4 8,the manual is in plain ,english4 ,even without all our records in the computer now1 it saves me and ,julie probably five or six hours a week4 ,we were doing it manually before1 and we're on the verge of saving other people in the company lots of time with the loan processing by using d,b,a,s,e ,,ii4 ,i think we'd have to say with five hundred houses in our backlog there is the potential for this to save us #ej1jjj a year in carrying charges that may have accrued under the old system of keeping loan-processing records4 8,we are going to buy another machine10 ,bowie said1 8for the ,northern ,division40 ,the potential #ej1jjj annual savings from the two machines1 by the way1 would include just reductions in carrying charges--not in executive time or tasks besides loan processing4 ,consider the economies that would result simply from less paperwork4 8,when we first set up the computer10 ,bowie said1 8we set it up exactly like we were doing things manually4 ,as a division manager1 ,i'm in charge of marketing and production4 ,and earlier we had 7#a7 marketing reports1 7#b7 production reports1 and 7#c7 reports combining highlights of each for me to determine whether to start houses and things like that4 ,but now all three categories appear on one loan-processing form40 d,b,a,s,e ,,ii 7or the new d,b,a,s,e ,,iii7 may not work for you4 ,but for ,bowie it was a dream program through which he could store and retrieve records quickly and conveniently for any one of many purposes4 ,he might set up his records mainly for loan processing4 ,but the 8,,sale3,,persn0 field1 combined with the 8,,sale3,,price0 one1 could tell him which outside sales reps were selling the most expensive homes4 ,in other words1 the loan-processing data base was one good way to keep track of the salesmen catering most successfully to the #ace1jjj buyers4 ,for who cared what ,bowie called his data base--8,loan ,processing0 or 8,sales08 ,the point is1 he could follow the salesmen's performance1 too1 through cross-references between fields4 d,b,a,s,e ,,ii was a treasure trove of information about trends1 sales1 or otherwise4 8,the problem10 said ,bowie1 8is that d,b,a,s,e ,,ii would work fine with my budget summaries for my houses1 except they require sixty fields and d,b,a,s,e ,,ii is limited to thirty-two4 ,so ,sue suggested the ,multiplan spreadsheet program4 ,multiplan is easy to use1 even easier than d,b,a,s,e ,,ii4 ,julie got started with ,multiplan with just fifteen minutes of instruction40 ,multiplan works on the same idea as the better-known ,visi,calc program1 which1 like ,word,star1 has sold hundreds and hundreds of thousands of copies4 ,the true origins of these spreadsheets go back to #aigh4 ,a ,harvard ,,mba student disliked the tedium of using a calculator to tote up columns and rows of interrelated numbers2 it was boring even with a pocket calculator4 ,a change in just one number could throw off dozens of other entries1 so imagine the brain-numbing effect of making an error and then having to recalculate an entire spreadsheet4 ,why not write a computer program to alter all the other variables if one changed8 ,and so was born the electronic spreadsheet2 it and word processing are the single most popular uses of microcomputers--the real justifications for their existence4 ,a ,visi,calc-type spreadsheet can add1 subtract1 multiply1 average1 do partial sums1 find minimums1 maximums1 simplify your life in a number of ways4 ,a description of ,visi,calc in ,,cpa ,micro ,report ticks off an awesome number of applications3 8sales forecasts1 profit and loss statements1 rate-of-return calculations1 project scheduling1 tax calculation1 pricing strategies1 financial planning1 loan amortization1 league standings and report generation40 ,an electronic spreadsheet can help do your checkbook2 or it can assist in the preparation of a small country's budget--which1 in fact1 has happened4 ,some even say that spreadsheets are contributing to the paperwork deluging ,american business4 ,visi,calc coauthor ,dan ,bricklin disagrees4 8,a lot of calculations10 he said of the pre-,visi,calc days1 8were being done on the backs of envelopes or corners of envelopes or the corners of newspapers4 ,visi,calc isn't causing people to produce more numbers and reports4 ,those numbers were always there1 but they weren't always being identified40#bh ,footnote #bh3 ,the ,bricklin quote comes from ,steve ,ditlea's excellent article in ,popular ,computing1 ,september #aihb1 page #dh1 which helped me appreciate ,visi,calc's many uses4 8,multiplan is incredible10 ,bowie said of his ,visi,calc-style software4 8,i have generated budgets to see if they'll do all ,i want them to1 to consider all the what ifs4 8,and it's a big help in scheduling production4 ,we have a factory producing cabinets for our homes1 and our scheduling system is critical1 since at most it can produce cabinets for only fifteen units a week40 ,the cabinet plant manager1 caught between the demands of ,washington ,homes' northern and southern divisions1 had scheduled production according to his own whims4 8,it was costing us a lot of money in missed settlements10 said ,bowie1 8and cabinets were not delivered1 or they were the wrong color and size40 ,he was talking in late ,february1 telling how1 the other day1 he had loaded in thirty-five more cabinet orders and instantly learned 8we were out to ,april #ae on cabinet deliveries4 ,that's the soonest we could get them based on the plant's production capabilities4 ,i'm meeting with the manager this morning to see if in the future he can up his output4 ,i've found that everybody's got to live with lead times4 ,everybody's got to give us the right lead time on orders1 which means we are now ordering cabinets for delivery at the end of ,april and ,may1 where we generally in the past would not have ordered ,may delivery until ,april4 ,if ,i miss five house deliveries in a month because of cabinets not being there on time1 then that's 1#jjj to #e1jjj in carrying charges over the next three to five months40 ,similarly1 ,multiplan was probably saving ,bowie several thousand dollars more over the same period by 8identifying houses not started because building permits have not been issued4 ,and it will help identify the reasons why they haven't been4 8,to get a building permit1 all sorts of things must fall into place4 ,and now we can look at any particular job at any particular time1 and if we see it isn't started1 find out why the permit hasn't been issued4 8,we can determine if we're waiting for site plans or a plumbing permit or electrical permit or whatever it happened to be and instantly target and solve that problem4 8,before1 the record keeping was #8,go get a permit4 ,have you got it yet8' ,there were no details1 no backup4 ,we relied on our field people to get the permits1 and they would get the permits in a way that was timely for them and their production schemes but not in a way that was timely for us in bottom-line deliveries4 ,so we are now able to target all the permit process and make it happen at our rate40 ,not only was ,bowie using ,multiplan as a spreadsheet to plug in all the what ifs2 he was also using it as a data base1 even if it wasn't as nimble in manipulating nonnumeric data as d,b,a,s,e ,,ii could be4 ,whatever chore ,bowie was using ,multiplan for1 he loved the 8,help0 screens4 ,he could turn them on to guide himself through the commands he wasn't familiar with2 besides1 all of ,multiplan's basic commands were normally at the bottom of the screen1 anyway4 ,multiplan1 by the time you're reading this1 may not be the best spreadsheet on the market1 at least not for you4 ,but at one point ,,cpa ,micro ,report was pronouncing it the 8new ,empress of ,spreadsheets0 for accountants using a wide range of computers4 ,multiplan even worked with ,visi,calc files so that users of the older program could easily convert4 8,multiplan10 said ,micro ,report1 8444 can sort a line-by-line record of events by account number or name--a frequent requirement in ,,cpa applications40 ,keepers of expense accounts1 presumably1 could cherish such a capability4 ,also1 ,multiplan1 as the newsletter pointed out1 lets you name your variables2 you could refer more easily to the cells or the exact locations in the columns and rows4 ,instead of saying cells 8,a#bf0 or 8,r#ch,p10 you could refer to 8,sales0 and 8,total ,costs40 ,with programs like ,multiplan1 software designers are more successfully catering to the needs of businesspeople who want computers to adjust to them rather than the other way around4 ,that's how it should be4 ,bowie is a construction executive1 not a computer expert1 and ,boland's an accountant rather than a hacker4 ,bowie1 however1 plainly seemed more willing to live with the complexities of existing software4 ,many in his place would have used a consultant--and wisely1 ,i think1 for ,washington ,homes was a multimillion-dollar operation--yet ,bowie had the background and patience to computerize just with guidance from a store4 ,he might not have been a computer expert4 ,but he loved the new4 ,he loved complexity if he could logically unravel it4 ,he didn't mind mistakes4 ,he felt in control because he had backups on disk and on paper4 ,the manuals didn't scare him4 ,instead of soaking up every word there1 ,bowie1 like ,seymour ,rubinstein1 had a gift for knowing which page to flip to if he had trouble4 ,bowie was a born micro user4 ,however serious about his job1 he might as well have been a child relaxing after school with a few rounds of ,pac-,man4 ,he loved seeing instant cause-and-effect relationships4 ,he took as much delight in learning where his division could be six months hence as a child might take in winning an arcade game4 ,he considered his computer 8the greatest therapy in the world10 an opportunity to 8sit down and feel really good0 in 8a fairly high tension business40 ,edward ,boland1 too1 however1 in a different1 more structured way1 was curious about numbers and life1 and in the end1 ,i suspect1 the two men's learning styles didn't entirely explain their opinions of their programs4 ,bolands' general-ledger software just wasn't right for his needs4 ,it straitjacketed him4 ,bowie's programs1 on the other hand1 helped him do just about anything he wanted4 8,anything10 incidentally1 included advancing his career4 ,when ,i next caught up with him1 in ,may #aihd1 he was president of another construction firm and owned one-third of that company and was taking home a paycheck thirty-five percent bigger4 ,bowie said his computer skills 8had a great deal to do with it4 ,i had management tools that not very many other people had40 ,alan ,scharf3 ,integrated ,program1 ,including ,graphics ,alan ,scharf1 a forty-three-year-old ,new ,york executive1 also has a nice touch with software--a good-enough one1 in fact1 to have helped win him a job at a blue-chip firm at triple his old salary4 8,it's done wonders for my earning power10 he said from his offices at ,merrill ,lynch ,leasing1 ,inc41 where he was a #ge1jjj-;a-year assistant vice-president4 8,i got this job because ,i walked in and told them ,i could do a better job on an ,apple4 8,i didn't own one at home at the time4 ,but you can be sure that ,i bought one promptly and boned up on it for the next three weeks1 and of course ,i'd done a lot of research on the ,apple before then to make sure ,i could deliver on my promise4 8,my previous company had refused to let me get one to improve operations there and do estate taxes4 ,i had to do them by hand on a calculator4 ,it took hours per client4 ,and ,i got mad4 ,most people my age are afraid of computers1 but ,i'd worked with word processors4 ,and what are word processors but another kind of computer80 ,so ,scharf left his job as an estate tax planner with a staid old brokerage firm and set up shop at ,merrill ,lynch's division dealing with real estate and equipment leasing4 ,it was a ,visi,calc devotee's dream job1 one calling for quick1 repetitive1 accurate math in deals as big as #aej million4 ,merrill ,lynch ,leasing made bids to companies hungry for better cash flow4 ,the leasing company 7and rivals7 offered to buy their headquarters buildings or other real estate1 freeing the money for bigger factories or research and development4 ,it was a series of leaseback arrangements4 ,merrill ,lynch organized syndicates for the ultimate buyers--people or companies eager for tax shelters4 ,and that meant more than a little numbers crunching4 ,imagine the variables4 ,the deals had to be sexy enough to the selling companies for ,merrill ,lynch to win the bids4 ,at the same time1 the tax shelters couldn't leak4 ,the deals must provide the buyers with the write-offs that the prospectuses from the leasing company promised4 ,ideally1 too1 they would yield maximum tax advantages on minimum investments4 ,and for investments of different sizes and at different tax rates1 just what would the various benefits be8 ,when ,scharf reported for work1 he found that the real estate department of the leasing company was on the verge of spending #bjj1jjj a year tapping into an outside firm's computer to come up with the right numbers4 ,the big machine would have been able to do simple debt-amortization calculations4 ,scharf could have told a company1 for instance1 how long it would take to pay off a mortgage on a building for which ,merrill ,lynch proposed a leaseback4 ,but that was only a small part of what the job needed4 ,and what about the costs8 ,so ,scharf instead used an ,apple system costing less than #g1jjj1 a one-time investment4 ,the ,apple couldn't do all the calculations needed1 but it could actually outperform the time-sharing system in some ways4 ,consider simultaneous equations4 ,the software on big machines--at least by way of the terminals at ,merrill ,lynch ,leasing--just didn't include them4 ,but the ,apple could simulate this capability4 ,with the ,visi,calc spreadsheet it could juggle around dozens of interrelated statistics1 using nightmarishly elaborate algebra with ,catch-#bb-like mathematical spirals4 ,in other words1 you wanted to know the value of x1 and it depended on the value of y and z1 and you couldn't solve for y until you solved z1 and you couldn't solve for z until you knew x4 ,that's how it worked1 except1 quite possibly1 ,scharf and his staff would be wrestling with1 say1 a through k instead of just x through z4 ,struggling with these ,catch-#bbs1 the ,apple was a slowpoke by computer standards4 ,it still took half an hour4 ,that might seem like the ,indy #ejj to someone accustomed to hand calculations4 ,but ,scharf must have felt the same way ,i did about inferior word-processing software4 ,however faster than without a computer1 it still limited your possibilities4 ,you didn't have as much time to experiment with all your choices4 ,and the more time ,scharf had1 the more closely he could consider all the variables and the more attractive could be ,merrill ,lynch's leaseback bids4 ,the ,apple did its job4 8,we used it to compete successfully for work with a number of well-known clients10 ,scharf said4 8,anheuser ,busch--we did their office building in ,st4 ,louis4 ,we worked with ,beneficial ,corporation4 ,we've done a number of ,k mart stores40 ,scharf1 never smug1 still tinkered with the ,apple and its software4 ,an observant computer dealer noticed he would keep asking for larger ,,ram boards to allow him to do bigger1 fancier spreadsheets4 ,and so it was that the dealer nominated ,scharf a tester for ,lotus #a-b-c in late summer #aihb4 #a-b-c was the new integrated software from ,lotus ,development ,corporation1 a ,massachusetts firm started by a former rock disk jockey rich with #ejj1jjj in royalties from programs sold to the makers of ,visi,calc4 #a-b-c combined a spreadsheet1 graphics1 and data base4 ,you could1 for instance1 pump figures from the spreadsheet program directly into the data base with a few simple keystrokes4 ,you didn't have to go through unwieldy computer rigamarole to transfer facts from one kind of electronic file to another4 ,more important1 however1 ,lotus1 at least for ,scharf's use1 was a more powerful numbers cruncher than the ,visi,calc he ran on his ,apple4 ,lotus was for the #af-;bit ,,ibm ,,pc4 ,sixteen-bit machines were speed demons for numbers crunchers1 especially with powerful programs like #a-b-c4 ,an ,apple-,visi,calc duo handled worksheets with #bed rows and about #fe columns4 ,but an ,,ibm and #a-b-c duo could take on #b1jdh rows and #bef columns4 ,scharf's first test version of #a-b-c cracked simultaneous equations in four minutes1 one-tenth the time that the ,apple-,visi,calc combination took4 ,income and cash-flow statements came out calculated to the nearest penny4 ,alan ,scharf's ,tips on ,choosing the ,right ,spreadsheet ,not every spreadsheet user has needs as complex as those of ,alan ,scharf1 a whiz with ,lotus #a-b-c and ,symphony1 but here are traits he says you might look for3 #a4 ,a large number of rows and columns4 ,a spreadsheet of #bed rows and #fe columns doesn't mean you can work with #bed rows and #fe columns containing a total of #af1eaj cells4 ,the actual number of cells--the number of columns multiplied by rows--will be only about a thousand4 ,a #fdj,k-,,ram machine and an elaborate spreadsheet would be much more appropriate for budget planners in a large corporation with many products and divisions4 #b4 ,speed4 8,even with a simple spreadsheet10 says ,scharf1 8someone might get annoyed if it seemed to drag40 ,in late #aihd his complex calculations on an ,,ibm ,,pc were taking as much as four and one-half minutes4 ,and he said3 8,there are times when ,i just need the answers faster40 ,the powerful ,,ibm ,,at could run the present version of ,lotus #a-b-c twice as fast4 ,however1 he was still looking forward to the day when a version of ,lotus #a-b-c for the ,,at would require even less time and address the full #c megabytes of memory 7aided by a new operating system74 ,consult micro magazines for the latest speed comparisons4 #c4 ,general simplicity and ease of use4 ,in tricky places1 does the program offer 8help0 messages in plain ,english to guide you through various procedures if you want8 ,ease of use will increase as computer memories grow larger and leave more room for 8help0 features4 #d4 ,range of commands4 ,most spreadsheets nowadays let you easily move or copy numbers4 ,but there are less common but very useful commands4 ,symphony1 for instance1 lets you flush out formulas behind calculated cells so you can regain available memory space4 #e4 ,the ability to do what-if tables4 ,the best spreadsheets won't just tell you what your profits would be if your costs increased by x amount4 ,they'll also let you calculate for a whole range of numbers around x1 automatically creating a table4 #f4 ,easy consolidation of figures from different spreadsheets4 ,that's no small matter if you're trying to come up with a profit and loss statement for a twenty-division company4 ,lotus #a-b-c1 unlike some rivals1 lets you consolidate an unlimited number of divisions4 #g4 ,natural order of recalculation4 ,cells must influence the numbers in other cells in a precise sequence if some calculations are to be accurate4 ,natural order of recalculation helps you automatically control that sequence4 #h4 ,a useful macro language4 ,macros are combinations of commands that you can program into your computer to reduce the number of keystrokes and save time4 ,a macro language systematizes these shortcuts4 ,he could use #a-b-c in the future1 moreover1 as a data base with up to #cb fields and up to two thousand records1 and it did allthe basic search and sorting that you'd have in other data-base systems4 ,at the time ,i talked to him1 the names and addresses of investors--receiving quarterly income reports--were still stored on an ,apple4 ,scharf was waiting for the right word processor-mailer to come along to work with the #a-b-c4 ,then the massive retyping job for the address lists would be worthwhile4 ,with space for two thousand names1 #a-b-c would be much more useful than just a small filer4 ,it wouldn't be just a primitive record-keeping system with limited capacity4 ,meanwhile1 for ,scharf1 graphics was a snap4 8,if ,i send out a thirty-page bid1 ,i do three or four graphs with it10 ,scharf said4 8,we have a selling job to do with both the potential corporate leasees and the potential inventors4 ,the presentations are complex1 and the graphics come in very handy4 ,we use line graphs and bar graphs showing the expense of lease payments versus mortgage payments if they went out and mortgaged the properties conventionally4 ,the minimum terms of the leases are usually twenty-five years2 it's a huge numbers-crunching job1 and we try to simplify everything as much as we can4 ,i come up with the figures on the spreadsheet part of #a-b-c4 ,then ,i tell what ,i want on the graph4 ,maybe ,i want to make a line for the rental income1 interest expense1 depreciation1 or taxable income4 ,so ,i select the appropriate columns on the spreadsheet4 ,then ,i push #8,v' for #8,view1' and ,i can see my work instantly as a graph4 ,if ,i don't like it1 ,i can quickly redo my calculations and look at the graph again4 8,and #a-b-c offers a tremendous range of printing options4 ,you can specify how many rows you want per page4 ,you can tell if you want border lines separating some numbers and titles of columns4 ,you can tell if you want a header--can indicate the subject on each page4 8,the printout can be in any one of several type styles on dot-matrix machines4 ,or you can use a daisy wheel with its own typewriter-style print4 8,and you can do color4 ,a colleague uses plotters40 ,controlled by the ,i,b,ms and ,lotus #a-b-c1 ballpoint pens1 with different colors1 wriggle up and down4 ,they can make bars as well as line graphs1 and pies1 too1 among others4 ,not that ,lotus was the answer for everyone4 ,soft4letter1 ,jeffrey ,tarter's trade publication1 noted that all integrated programs compromised in some way and were the software version of a ,swiss army knife4 8,swiss army knives are nifty gadgets2 we've got several ourselves10 said ,soft4letter1 8but we don't use them much4 ,instead1 we use specialized tools for specialized tasks--screw-drivers for poking around inside the ,apple1 a stand-alone cork-screw for uncorking the ,chablis1 and a nice big carbon steel blade for carving roast beef4 ,each of these tools does its specific job better than the multipurpose tool40 ,at least in the version available as of this writing--listing for #die--,lotus #a-b-c didn't have a real word processor4 ,you could write paragraphs4 ,but it lacked the speed of true word processors and was awkward4 ,nor did it offer communications software to use with a modem4 ,context ,,mba1 a rival integrated program1 did4 ,but then ,,mba's spreadsheet module wasn't nearly as fierce a numbers cruncher as #a-b-c's was4 ,lotus planned to improve #a-b-c's text-processing ability--which it did1 ultimately1 along with the data base1 graphics1 and spreadsheet capabilities of a super-#a-b-c called ,symphony4 ,the new program1 unlike #a-b-c1 also let you talk to other computers4 ,at ,merrill ,lynch ,leasing1 however1 ,scharf hadn't any need to reach a mainframe for his calculations4 ,his four ,i,b,ms with #a-b-c were doing the work4 ,they had cost #dj1jjj1 including extras like printers2 except for service1 that was it4 ,what's more1 with four people1 ,scharf said1 he was tackling the same work load that eight people were handling in a similar office on the equipment-leasing side of the operation4 ,months later ,i reached ,scharf to find out if his career was still in ascent4 8,i'm now a vice-president10 he said4 ,his salary had broken the six-figure barrier1 and he was hoping for a still more lucrative job there or with another firm4 ,it was a good fit1 ,scharf and his software4 ,he had the best program for him4 8,most people would rather talk about hardware10 he said4 8,i know hardware1 but ,i'd rather discuss software40 ,he had a point4 ,especially now1 when there are so many clones of various ,,ibm micros1 you'll find that good software will give you an edge on your competition4 ,you can also gain an advantage by experimenting with new types of programs4 ,the next chapter discusses graphics1 which1 after many years1 is at last becoming practical for owners of inexpensive micros4 ,backups3 ,v1 8#c-;,d0 ,versus ,mail-,order ,software--and ,how to ,shop1 page #cai4 ,,vi1 8,easy0 ,data ,bases3 ,another ,view 7,mensa ,member ,versus ,info,star71 page #cbc4 #g ,graphics 7or ,how a ,mouse ,helped ,joe ,shelton's ,friends ,stop ,feeling ,like ,rats7 ,when a ,california executive invited people to his apartment1 they often ended up feeling like rats in a laboratory maze4 8,i had people driving around for half an hour and find a phone and say1 #8,come on over and get me1'0 says ,joe ,shelton4 ,in recent years1 however1 the 8hit rate0 for finding ,joe's place has jumped from #ej percent to over #ie1 and computer graphics is the reason4 ,joe's neat little map shows a mile-square area with up to five turns before you even start wending your way through the complex of #aej units4 ,he isn't an artist4 ,but he uses a ,macintosh computer4 ,with the ,mac's famous 8mouse0--the pointer device that ,joe rolls along his desk to move the cursor--he can effortlessly make sketches4 ,granted1 ,joe isn't detached about ,mac's virtues1 not as a #ej1jjj-;a-year software products manager with ,apple ,computer6 ,and this particular example is trivial4 ,it's also1 however1 irresistible4 ,and the story indeed shows how graphics can ease the life of a corporate manager4 ,people also use computer-drawn maps for1 say1 directing colleagues to meetings in new places4 ,the easier-to-use graphics programs--like ,mac,paint--are to art what word processing is to writing4 ,they won't turn you into ,picasso4 ,but they'll make your sketches and designs look less like your kindergartner's4 8,but ,i can't even draw a straight line10 you protest4 ,well1 ,mac-style graphics programs will help you electronically pick a line out4 ,or a circle4 ,or a rectangle4 ,you also1 of course1 can control the sizes and locations of the shapes you select4 ,and you can choose shading4 ,and vary its intensity4 ,and you can also use exotic type styles and even design your own type4 ,by letting you zap mistakes1 without messy erasures1 computer graphics may eventually halve the time it takes for you to do a complicated drawing4 ,directions3 ,turn onto ,cary ,avenue4 ,follow ,cary around left and then right bends for at least 4#c mile from ,washington ,st and turn into apartment entrance on right4 ,make immediate left turn and continue until you cross speed bump4 ,park in any uncovered space on left4 ,apartment #d is upstairs in the middle on the other side of the building4 ,illustration3 ,would you feel like rat in a maze if you had a map like this to guide you to ,apple executive ,joe ,shelton's house8 ,indeed you would4 ,lest anyone mistake ,joe for ,customer ,support1 the map doesn't contain his actual address4 ,of course there'll always be resistance to graphics from some hard-core bureaucrats in and out of government4 8,the ,macintosh10 gripes one1 8takes us back to the time people were drawing pictures on cave walls40 ,he'll tolerate some graphics but loves to read and write twenty-page memos4 ,and if ,i were an executive1 ,i myself would growl if my people insisted on ,macs just so they could use ,old ,english characters for routine paperwork4 ,in fact1 for that1 ,i'd rather work with a ,kaypro or a mouseless ,,ibm ,,pc4 8,for the world of letters and numbers a computer without a mouse would be better10 says ,james ,fallows1 the ,atlantic ,monthly's ,washington editor1 who tried a ,mac for several weeks but happily returned to a machine with ,word,star4 ,he and ,i are baffled4 ,we can't understand the ,mac's lack of cursor keys4 ,why couldn't ,apple have kindly let ,mac users move the cursor conventionally on the screen if they wanted8 ,omitting the cursor keys was ,,ibm-style arrogance1 no ifs or buts4 ,even if cursor keys become available on a numbers pad1 it won't be the same as having them in a convenient location on the main keyboard4 ,but graphics8 ,that's where the ,mac and similar machines may pay off for people with overscheduled art departments or an honest willingness to experiment3 ,a ,california designer can draw a hot-water system for an outdoor car wash in just four hours1 thanks to his ,mac2 once it took him days4 ,a ,washington state man uses his ,macintosh to design optimal orchard layouts4 ,another user lays out the ,yellow ,pages with his ,macintosh1 while still another employs one to plan paintings4#bi ,footnote #bi3 ,the car wash1 orchard1 ,yellow ,pages1 and painting examples come from ,,usa ,today1 ,may #c1 #aihd4 ,advertising agencies1 especially1 may benefit from computer graphics even if the ,mac-priced technology still has some flaws4 ,take one example4 ,just after a ,colorado agency bought a ,mac1 a bank wanted an ad saying that it gave personal service--that its customers were more than computer numbers4 ,but how to get the idea on paper8 8,i suggested that the bank use a computer for the ad10 said ,rebecca ,glesener1 assistant art director of ,heisley ,design and ,advertising1 a twenty-five-person agency in ,colorado ,springs4 ,the bank agreed4 ,using a ,macintosh1 a ,heisley artist drew a man and woman with masses of numbers on their faces4 8,if your bank sees you this way10 the ad said1 8come see us40 ,western ,national ,banks loved the results4 ,and when ,i talked to ,glesener1 her agency was about to unleash another ,mac-drawn ad--the machine's 8self-portrait0--for an ,apple dealer4 8,we have several clients in the computer business10 ,glesener said1 8and we thought we should be aware of computers40 ,of course you don't start instantly doing first-class graphics work on ,mac-like machines4 ,take the man drawing the ,western ad4 ,he had 8no computer skills0 in his background1 and he toyed around with the ,mac for some six hours or so before he did the numbers heads for the bank4 ,with the art stashed away on computer disks1 though1 the ,heisley agency could more easily crank out different versions of the same drawing4 ,it's like word processing4 ,once you've stored your material on your computer disk1 you needn't start over from step one4 ,mac-like machines may also streamline ad agencies' mock-up work4 ,through the marvels of graphics an art director can more easily figure out the best location for ,brooke ,shields's derriere in a jeans layout4 ,in fact1 the ,heisley people said they had used ,mac successfully on drafts of a sales brochure and an ad for the ,u4,s4 ,amateur ,hockey ,association4 ,even so1 ,don ,pierce1 the artist behind the bank ad1 warns3 8,inexpensive machines like the ,mac can't come up with drawings good enough for final ads without a deliberate computer effect4 ,a line other than a forty-five-degree line can be pretty ragged because the machine makes them in steps40 ,and they lack a good-enough resolution to downplay the roughness4 ,eventually1 of course--through high-quality graphics made on laser printers--cheap machines may turn out slick ads that don't scream1 8,a computer made me60 ,meanwhile1 ,mac-like computers will do fine for drafts and nonpublished work4 ,already1 when hooked up right to some ,compugraphic typesetting machinery1 ,mac's sister computer ,lisa ,,ii can turn out seamless charts for publication4 ,who else might use computer graphics8 ,some examples3 ,a ,,sales ,,rep 7,,or ,,brochure ,,designer7 ,computer graphics would help you simplify a complicated brochure in which twenty statistics proved the superiority of your company's industrial dishwasher to ,brand ,x's4 ,there's no question--graphics can liven up otherwise dull data1 and remember3 if people don't read1 there's less chance they'll buy4 ,in that sense1 sales literature isn't so different from a newspaper4 ,again1 though1 bear in mind that the inexpensive computers may not produce graphics of professional smoothness4 ,a ,,corporate ,,training ,,official ,,or ,,teacher ,you can ,xerox your ,mac-drawn pictures of a widget maker or ,mayan artifacts--perhaps even include them in test papers4 ,and you or your audiovisual specialist can even prepare overhead slides by photocopying the drawings onto clear plastic sheets4 ,a ,,bureaucrat ,the same slide technique could be a relief to bureaucrats preparing low- or mid-level briefing4 ,a ,,personnel ,,or ,,division ,,manager ,what a boon to the addicted drafters of personnel charts6 ,now1 there's a dark side to this4 ,i have a good friend at the ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development named ,al ,ripskis4#cj 8,they're reorganizing again10 he groans from time to time4 ,it's a waste of good tax money in ,al's opinion4 ,the faces and desks change2 the bungling remains4 ,footnote #cj3 ,ripskis is not the hard-core bureaucrat ,i mentioned earlier in the chapter4 ,he in fact puts out an underground newsletter regularly exposing his agency4 ,shelton1 though1 says the better companies thrive on fluidity1 and in ,silicon ,valley he may be right4 ,it depends on your outfit's style of management4 ,don't play computer games with your people1 however1 just because the machines make it easier to play musical chairs4 ,,an ,,architect ,microcomputer graphics might be just the ticket for rough sketches4 ,in fact1 on a sophisticated machine1 the computer graphics would do for the final version4 ,who knows8 ,an architect someday might carry around a little computer the size of a sketch pad and do designs to be fed into a larger machine for the detail work4 ,a ,,product ,,designer ,if ,i were one1 ,i'd leap at the chance to try computer-aided graphics4 ,sooner or later1 ,american industry will make widespread use of machines that automatically turn drawings into real frying pans1 soap bars1 or refrigerator cabinets4 ,well1 it won't be that simple4 ,but computer graphics and related technologies will increasingly blur the line between creative types and production people4 ,just look at the newspaper industry4 ,reporters1 after all1 on most daily papers are basically setting the type for their stories as they tap them out4 ,but back to the factory4 ,the jargon is computer-aided design_/computer-aided manufacturing or ,,cad_/,,cam4 ,a ,,facilities ,,manager ,working on the floor layout for offices that your company will rent8 ,computer graphics could be just right in this era of instant partitions4 ,a ,,convention ,,planner ,what better way to juggle around the positions of various booths on your charts8 ,a ,,corporate ,,planner 7,,and ,,many ,,other ,,executives7 ,building nuclear submarines1 you might worry about your keel before your propeller shaft4 ,an overgeneralization1 maybe4 ,but that's how a defense contractor hit on the need for ,project ,evaluation ,review ,techniques 7,,pert7 software4 ,charlie ,bowie--the home construction executive in the last chapter who worried about his basements before his floors--might have used a ,,pert-style program with graphics to keep up with his priorities4 8,with ,,pert programs10 says ,shelton1 8you can graphically draw important relationships3 #8,this has to be done before this starts4' ,or1 #8,both of these have to be done before the other thing starts4' ,or1 #8,this can wait while the others are done4'0 ,a more complex ,,pert can help you juggle priorities of two hundred or so projects4 8,it's a capability magnifier10 admits even my friend the hard-core bureaucrat4 8,,pert charting by hand takes ten times as long as a computer4 ,you can wear holes in the paper--erasing mistakes--if you do it by hand40 ,hearing of ,,pert1 ,i recalled the ,case of ,the ,missing ,cafeteria4 ,the taxpayers were supposed to get a cafeteria--worth maybe #ejj1jjj or more--at the headquarters of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency in ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,the landlord's company1 however1 laid not one brick for the cafeteria4 ,some say it was politics--he was once a friend of ,spiro ,agnew's4 ,the landlord denies anything wrong4 ,whatever happened1 the case boggles the mind4 ,how could an entire cafeteria slip through the cracks2 how could the ,general ,services ,administration1 the government's real estate agent1 have shoved aside such an important detail even in a #fj-million-plus lease8 ,you never know4 ,perhaps with ,,pert graphics in the right federal offices in the #aigjs1 some budget-minded lunchers today wouldn't feel forced to brown bag it4 8,when you have so many little pieces10 says my friend the ,hard-,core ,bureaucrat1 working at another agency1 8it's so easy to let one drop off the table4 ,we could sure use a good word processor-cum-,,pert machine40 ,although computers can help you tidy up your work1 they themselves can be messy enough unless you know what you're doing4 ,there's no substitute for a good computer expert in many cases4 ,and training1 too4 ,in the following chapter1 you'll have one answer to 8people0 problems--the 8,who-,how ,solution40 ,backup3 ,,vii1 ,graphics ,tips1 page #cca4 #h ,people3 the ,who-,how ,solution ,stewart ,research1 ,inc4--a fictitious name1 along with the others in this tale1 which is true in the main elements--once seemed on the verge of big money4 ,frank ,stewart1 a slim1 intense young chain-smoker1 was receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from a large company to monitor congressmen and bureaucrats influencing certain business activities4 ,he planned to sum up gigantic piles of newspaper stories inside a computer4 ,then his early-warning service would ferret out patterns for his benefactor and other businessmen trying to keep up with the vagaries of government4 ,stewart's plan may come to pass1 but last ,i knew1 he was fighting off unfounded rumors of bankruptcy4 8,we've wasted upwards of #dj1jjj on computer consultants and the consequences of their #8advice1'0 ,stewart told me in the modest white-frame home where he and his wife lived and worked and took in boarders4 8,and that doesn't include the thousands of dollars in business we lost because our computer was down at the wrong times4 8,i had to lay off five people largely because of the consultants' lack of interest in anything but turning a buck off us40 ,stewart's story illustrates the need for the ,who-,how ,solution in hiring consultants4 ,who-,how may also help micro users train employees and get the most out of their data-processing departments4 ,who-,how is nothing more than the five ,ws and the ,h of newspaperdom4 ,like a reporter1 you simply ask1 8,who80 8,what80 8,why80 8,when80 8,where80 and 8,how80 and especially 8,how much80 ,ask those questions often4 ,ask them when3 #a4 ,deciding whether to hire a computer consultant4 ,how much in your time and your people's will it cost not to have one8 #b4 ,hiring and using a consultant4 ,it isn't just a matter of asking1 8,who80 ,ask1 too1 8,who cares80 ,who cares about a consultant's two decades with ,,ibm8 ,what counts is how much he can do for you4 ,is the ,,ibm experience relevant8 #c4 ,training employees4 ,don't clutter your people's minds with computerese not related to their jobs4 ,use the five ,ws and the ,h to strip the training to the basics--which1 by the way1 almost surely won't include ,,basic4 #d4 ,working with your company's data-processing people4 ,know which questions to ask to find out the computer crew's true attitudes about micros4 ,and come up with the right answers of your own if the mainframers feel threatened by your interest in do-it-yourself computing4 ,good data-processing people1 however1 won't be frightened--quite the reverse4 ,the scary aspect of ,frank ,stewart's consultant fiascoes is that he and his people were hardly lost amid high tech4 8,some of us were inventors10 ,stewart said1 and his vice-president1 ,bob ,hillard1 even had a smattering of the ,,fortran programming language4 ,stewart's firm didn't rush blindly into computerization4 ,originally1 it had been hand culling articles from #adj periodicals and #af major daily newspapers4 8,we sat down10 ,hillard recalled1 8and worked out a mathematical formula to give weight to a particular article by mention of certain words1 certain individuals1 certain companies40 ,existing data bases like ,the ,source and ,dialog just wouldn't do4 ,you couldn't easily use them to search out the political patterns affecting the fortunes of ,stewart's clients4 ,stewart spent #ca1jjj on a computer and soon was suffering defective circuits and junky software4 ,he paid a secretary to cram almost a million words of newspaper articles into the machine's hard-disk memory1 but it still couldn't fetch facts as easily as he'd hoped4 ,then the data-base program1 the one he was using to store facts and juggle them around1 crashed--apparently overwhelmed by the volume of data4 ,micro data bases at the time1 the early #aihjs1 couldn't easily handle big hunks of text4 ,stewart couldn't retrieve whole articles4 ,it was time for a consultant4 ,a good consultant 7the 8,who07 theoretically could write or install a new program 7the 8,what07 in an effective way 7the 8,how071 justify his actions 7the 8,why071 and ideally do everything at a reasonable price 7the 8,how much07 before the data base grew too unwieldy 7the 8,when074 ,stewart wanted him working on his own premises 7the 8,where07 as much as possible so he could supervise him4 8,our first consultant lasted all of four days10 ,stewart said4 8,he was abrasive1 nasty1 and didn't know what he was doing4 ,one of our staffers was so frustrated trying to work with him that she wept4 ,we'd hired him because he was a friend of a friend and said1 #8,i'm a computer programmer4 ,i can fix it for you4' ,we never quite could pin him down about his background4 ,we were so burned that for five or six months we put off hiring another consultant4 8,and when we did get one10 said ,stewart1 8we wanted a solid1 established firm40 ,so he went to a government contractor headquartered in an imposing building1 the size of a small public library4 ,the consultants even owned the same-model computer that ,stewart's company did4 ,unfortunately1 however1 they were using different software for much different purposes4 ,stewart's needs were new to them4 8,look at ,,mdbs10 ,hillard recalls telling the contractor4 8,it really looks like a good package40 ,but he says the consultants told him they hadn't even heard of it4 ,that in itself might have been a tipoff that ,stewart had hired the wrong people for the job4 ,,mdbs stood for ,micro ,data ,base ,systems4 ,ads and reviews about it had appeared in ,byte and other prominent publications of the micro world4 ,with the clock ticking away at up to #ce an hour1 the consultants searched for data-base software meeting ,stewart's detailed specifications4 8,three weeks later10 ,hillard said1 8they handed me a bill for #b1ejj and said1 #8,the package you need to use is ,,mdbs4' ,i said1 #8,where is the work1 where are the hours in relationship to the #b1ejj bill8' ,it went around in circles40 ,stewart and ,hillard must have remembered the old saying that a consultant borrows your watch to tell you the time of day and then charges you for it4 ,according to ,stewart1 in fact1 the consultants based most of the report on material his company had given them4 ,by think-tank standards in his area1 ,stewart may have gotten a bargain4 ,dealing with consultants new to micro data bases1 however1 he was in effect paying their tuition4 8,the federal government must like them immensely10 ,stewart said1 8because they do good1 documented work in the fields they have expertise in4 ,but a small businessman had no business using them4 ,after two and one-half months we had nothing but recommendations on the data base--and a stack of bills0--#b1ejj high4 ,but there was hope4 ,stewart's corporate benefactors were sticking with him4 ,if he could get his data base running1 he could easily recoup his losses1 offering clients a treasure trove of information about government policy-making affecting them4 ,although ,stewart thought of himself as a truth seeker1 his vice-president was bluntly a money man4 8,we would have sold our service for a million a year10 ,hillard said1 8and we would have netted #fjj1jjj4 ,we were using four people to feed the articles into the computer1 but that would have changed1 because optical readers eventually could scan magazine articles and newsprint40 ,so now ,hillard shopped around for a new savior to unravel the complexities of the ,,mdbs software that he had settled on4 ,he found three possibilities4 ,one consultant1 a micro expert1 was snowed under with work1 and another man had only mainframe experience4 ,so ,hillard and ,stewart chose ,fred ,brown1 a retired military officer who had worked not only on big computers but also little ,radio ,shacks and ,tele,videos4 ,in fact1 ,brown came recommended by the manager of a local computer store4 ,the manager leveled with ,stewart4 ,he said he and ,brown were together in a partnership developing software for lawyers' offices4 ,hillard asked only two people about ,brown4 ,and both references came from the computer-store manager with the business relationship with the consultant4 ,inquiring about ,brown1 however1 ,hillard asked some good questions4 ,did ,brown document the software properly8 ,did he1 in other words1 tell how to use or change it8 ,did his software work8 ,did he meet deadlines8 ,did he live up to all the specifications in his contracts8 8,i got affirmative answers to most of these questions10 ,hillard said4 ,one reference said a software project of ,brown's hadn't come in on time but brushed off the problem as a hardware one4 ,unfortunately1 ,hillard didn't ask all the right questions4 ,brown had never before worked with the brand of computer that ,stewart ,research was using2 nor was he fully comfortable at the time with the exact kind of software used at the company4 ,brown1 however1 struck ,hillard as 8a very nice professional40 ,he wore three-piece suits1 lived in a #adj1jjj home with several computers in the basement1 and held a masters degree from an ,ivy ,league school4 8,no problem10 ,brown told ,hillard4 8,listen1 ,i charge----0 ,he gave an hourly figure to the nearest cent2 #cj4jb1 we'll say4 8,what80 asked ,hillard4 8,why #j4jb an hour80 8,i like to be fair about my salary1 and that gives me #cj1jjj a year40 8,okay10 said ,hillard1 8that's cute40 ,brown wasn't about to apply for welfare4 ,on top of the #cj1jjj for consulting part of the time1 he was enjoying income from sales of computer hardware4 ,in short1 he came across as successful and honest4 ,and he may have been4 ,just the same1 client and consultant were clearly mismatched4 ,their downfall was a familiar kind--software problems4 ,you could customize the ,,mdbs program in ,,fortran or ,,basic4 ,the earlier consultants1 the ones with the large government contractor1 had suggested ,,fortran4 ,brown himself was more familiar with that than with ,,basic4 ,and ,stewart was convinced that ,,fortran would make the best use of software already purchased4 ,so ,brown went ahead with it despite three strikes against him3 #a4 ,the computer company's ,,fortran1 according to ,stewart1 was as badly botched as its hardware4 #b4 ,,fortran wasn't as good as ,,basic for micro data bases that stashed away ,english prose rather than mainly numbers4 ,another consultant was amazed when ,i told him that ,brown had used ,,fortran in a data base storing newspaper stories4 8,you can use it if you like10 he said1 8but you'll lose something4 ,it's like trying to translate ,hemingway into pidgin ,english40 #c4 ,brown was still basically a mainframer4 ,and micro ,,fortran was different from the kind used at large military installations4 ,writing software for micros is like writing short stories instead of novels4 ,you've got to be more elegant and get to the point faster4 ,a micro's memory simply lacks the capacity of a mainframe and brooks less sloppiness than would a larger machine4 ,many great novelists could never write decent short stories1 and many first-class mainframers just couldn't code cleverly or deviously enough for micros--couldn't electronically trick them into thinking they were larger machines4 8,what happened10 said ,hillard1 8is that we were paying for ,brown's training on how to use ,,fortran on a micro4 ,he spent forty or fifty hours developing specifications for the data base and writing the code4 ,this went on and on4 ,brown kept running into all these problems1 and he could have cleared up some with just a quick call to the manufacturer40 ,meanwhile1 the money clock was ticking4 ,several months later1 thousands of dollars richer from those #cj4jb-;hours1 ,brown threw up his hands4 8,this isn't going to work in ,,fortran at all10 he said4 8,maybe we should do this in ,,basic40 8,so10 ,hillard told me1 8all the work he'd done up to that point was out the window40 8,and on top of that10 ,stewart said1 8we were anticipating our new software package and didn't care to feed the information twice into the computer4 ,so we built up a backlog of well over #aj1jjj articles waiting for the software that never came40 ,brown's clock ticked away for several thousand dollars more in time1 bringing the total billing to #h1fcj4ha4 ,then it stopped4 ,stewart ,research had simply run out of money4 ,stewart's corporate sponsor could send no more4 8,their pockets10 he said1 8just weren't deep enough to subsidize both our own computer literacy and that of our consultants40 ,when ,i talked to ,stewart in mid-#aihc1 his computer was doing word processing and other minor chores4 8,but10 he said1 8it does hardly enough cross-referencing to be a major data bank40 ,his research firm faced some #cj1jjj in debts1 including much of the #b1ejj bill from the consultants with the library-sized building2 and he and his wife were the only two employees left in ,stewart ,r ,d4 ,he still hoped to get the data base going1 however4 8,we're going to become computer consultants in self-defense10 said ,stewart4 8,i've done nothing but work on this computer for a year40 ,it would be nice to be able to do the same1 but most of us lack the time or talent2 the challenge is to find the right computer consultant so you won't end up feeling you must do the work on your own4 ,not so coincidentally1 ,hillard himself actually did go on to become a computer consultant part time4 ,he wasn't the smartest or the best credentialed1 but he had what many of the more established consultants lacked--empathy and humility4 ,don't shrug off those traits4 ,the real question1 as one consultant pointed out to me1 isn't just whether someone is competent2 it's whether he's competent enough at the job he's doing for you4 ,never forget that when pondering the 8,who80 and 8,what80 ,stewart and ,hillard obviously aren't the only people who didn't ask the right questions in time4 ,a sail maker wasted #ah1jjj on a computer system recommended by a consultant4 ,the machine didn't work right with the hard-disk memory1 and it lacked proper shielding against the #fj-;cycle hum given off by power lines4 ,by the time ,hillard was on the scene1 the consultant had left town4 ,he says the computer was such a disaster that 8,i suggested to the client that he get a length of rope and use it as an anchor because it was unfixable40 ,in another case1 a truck-rental firm spent #cj1jjj for #ae1jjj of computer equipment4 ,and then the consultant didn't even supply instructions to operate and modify the software4 8,as far as ,i know10 said a more ethical expert1 8he's still a consultant4 ,computers are mystical1 and most people don't know when they've got a good system or when they've got a bad one40 8,the real problem10 ,hillard correctly said of consultants1 8is that the microcomputer field has only been around since the mid-seventies and things are moving so rapidly4 ,it's hard for anyone to keep up1 consultant or layman40 ,there is1 too1 a nasty economic fact4 ,a micro consultant can't reach full prosperity1 in many instances1 without having ties with stores or manufacturers4 ,indeed1 most micro consulting nowadays is done in effect by sales reps recommending systems to their customers4 ,how objective can they be8 ,even conscientious consultants--independent or those with ties--may still favor the computers and software with which they're most familiar4 ,the man and the machine in effect become one package4 ,another anticonsultant argument is that small computers may soon be inexpensive and simple enough to make consultants much less necessary4 ,you don't use a consultant to buy a #a1jjj typewriter4 ,and by the time you read this1 or a few years afterward1 we'll have good1 complete word processors selling for no more--with printers4 ,yet another anticonsultant argument is that you may have computer-wise friends in your own business or profession1 smart people you trust4 ,they may actually anticipate some of your needs better than would a consultant4 ,moreover1 it's been said that if you know enough to pick the right consultant1 then you really don't need one4 ,i'm not sure4 ,as one consultant pointed out1 it's like choosing doctors4 ,you can be good at choosing one without necessarily knowing brain surgery4 ,i was a borderline case4 ,i still might have bought a ,kaypro without ,michael ,canyes's approval1 since ,i knew another writer familiar with the glories of the ,osborne who appreciated the greater glories of the ,kaypro4 ,on the other hand1 with my consultant friend's guidance1 ,i could shop for the lowest price rather than the most technical help from the dealer4 ,and ,michael steered me away from the dot-matrix printer1 which1 with their inferior print quality at the time1 would have been bad news for me4 ,i was lucky4 ,i had befriended ,michael through an ,osborne user group at a time when he himself was looking for advice on writing1 so he didn't even charge me4 ,you may be similarly lucky if you have a skill a computer consultant needs4 ,but don't count on it4 ,so often1 free consultants are worth their charges4 ,had ,i not been as fortunate and had ,i experienced difficulties1 ,i would have been willing to pay for advice4 ,and mind you1 my whole system costs less than #c1jjj4 8,you don't want to spend #aj1jjj on a computer system10 ,michael warns1 8and find it doesn't do what you want4 ,you'd be better off spending several hundred dollars or more to learn exactly what you want and get some help installing it4 ,think of the business you'll lose if you install your computer and it doesn't work as planned4 ,it depends4 ,you could also spend a lot of time shopping and talking to people and not pay a consultant4 ,it depends what your time is worth4 ,the average guy has one or two uses for his computer in mind1 and he doesn't want to piddle around with the complexities of the thing4 ,he just wants to cut right down to the core of it and get this job moving4 ,if a consultant spends two or three hours with someone discussing a micro1 it may cost perhaps #ge or #ajj4 ,but the client might master in a day what might normally take a week or even several40 ,the wrong consultant1 however1 may actually cost you more--in money and time4 ,when shopping around for the right one1 you'll first want to consider a what--what work you need him for4 ,forget about computers4 ,does the task make sense commercially8 ,are you realistic about its costs8 ,a former ,new ,england consultant tells of a baseball enthusiast who wanted to recreate some board games on the computer screen4 ,it might have worked4 ,but the man didn't just want a computerized arcade game here--rather1 a replication of ball parks1 with their actual proportions4 8,he had a statistical background10 recalled the ex-consultant1 8and had done some statistical consulting for a professional sports organization40 ,but there was a problem4 ,the man believed that the consultant could perform this miracle on an ,apple for less than #e1jjj4 ,actually1 the program would have cost #ej1jjj to write--probably more than the man could quickly recoup through sales of the program4 ,the consultant turned down this mission impossible4 ,but the client let his enthusiasm for the project blot out his business sense and in fact squandered #ee1jjj on another consultant1 who1 incidentally1 botched the job4 ,now move on to the details of the work you want done4 ,do as with software2 get as clear an idea as you can of the paperwork you're computerizing4 ,you may want your electronic files organized entirely differently from your paper ones4 ,whatever the case1 plan ahead4 ,you don't want to--as somebody once put it--automate your confusion4 ,and there's another reason for knowing your precise needs before calling a consultant4 ,trying to jack up the bill1 some experts can be brilliant at inventing new problems to fit their prepackaged solutions4 ,or they may downplay your real needs because the answers are not in their tool kits4 ,you'll also want to decide if the consultant is just to give advice or more4 ,don't pay simply for advice1 then expect him to haggle with equipment suppliers and install the software4 ,and what about other services besides advice8 ,take the task of keying paper records into your computer system2 some consulting firms will line up temporaries for the job4 ,that way your normal people must worry only about their regular work and learning the new computerized routine4 ,of course1 this data-entry work may itself be part of the training1 and at least if your people enter the material1 they'll more easily find it later on4 ,as you define the what1 you also get into a when--your deadline for computerization and how long the consultant or the firm is to remain on the job4 ,there is a happy medium4 ,you want him around long enough1 full time or part time1 to get the system up and running4 ,but don't count on making him in effect an employee4 ,hire permanent people if that's going to happen4 ,joseph ,auer1 a #a1ejj-;a-day computer-negotiations expert with blue-chip clients like ,new ,york ,life1 tells what can happen when consultants stay too long4 ,a bank used a consulting firm for years4 ,the outsiders became the main people familiar with the electronic links between the automatic teller machines and the big computer4 ,then the bank woke up4 ,it realized that the outsiders could cripple its operation4 ,the consultants didn't blackmail the bank1 but it was worried enough not to risk incurring their displeasure4 ,rather than farming out the work to a facilities management firm as planned1 it extended the existing consultants' contract1 with the understanding that the outsiders would make the bank's own people self-sufficient4 ,next go on to the who question4 ,a generalist who's a good1 quick learner might be a better deal for you than an overpriced guru who limits himself to one area4 ,it's like medicine4 ,i'd much rather be cut up by a smart general surgeon with a steady hand than by a mediocre cancer specialist4 ,of course1 for a complex job1 you want the equivalent of a top cancer surgeon4 ,at ,stewart1 anyway1 the right specialist might have 8programmed0 the company to succeed4 ,intertwined with the who are two how muches--the size of your company and the task for which you need the consultant4 ,are you a small businessman or a ,fortune #ejj executive8 ,the consulting needs of the two categories may overlap4 ,the general rule1 however1 is that a large company will feel more comfortable with a large consulting firm 7,,gm1 say1 with ,arthur ,d4 ,little7 and a small company will be better off with a small one4 ,a small businessman may enjoy more personal attention from a small consultant4 ,he knows the people he's dealing with1 and it's harder for the firm to pass the work on to a green employee--while charging the full price4 ,the smallness of the firm1 of course1 makes it that much more important to check out references4 ,of course1 sometimes the small guy may fit the large company's bill2 ,michael ,canyes1 for instance1 has tutored ,word,star classes for the ,federal ,trade ,commission--a good buy for the taxpayers1 considering his skill and low overhead4 8,the smaller consulting firms10 he wisely says1 8are likely to save a large business money when the consultants are working within their limitations40 ,canyes1 however1 at the time ,i wrote this chapter1 wasn't the consultant to install a #e million micro network4 ,he might be one day1 but back then he just didn't have the resources to do the job justice4 ,a ,big ,eight accounting firm would have been better than ,michael2 in fact1 an executive with a large company mightn't need an outside consultant of any kind--large or small4 ,his or her employer may boast a large microcomputer center and a helpful data-processing department4 ,but you never know4 ,sometimes1 ,data ,processing is either ignorant of micros or discourages their use4 ,ask some test questions4 ,has anyone in ,data ,processing ever installed a micro for business purposes8 ,do many in the department have micros at home8 ,are they reading the micro magazines and newspapers--,info,world1 say1 rather than just magazines about the big machines8 ,if ,data ,processing isn't comfortable with micros1 you'd do well turning to the outside4 ,one of the qualifications for the outsider1 of course1 might be his ability to work harmoniously with ,data ,processing if you're hoping to hook into the mainframe4 ,then again1 your micro might be a stand-alone1 not exchanging information with other computers1 so that you needn't worry what ,data ,processing thinks4 ,even if you're using a ,data-,processing staffer or other internal person1 you still may want to find out his track record4 ,don't be a corporate chauvinist4 ,every company has its share of gobblers4 ,turning to an outside consultant8 ,then1 through computer stores1 you might try to track down a local users group for a brand of hardware or software4 ,go to a meeting4 ,find out whom the members regard as an ace consultant4 ,in fact1 try to go to several user groups--remember the preference that ,apple owners1 say1 may have in favor of an ,apple solution or that ,kaypro owners may have in favor of a ,kaypro one4 ,mere word of mouth1 though1 is still no substitute for a thorough interview with the consultant and reference checks4 ,certainly1 too1 you can't use a consultant just because he or she shows up in the directory of a consultants group4 ,charles ,e4 ,harris1 a lawyer who1 with ,joseph ,auer1 wrote ,computer ,contract ,negotiations1 says1 8,i know of no organizational membership that proves anything other than membership and the fact that the man's paid his dues40 8,the person to watch out for in particular is the guy who's doing this part time and he works on a mainframe or something like that10 warns ,mark ,robinson1 a ,california consultant4 ,he's been in the micro business for years and handles dealer relations for ,lexisoft1 a software company--a micro one1 mind you4 8,anybody who hasn't made this his business full time for a significant period of time10 he said of micro consulting1 8is a great risk40 ,consultants can relax4 ,robinson said eighteen months could be 8significant40 ,i myself wouldn't shrug off the part timers from ,data-,processing departments if they have a long list of pleased micro clients4 ,but as a generality ,robinson's observations seem valid4 ,not only is micro software written differently from the mainframe kind2 there's also a different mentality4 ,cloistered away in the computer rooms1 some mainframers may strive for technical perfection at the expense of economy4 8,they may be right about things10 ,robinson says1 8but that's not the point4 ,the point may be more like what ,mr4 ,osborne prates about all the time--mere adequacy4 ,i'm thinking of posting an aphorism on the wall from ,the ,soul of a ,new ,machine3 not everything worth doing is worth doing well40 ,the same wisdom might apply to consultants4 ,you don't need a #a1ejj-;a-day man to help you choose a good micro for word processing--not unless you're about to buy a few hundred4 ,opinions vary about pay4 ,some observers of consultants say you get what you pay for4 8,there's very little relationship between pay and value except for one thing10 ,robinson says4 8,people who don't charge enough eventually go out of business1 or that business4 ,if they don't charge enough1 they're not likely to have been around long enough to have gotten experience for you40 ,then again1 as ,robinson points out1 experience in the microcomputer business rapidly decays in value1 weakening the relationship between pay and competence4 ,back in the late #aigjs ,bernard ,mc,gowan1 a ,massachusetts ophthalmologist1 bought an ,apple and hired an expert at all of #e an hour4 ,his consultant was a scruffy young man in an old jacket4 ,and this guru had himself owned an ,apple only a day4 ,but it didn't matter4 ,his name was ,mitch ,kapor1 and he was good1 apparently1 for he went on to found ,lotus ,development ,corporation1 the company that developed the best-selling #a-b-c integrated program4 ,today ,mc,gowan is still using #e-;an-hour men at times4 ,he told me1 in fact1 that one consultant1 a teenager digesting software manuals for him1 doubled as a baby-sitter4 ,no1 this isn't an argument for merciless exploitation of child labor la nineteenth-century ,england4 ,for a small businessman with a simple task1 however1 and no pressing deadlines1 a teenager might do well4 ,why must every sixteen-year-old be flipping hamburgers around after school at ,mc,donald's8 ,but teenage computer geniuses are special cases4 ,don't count on a #e-;an-hour consultant to write up a complex accounting program that you need done within three months to avoid bankruptcy4 ,moreover1 if you're a business of any size1 you might end up spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars just to audition consultants4 ,that's right2 you may pay them4 ,canyes will talk to people by phone if he thinks they're good prospects1 but the moment he gets in the car1 the meter starts running4 ,that's basically in line with what ,adam ,green1 a software training expert1 told me4 ,green has conducted seminars for big-name clients like ,price ,waterhouse and ,xerox1 and earlier he worked as a programmer and salesman1 so he's been around4 8,a good consultant in my view would come out in many cases and spend a day or two looking at the operation and then give back a written proposal saying how they could help the client10 ,green said4 8,and then they should charge the client about #bej for that40 8,if someone comes out and spends a day or two with you and writes something up for free1 obviously they don't have anything better to do4 ,they're not working4 ,they're amateurs4 ,they don't consider their time worth anything40 ,paying a consultant to write a proposal1 you'll learn 7#a7 if he can communicate in comprehensible ,english1 7#b7 if he can think logically1 and 7#c7 if he understands your business and its needs4 ,but maybe that's a step or so ahead of where you now are in the game4 ,having found a promising candidate1 make certain you feel comfortable with him or her4 ,trust your instincts4 ,beware of snake-oil artists who1 through greed or incompetence1 may actually increase your time and expense4 ,people like ,bob ,hillard and ,michael ,canyes come across as teacherlike in their eagerness to pass on their wisdom to the appreciative4 ,but not all consultants1 in and out of computers1 seem that way4 ,a few might not even give you a written report of their findings4 ,many intimidate you through jargon1 even through dress4 ,quite correctly1 some young business school hotshots have been depicted as punks in pin-striped suits4 8,you have to know what your client wears and dress one level above him10 said an ex-,bain and ,company man4 8,if he wears a sport coat1 you wear a suit4 ,if you're meeting him in a midwestern cornfield and he's wearing a ,t-shirt1 you wear a button-down4 ,you might actually drive to his office in beige pants1 a jacket1 and a tie4 ,but you can look in through the window when you get out of your car and then take off as much as you have to40#ca ,the consultant wasn't in the computer trade1 but he might as well have been4 ,one industry magazine began a 8,so ,you ,want to be a ,consultant0 article with a warning against polyester4 ,footnote #ca3 ,the ex-,bain man's quote is from ,harper's1 ,november #aihb4 8,well10 ,i asked ,mark ,robinson1 8what about dress8 ,can you trust a consultant in a three-piece suit more than one who looks like a refugee from a university computer center80 8,it's really irrelevant10 he said1 8,i'd look more at things like ,can the guy focus on the relevant features of my business8 ,does he seem to understand what my business is about8 ,this is one of the things that probably isn't even related to the number of years in micros or computers or what not40 ,robinson suggests asking yourself1 8,does he quickly grasp the nature of my relationships with my suppliers1 my clients1 my promotion methods8 ,is he focusing on the technical solutions rather than my needs first8 ,does he even consider a question like whether ,i need a computer at all8 ,does he try to look at the highest-priority needs that ,i have in terms of the effect on my bottom line8 ,does he really have a grasp on why ,i might have a computer--to move into new things and serve my customers better1 to replace existing functions1 and so on8 ,does he know general things like that8 ,if he doesn't have that sort of perspective1 if he isn't even able to back off as to whether ,i should have a computer1 ,i may be getting a slightly different type of salesman1 someone who is committed to a computer solution1 for instance1 and isn't really looking at it from my viewpoint4 ,he is not totally professional40 ,you might still use such a person1 but you'd better consider his limitations and biases4 ,i asked about 8pure0 consultants versus those selling software or hardware4 8,most consultants10 said ,robinson1 8have found that small businessmen's budgets for pure consulting and their appreciation of it aren't high enough so they make enough money4 ,so they've got to sell software and hardware4 ,and also purity means that a consultant is spread too thin4 ,he's not able to specialize and know enough about a particular package to be competent in it4 ,so either he has a superficial view of these packages1 or else he's a partisan40 ,while working as a full-time consultant1 ,robinson hoped to maintain his purity4 8,i found myself dealing with a lot of invoices of fairly small amounts10 he said1 8and most of my support came from contract programming40 ,what with the line so thin between salesman and consultant1 you should politely but persistently ask about business connections that could sway their judgment4 ,obviously1 too1 you'll want a consultant's rsum if he or she has one4 ,he should4 ,one way or another you're after the normal personnel-office answers--his schooling 7anything that could help him understand your business871 his previous jobs 7one computer consultant ran a nightclub once--perhaps not such a bad background for an expert dealing with small businesses71 maybe even if he has an arrest record 7a perfectly suitable question if he's setting up an accounting system or doing security consulting74 ,be polite but aggressive4 ,by not shying away from the basics1 you'll be reminding him who's in charge--the client4 ,don't forget the why4 ,why is he in 8consulting08 ,it isn't a euphemism for unemployment1 presumably4 ,also1 why is he working with micros rather than mainframes8 ,attitude matters as much as brains and skill4 ,ideally1 your consultant will be comfortable with the flora and fauna outside the antiseptic computer rooms4 ,while he's auditioning1 see if that's true of him4 ,how do you tell8 ,introduce him to your people1 not just your executives4 ,encourage them to ask questions4 ,if the consultant condescends toward a secretary or clerk now1 he may very well do so toward you later4 ,and if he rubs your people the wrong way1 they may resent him in the future and take it out on the computerization project4 ,well1 there's a caveat here4 ,maybe the specs for the job are so clear-cut that your consultant can work in a little corner away from the rest of the world4 ,with personal computing1 that's not going to happen as much as with mainframes4 ,in winding up the interview1 ask about the future4 ,will the consultant be around in the future to do work or answer questions8 ,he won't be8 ,you still might use him4 ,but police him very carefully to make certain he's following standardized procedures that another consultant can pick up on4 ,you don't want your business to go down the tubes when your software man goes off to find his karma atop ,mt4 ,fuji4 ,satisfied8 ,then move on to references--which1 if you're a small1 budget-minded business1 you might want checked before a full-fledged audition4 ,remember ,stewart's ordeal4 ,ask for the names of people whom the consultant served in tasks similar to the proposed one4 ,request ten names4 ,the consultant needn't have done--in each case--jobs like the proposed one4 ,moreover1 you often don't have to call more than five or six references4 ,but with ten names1 at least you'll know you're far from the first client4 ,don't1 incidentally1 phone just the references at the top of the list2 outfox the consultant in your most constructive way4 ,you'll want the references to tell you the usual--what the consultant achieved within the time agreed4 ,would they use him or her again8 ,what kind of hardware1 what software1 did the consultant recommend8 ,the same kind for clients with different needs8 ,be on guard if he seems to have a one-shoe-fits-all philosophy4 ,also1 ask about the references themselves4 ,see if they have any connections with the consultant1 social or business4 ,how many consultants should you try out before signing the contract8 ,that's up to your needs and your budget4 ,there's no law saying you have to go through all the screening steps here in every case4 ,why pay #bej to a consultant to audition when that very likely will be the cost of the whole job 7assuming you're lucky enough to find one willing to take on a project with such a low budget78 ,for all tasks1 though1 even small ones1 you'd do well to bother with at least one formality--a contract with your micro consultant4 ,a ,sample ,consultant's ,contract 7,featuring ,some ,plain ,english ,from a ,washington ,lawyer7 ,no1 you're not going to pay a lawyer #ej to draw up a contract for a consultant doing a #fj modification of ,word,star4 ,but you can help protect yourself with your own version of the sample contract below4 ,it's nothing more than a letter in simple ,english4 ,william ,wewer1 however1 the ,washington lawyer who drafted it1 says it probably would be just as binding legally as a document filled with 8whereases40 ,dear ----3 ,this will confirm our agreement that you will perform the following software8 services3 ,precisely list the services in numbered paragraphs4 ,you have represented to me that you can complete this project by date4 ,you will charge me ---- per hour for your consulting time4 ,do not exceed ---- without my written consent4 ,you agree that you are performing these services as an independent consultant and are not my employee4 ,if you are willing to work under the terms of this letter agreement1 please sign the enclosed copy and return it by date4 ,under your signature1 use this language3 ,i agree to and accept the terms of this agreement to quick description of service provided4 ------- consultant's name1 ------- date of signing ,remember1 this sample is just a starter4 ,see ,backup ,,viii1 8,consultant ,contracts3 ,some ,who-,how ,questions01 for a list of some of the points a contract might address4 ,one of the more important ones is ownership and control of software4 ,if you want to own the newly developed programs and keep them away from your competitors1 here's what ,wewer might insert after the paragraph saying the consultant isn't your employee3 ,i am paying you to do this work for me alone and require that you not retain any copies of it or give any copies to anyone else or tell anyone else how to recreate what you have done for me4 ,we agree that the software you create for me will be my trade secret4 8#8,trade secret' is a key phrase to get in there10 ,wewer says4 8,then it's within common law40 ,again1 your informal contract won't give you iron-clad protection--that could depend on the mood of a judge--but it's better than nothing4 8,it's the handshake deals10 ,wewer says1 8that always fall apart40 8,the real problem10 ,adam ,green says1 8is that no one ever has to sign a contract4 ,people get concerned4 ,they say1 #8,boy1 lawyers cost a lot1' and ,i know the feeling40 ,then ,green brings up an exception to that opinion1 lawyers4 8,i know a lot of consultants who will never work for lawyers because as far as lawyers are concerned the job is never complete4 ,they understand what it means to be complete40 ,their contracts reflect this2 yours should1 too4 ,have the consultant do the first draft of the contract1 perhaps2 but don't shy away from extensive changes if need be4 8,hell10 tell him1 8that's what your word processor's for40 ,back out of the deal if he isn't reasonable now4 ,he might not be later on4 ,when hammering out a consulting contract1 you should fret over three variables emphasized by ,joe ,auer3 #a4 8,how long is it going to take8 #b4 8,how much money does it cost8 #c4 8,what's the quality of the work8 8,if you tie down the money and the quality and not the time10 he warns1 8you give them a license to loaf4 ,if you tie down the quality and time and not the money1 you give them a license to steal4 ,if you tie down the money and time but not the quality1 you give them a license to cheat40 ,training3 ,how to ,enjoy the ,mahony ,advantage ,who-,how counts just as much in training your people as in the selection of consultants3 #a4 ,who's teaching8 ,can he or she communicate well with the students1 and how adaptable to computers are the people getting the instruction8 #b4 ,what task is being taught8 ,a very teachable one8 #c4 ,why is the material taught8 ,to make your people computer literate in a broad way8 ,just to help them do their present jobs better8 #d4 ,when do the students learn8 ,on their time or yours8 ,will you reward them in any way for their extra effort8 #e4 ,where is the learning happening8 ,ideally1 your students can take the machines home if they want--one advantage of transportables like the ,,ibm portable and its work-alikes4 #f4 ,how do the students learn8 ,through instruction manuals1 mainly1 or through early experience at the keyboard8 ,do they suffer through irrelevant exercises1 or do they start right away on assignments similar to their jobs8 ,in fact1 do they start immediately on their normal work1 as some training experts recommend8 ,do the students work with teaching disks8 ,and are the disks interactive1 as ,adam ,green1 the training expert1 correctly recommends8 ,do the disks1 in other words1 require you to type in a thoughtful response8 8,how much80 also figures here4 ,consider the cost of a good training program versus your losses from misused or underused people4 ,in the future you may want an office filled with people conversant with ,word,star or d,b,a,s,e1 but don't shrug off valued employees who can't even play an ,atari game4 ,tutor them if need be4 ,bend4 ,you needn't be sentimental1 just practical4 ,don't waste the ,mahony ,advantage1 as ,i'll call it2 don't throw away a mixture of background and experience that silicon won't ever fully replicate4 ,unfortunately1 ,jim ,mahony's employer didn't take full advantage of the ,mahony ,advantage4 ,mahony1 a white-haired man with a ruddy face like ,tip ,o',neill's1 was a popular local columnist at my old paper1 the ,journal1 in ,lorain1 ,ohio4 ,he barely survived computerization4 ,in fact1 he barely survived4 ,he suffered a heart attack that may or may not have been brought on by the added stress4 ,his ordeal is a preview of what some companies may expect as small computers--or terminals like ,mahony's--become requirements instead of options in many businesses4 ,it is a fitting argument for tutoring or other adjustments for key employees4 ,within the newspaper industry--more computerized than most fields by now--you'll find few ,jim ,mahonys today4 ,but many other businesses are now wasting the ,mahony ,advantage4 ,at the ,journal1 readership surveys showed ,mahony's column was one of the main draws4 ,he was a native of his steel town1 a perfect counterpoint in a newsroom dominated by young outsiders4 ,he'd worked for the ,journal--whether as a newsboy or an editor--since he was ten4 ,the only break was time off for ,world ,war ,,ii service4 ,indisputably1 on local matters1 he was a human data bank4 8,there's nobody who knows this town and the people and the relationships1 the marriages1 like ,jim10 said ,bill ,scrivo1 an ex-managing editor4 8,you just can't store this kind of material4 ,he knew who was a phony and who was likely to mislead you40 ,jim doubled as the news editor 7on the ,journal the news editor's job was more of a copy-desk function than an executive one in the fullest sense71 and over the years he may have saved the ,journal thousands of dollars in lawyer's bills from the libel suits that never were filed4 ,he knew1 say1 that the ,phil ,smith caught in a gambling raid was not the prominent black minister with the same name4 ,if nothing else1 his vast knowledge of ,lorain1 ,ohio1 and its people made the paper more credible4 ,and ,mahony loved the traditional newsroom as much as he did his city--the big1 black wire-service tickers1 the bulky ,remingtons and ,underwoods4 8,a ticker gives a newsroom that certain flavor10 he told me4 8,you hear a bell1 and that means an important story is about to be released and it puts you on the alert1 makes you news conscious40 ,and typewriters8 8,i figured they were the backbone of newspapering all the way through40 ,mahony obliterated1 however1 at least two of them4 ,he would strike the keys so hard that the letters would fly off the arms4 ,appreciating the man more than the machines1 his colleagues cheerfully wheeled in replacements4 ,dapper ,dan1 however--,mahony's name for a young computer expert with some flashy sports coats and a fondness for jargon--wasn't so accommodating4 8,his word was ,god's10 ,mahony said1 8and he pressured us4 ,he felt that the pupil should be stepped into a more advanced bracket4 ,and evidently he misjudged the person who was possibly of an older era and not familiar with the computer field4 ,he never appeared news interested4 ,it appeared his whole life was wrapped around computers40 8,the training consisted of sitting down two hours every other day in this little room10 recalled ,dick ,di,luciano1 the former editor handling state news1 8and then we'd be told that when you hit this button1 this activates this diode or that diode or whatever the term4 ,and finally ,i decided they were wasting their time telling what happens when we hit a button4 ,we didn't have to know that4 ,all we had to know was what buttons to hit to get our story into the computer and get it typeset40 ,mahony himself complains that the paper didn't start him out with real news stories on the terminal4 ,instead1 he did boring exercises similar to those in typing manuals4 8,it was much like a batter in major league baseball taking batting practice10 he said4 8,you just stayed there while they threw curve-balls at you more or less40 8,the only thing ,jim really put into the computer on the job itself was headlines and his column10 ,di,luciano said1 8but he really was getting frustrated and distraught4 ,and ,i bumped into him in the washroom one day1 and he was about to cry4 ,he said1 #8,dick1 ,i know ,i'm going to lose my job1 because ,i can't learn how to work that damn computer4'0 ,he almost did lose it4 ,jim was out sick several months1 and he had to leave his news editor's post4 ,the ,journal let him continue the 8,mahony's ,memos0 column but assigned him to the 8morgue10 the library1 to file away old clips4 ,the library was in a room apart from the city desk4 ,no longer was ,mahony so handy to editors wanting to know1 say1 if a home on ,east ,twenty-eighth ,street is on the 8,east ,side0 of ,lorain4 7,it isn't--contrary to what a story said47 ,were it not for the mishandling of ,jim ,mahony's training1 he might still be vigilantly editing4 ,what could have been done to keep ,jim ,mahony there8 ,jack ,la,vriha1 a cigar-chomping newspaperman of ,mahony's generation1 had an idea4 ,why couldn't the paper have hired a tutor for ,mahony--maybe a journalism graduate familiar with computers who was waiting for a reporter's job to open up8 ,the young grad could have entered ,mahony's stories on the terminal1 learning city-room ways while ,jim gradually mastered computer ones4 ,computers and older people can get along fine4 ,even without a tutor ,la,vriha himself was one of ,dapper ,dan's star pupils1 and today1 though retired1 he still drops by the newsroom to write press releases for community groups on the computer4 ,distilled1 here are some lessons from the ,journal's experience with computer training3 #a4 ,even the best-intentioned companies may fail miserably in easing some employees' computerization traumas4 ,the paper's editor at the time was ,irving ,leibowitz1 a ,lou ,grant-like figure beloved by many in the newsroom2 ,i can recall ,leibo once jumping up on the copy desk to lead a 8,happy ,birthday0 tribute to ,jim ,mahony and barely missing the cake2 that was ,leibo4 ,he died in #aigi4 ,were he alive today1 however1 he would probably be the first to admit that the paper mishandled ,mahony during the transition4 ,like many others1 ,leibo was in awe of ,dapper ,dan4 ,and so he'd suspended the skepticism that usually served him well on the job4 #b4 ,the traits which make somebody valuable to his company may be the very ones complicating his transition to computerization4 ,jim ,mahony was the folksy1 family-oriented man that his column suggested4 ,mahony knew steelworkers as well as politicians and businessmen1 and to maintain that network of friends1 even in a small town1 takes time4 ,jim didn't like working late at the office1 boning up on computers2 he would rather be with his family or some of the average people he wrote about4 #c4 ,at the same time you can't stereotype anyone--by age1 folksiness1 or otherwise--as absolutely doomed to fail at the computer keyboard4 ,just look at old ,jack ,la,vriha1 himself a ,lorain native and strong family man4 ,jack took well to computerization and would give the editors cards with numbers on them1 saying1 for instance1 8,call up story number so-and-so if you want to know about a hot veterans parade coming up40 ,before computerization he'd lobbied for his stories by shoving them in front of the editors' faces or leaving notes2 the cards were his new way4 ,why did ,jack succeed where ,jim didn't8 ,hey1 he thought of computerization1 if that's what it is1 ,i'm going to accept it4 ,i do whatever stories they give me1 so why not this8 ,his being a reporter1 not a desk-bound editor with a strict routine1 may have helped4 #d4 ,an important part of training is simple salesmanship--persuading the worker to adopt the right attitude4 ,mahony rightly or wrongly felt bullied4 ,he wanted to be wooed1 not pressured4 #e4 ,don't make computerization seem more threatening than it has to be4 ,journal managers bragged how they'd throw the typewriters out of the newsroom--,mahony's security blankets4 ,instead1 the paper might have kept a few there for tasks like note taking4 ,as a matter of fact1 that's what actually happened4 ,also1 ,mahony recalls that the paper computerized without at first having a printer in the newsroom1 meaning that staffers had to trust everything to the computer memory4 ,he would have felt more comfortable in the beginning with paper backups4 ,that's a close one4 ,learning the ,kaypro1 ,i myself progressed faster because ,i couldn't use my printer at night without disturbing the neighbors4 ,i1 however1 was learning voluntarily4 ,mahony was forced4 ,try to computerize with the old system intact in the beginning--with paper records1 in other words4 ,not only will your ,mahonys feel more comfortable2 you'll be better protected when the computer glitches up4 ,sooner or later1 they all do4 #f4 ,as early as possible start people on real projects4 ,the first day at the keyboard ,jim ,mahony might have been writing a column or part of one4 ,adam ,green1 the software training expert1 says to start off teaching your new employees some computer basics4 ,but then they should buckle down to the practical from day one4 ,integrate ,word,star1 for instance1 into your employees' work4 ,don't say1 8,okay1 now you're going to take a class in ,word,star40 ,instead1 have a sales rep use ,word,star to write some letters to customers or encourage an accountant to start using #a-b-c as soon as possible on a limited basis4 ,this isn't to say that a real project is the only hook you can use4 ,green has been quite successful with ,adventure-style computer games that require people to learn to format their disks and other basic micro skills4 ,it's a good introduction to micros for the ,pac-,man generation4 ,that might not be right1 however1 for ,mahony-vintage people4 ,above all1 beware of the babble about 8computer literacy0 for everyone4 ,follow ,john ,h4 ,bennett's example4 ,with a ,harvard ,ph4,d4 in mathematics and a ,phi ,beta ,kappa key1 he's hardly antilearning4 ,and yet he skillfully mapped out a micro program for executives who weren't interested in all the subtleties of bits and bytes4 ,bennett is the top data-processing man at ,united ,technologies ,corporation4 ,united1 a #ad billion conglomerate1 produces everything from helicopters to air conditioners and silicon chips4 8,we're a high-tech company10 ,bennett said4 8,more and more of our products have microprocessors in them40 ,most of the senior executives1 however1 had never used a personal computer before ,bennett started a training program for those baffled by tech talk4 8,it's not a productivity program10 ,bennett said4 8,it's an educational program40 ,with the #e million program's stress on hands-on experience1 however1 those goals meshed nicely4 ,united homed in on the computer skills that seasoned executives could use in their jobs and searched hard for the right people to teach them4 8,you can get people to teach you to use an automated spreadsheet10 ,bennett said1 8and of course there are at least a dozen vendors offering to teach people to use a word processor1 but there is no program that takes the standard tool kit and offers to at least introduce you to every tool40 ,national ,training ,systems1 ,inc41 however1 a ,california company1 designed the course he wanted4 ,in #aihc and #aihd1 more than a thousand ,united executives were to learn to use the ,,ibm ,,pc and the ,context ,,mba program4 ,bennett had settled on the ,,ibm one ,christmas vacation when he himself tested several different brands4 ,it was his own initiation to personal computing4 ,he surmised that plenty of software would be coming for the ,,ibm1 and in fact ,context ,,mba did appear in time with tools he wanted for ,united's executives2 the integrated program included a spreadsheet1 data base1 graphics1 communications1 and simple word processing4 ,united held the three-day course in a windowless conference room on the second floor of the research center in ,east ,hartford1 ,connecticut1 just across the river from corporate headquarters4 ,blowups of ,,ibm computer equipment lined a wall4 ,it was as though ,united were doing all it could to engender concentration4 ,if an executive turned to gaze at a nonexistent window1 the sight of the photographs might gently nudge him back to work4 ,up front was a projection screen and an easel bearing such 8,,extra ,,activity0 suggestions as 8,,experiment ,,with ,,various ,,commands ,,on ,,your ,,spreadsheet40 ,in a photo from ,united's public relations office1 the carpeted room looked like a cross between a college classroom and a ,computer,land store4 ,executives came from ,united divisions across the country4 ,with sixteen ,,ibm computers and matching printers1 the training project couldn't travel very far4 ,one of the students was himself a local of sorts1 ,robert ,j4 ,bertini1 ,jr41 controller of the ,east ,hartford research center4 ,he was an ,,mba in his mid-forties1 and in some ways he typified many of the executives in the program4 8,to a certain extent10 he said of his thoughts before he took the course1 8you're afraid you're going to screw up40 ,he had toyed with the idea of buying an ,apple or ,commodore but 8didn't want to sit there and read a book and hunt and peck at the keyboard40 ,still1 he was constructively egotistical3 if others could master computers1 why not he8 ,so he signed up4 ,on paper the program was completely voluntary4 ,in practice1 perhaps1 what with peer pressure1 it was army voluntary4 8,we just didn't feel the management of a high-technology company could be competitive without knowing what the computer can do for them10 ,bennett had said in announcing the program1 and who wants to be known as noncompetitive8 ,still1 the company was bending over backward to make the training as palatable as it could4 ,within minutes of the computer instructor's first 8,good morning10 ,bertini was learning how to load disks into the little ,,ibm machine and type out the commands of ,context ,,mba4 ,mercifully1 he wasn't wrestling with unneeded computerese4 8,most manuals10 ,bennett correctly says1 8are not written with executives in mind4 ,most are written for people who know how to use computers4 ,on page thirty-something of the manual it eventually gets around to telling people how to start their computers up40 ,just a week after ,bertini finished the course1 his own ,,ibm ,,pc arrived at his office4 ,man and machine were still new to each other1 and data-processing people were ready to help overcome the normal start-up glitches1 but ,bertini faced other problems4 ,would he have time during the normal work day to perfect his computer skills8 ,nearly thirty people reported to him1 and now the machine1 too1 would be vying for his attention4 ,he also worried some about his image as he groped around on the computer4 8,hell10 he candidly said1 8we all have our degrees of vanity40 ,once again1 however1 ,united had a solution1 a routine one in the training program4 ,it allowed ,bertini to take the ,,ibm home4 8,let's face it10 he said1 8the course taught you the basics1 how to get on the machine1 how to do some relatively simple1 basic things with it4 ,to learn other stuff that makes it the tool it really is took eighty or ninety hours or whatever ,i spent with the thing at home40 ,even after ,bertini mastered the ,,ibm1 he still used it at home for chores like checkbook balancing--and for work1 too2 especially work4 8,my wife10 he joked1 8decided that the reason this thing was going to be a big productivity improvement for the corporation was that ,i'd put in that extra eight hours at home and give them a sixteen-hour day40 ,he also found himself working later some days at the office4 ,but ,bertini emerged a believer in both the training program and the machine4 ,as chief fiscal officer at the #a1bjj-;employee research center1 he helped preside over much of ,united's research and development budget--then #hjj million a year4 ,his life was a series of what ifs4 ,what about that #d-million mainframe computer2 should ,united buy or lease it8 ,what about taxes1 depreciation1 interest rates8 ,what about a number of what abouts8 ,traditionally1 ,bertini had waited around for answers from his staffers1 which could take hours or days2 but now he had his own computer and electronic spreadsheet and could consider more options faster4 ,the ,,ibm was also handy for confidential tasks like salary analyses4 8,as far as merit increases for my people were concerned10 said ,bertini1 8,i had access to it1 and they didn't4 ,and that's the way ,i wanted it to be40 ,he also wrote letters and memos on the computer4 8,would you believe1 twenty years ago in college ,i took a typing course80 he said4 ,when ,bertini wrote to ,harry ,gray--,united's chairman--the center controller's secretary redid the letters on a typewriter4 ,but the little dot-matrix printer worked well for memos zipped out to ,bertini's staffers4 ,the communications part of ,context ,,mba was also a joy1 for ,bertini could send electronic mail and tap ,united's mainframe for facts that previously had been filtered through subordinates4 ,some staffers resented his new ability to bypass them4 ,it was a reversal of normal roles4 ,the boss had a personal computer before they did and was now better plugged in to ,united's information network4 8,as far as ,i'm concerned10 ,bertini said1 defending his new system1 8the boss's job is to second-guess you40 ,but the worried might find some solace3 ,bertini was planning to bring in a second ,,ibm for the people below4 ,training 7,continued73 ,the ,dahlonega ,answer ,for a bucket of fried chicken1 ,hugh ,hunt1 a son of ,h4 ,l4 ,hunt1 the late oilman1 gave me some lessons on how to run my ,kaypro4 ,an ,anderson ,jacobson salesman had offered my name to ,hunt after he couldn't get his ,kaypros working quite right with his ,,aj printers and the ,select word-processing program4 ,i passed on the number of someone who might actually solve the problem4 ,hunt1 having tinkered with computers for several years1 gave me some quick tutoring on my ,kaypro4 8,well10 ,i said1 8,i'm still not really familiar with the basics of ,,cp_/,m40 8,come on over10 he told this stranger1 who was wise enough to own the same brands of computer and printer as he did4 8,no consultant's fee80 ,i joked4 8,bring along some fried chicken10 he said4 ,hunt's home sat on a hill in horse country just outside ,washington4 ,he called it ,dahlonega1 after a town in the ,georgia mountains where he had once lived and where miners had extracted gold before the ,civil ,war4 ,in his basement1 in plain1 fluorescent-lit rooms1 were the offices of his land-development company4 ,hunt showed me how he had rigged up a roll of ,teletype paper with a clothes hanger so he wouldn't have to buy a tractor feed for one of his daisy-wheel printers4 ,a tall1 heavy-set man nearing fifty1 he wore casual clothes and looked like old pictures of his father in middle age4 ,in the beginning1 however1 ,i could only guess who he might be4 ,even if he had been ,hugh ,doe1 ,i still would have been interested in his style of training the people who operated his ,apple1 his several ,kaypros1 and a pair of ,osbornes4 ,his techniques were wrong for many corporate situations4 ,they would have been a disaster for ,jim ,mahony1 the old newspaperman1 who was so heavy-handed that he ruined at least two typewriters4 ,but they were just right for ,hunt and his people--and perhaps for many other small businessmen who like to be surrounded by employees comfortable with high tech4 ,hunt didn't give his staffers extra-long1 step-by-step guidance4 ,instead1 he3 #a4 ,hired people who were fast learners at the keyboard4 #b4 ,helped them with some learning aids like color-coded keys showing kinds of ,word,star commands4 #c4 ,motivated them by explaining how their new computer skills would make them happier--and richer1 since he paid them more1 once their productivity increased4 ,esther ,king1 his middle-aged office manager1 a bright1 down-to-earth high school graduate1 actually may have been as responsible for his training methods as he was4 ,she tried to hire only people who'd benefit from some quick lessons followed by intensive self-instruction4 8,sometimes ,i'll have them sit down at the computer10 she said of her employment interviews1 8and ,i just turn it on and tell them to type4 ,a lot of people1 they're afraid they're going to hurt it4 ,and you're not going to hurt it4 ,you can't hurt it4 ,so you mess up1 and you get the wrong thing1 and it says you made a #8fatal error4' ,so you just start over1 and that's the only way you're going to learn--is sit down and not be afraid of it40 ,jeanette ,counsellor1 at the time an employee of ,hunt's1 didn't just type on computers4 ,she also knew how to juggle around thousands of dollars on electronic spreadsheets4 ,and ,king herself boasted the ability to use computers to help project building costs1 a useful skill since ,hunt at the time was finishing construction of a water-theme park in ,north ,carolina4 ,what's more1 on the ,apple1 ,king helped ,hunt do company tax work4 ,by telephone--,i talked to ,hunt and his people several times--,i asked point-blank why he'd been so successful in getting staffers running on computers4 8,i told them10 he said1 8how it would be useful for the rest of their careers to be able to say1 #8,i've worked with a computer and ,i've word processed4'0 ,his people didn't mess with ,,basic1 just skills directly useful in their work4 8,i showed them10 said ,hunt1 8how computers could save them a lot of time and trouble in the amount of rewrites ,i do4 ,i put it to them as a challenge40 8,i was ready to learn10 said ,counsellor1 who had taken a data-processing course at a community college but had never before used a computer4 8,i was looking for a job that would train me to do this sort of thing40 ,although your people may need more guidance than ,hunt's staffers in learning computer skills1 you can take heart in the results of a poll reported in ,info,world4 ,of #ejj personnel managers and over #ejj clerical employees1 #hg percent said 8on-the-job training to learn new technologies0 is important4 ,micros and the ,data-,processing ,department ,bertini and the employees in ,hunt's office were lucky--the powers-that-be were encouraging the introduction and use of micros4 ,within ,american corporations1 however1 many data-processing departments have looked askance at small computers4 ,they've seen them as a threat to their power4 ,so ,american executives have bought millions of dollars of 8typewriters0 and 8adding machines0 from computer stores1 hoping to fool ,data ,processing 7,,dp7 and bookkeepers4 ,one man lost his job after ,data ,processing wouldn't let executives buy micros and he falsified an expense voucher to smuggle in an ,apple4 ,dishonest8 ,yes4 ,but a micro martyr1 too4 ,this atmosphere may be changing1 of course4 ,as early as #aihc ,computerworld reported that of #bbj data-processing managers replying to a poll1 #fb percent said they would encourage the use of personal computers4 ,beware of the ,de ,mille ,syndrome1 however4 ,it's the fondness of many data-processing managers for what one consultant calls a 8,cecil ,b4 ,de ,mille production0 with 8a cast of thousands1 millions of dollars and years in the making40#cb ,footnote #cb3 ,computerworld1 ,march #bh1 #aihc4 ,the poor1 ignorant people outside ,data ,processing1 meanwhile1 can't enjoy all the micros or advice they need4 8,last year10 went a plaintive letter to a computer columnist1 8we purchased a microcomputer and ,visi,corp's ,visi,calc software for the company accounting office4 ,the micro was idle for about six months until someone decided to figure out how to use it4 ,since then1 half a dozen people in our office and at least as many in other offices keep the system tied up40 ,but the firm's computer people wouldn't budget more machines even though the #e1jjj micro in the accounting office had 8paid for itself many times over40 ,the excuse from the computer pooh-bahs was this3 several accounting systems were on the way that would do the job1 and why allow micros to proliferate8 8,money10 said the letter to the columnist1 8has never been a question40#cc ,power1 apparently1 was4 ,in that sense also1 many data-processing biggies are like ,de ,mille4 ,footnote #cc3 ,computerworld1 ,march #bh1 #aihc4 8,programmers in general are pretty control oriented1 pretty methodical in nature10 said ,adam ,green1 8and usually the most methodical1 the most control-oriented person becomes the head of ,,dp40 8,if they like you1 they'll help you2 if they don't1 they won't10 said my friend ,michael ,canyes1 who himself served time in data processing in government and private industry4 ,and it isn't just the ,de ,mille desire for control that has dashed many an executive's hopes for an office micro4 ,it's also their sheer ignorance at times4 8,some data-processing managers started out ten or fifteen years ago when the field was growing10 ,canyes said1 8and stayed with their companies while more able people moved to others4 ,they just were in the right revolving door at the right time4 ,many don't know enough to get a job elsewhere4 ,and they don't understand the capabilities of micros and are afraid of them40 ,at ,united1 ,bennett's executive micro course was geared toward the nontechnical1 and yet he commendably wanted his top data-processing people included1 too4 8,many of them10 he said1 8hadn't touched a computer console or terminal for ten years and were quite surprised as to what a modern microcomputer can do40 ,they didn't learn faster as a group1 in fact1 than did the other ,united executives4 8,if they've never used a word processor10 ,bennett said1 8why would they learn it faster than the guy next door80 #8,how ,what do you do if you need ,data ,processing's favor to buy a micro or set up an office network of them8 ,bennett has the good sense not to 8tell somebody how they could do something in a political environment that ,i'm not familiar with40 ,here1 however1 is my own reckless scenario for you4 ,do not sue if this advice makes you a micro martyr3 #a4 ,before approaching ,data ,processing1 ask who-how questions about the people there--questions similar to some you'd raise about outside consultants4 ,find out who1 formally and informally1 can help you the most4 #b4 ,ask your informal ,data-,processing contact about possible technical problems4 ,tell him what you hope to do4 ,if it won't fly1 how can you modify it8 #c4 ,when you're ready to deal with the ,data-,processing manager1 tell him your exact computer goals4 ,easier word processing on just one machine8 ,a micro network tied into the mainframe8 ,many executives correctly see big computers as massive repositories for information to be analyzed on micros4 #d4 ,make it clear you're aware of your project's complications4 ,anticipate the manager's own who-how-style questions1 especially the 8,how0 and 8,how much80 ,take on the issues closest to the ,data-,processing manager's heart4 ,traditionally1 ,,dp seeks to centralize facts so ,sales won't have one set of numbers and ,administration another set4 ,does your micro plan tackle that problem8 ,also1 what about the security issue8 ,how are you going to safeguard facts stored inside the micros8 ,what about maintenance8 ,who's going to look after the computers--your department or ,,dp8 ,how about training8 ,your baby or ,data ,processing's8 ,also1 what will you do for ongoing technical support8 ,despite some ,d,pers' possible ignorance of micros1 you'll still come out ahead with the computer room's cooperation1 especially if you want your micros talking to the mainframe4 8,the situation10 one expert told ,computerworld in describing micro-mainframe hookups1 8is like connecting two telephones with a wire and trying to get a ,russian to communicate with an ,american4 ,the microcomputer users think they have finished the job1 but they haven't even begun40 ,so if you want your micro to get along with other computers1 try to coexist with the people who might help out4 ,well1 so much for relations with humans4 ,now1 how do you survive the computers themselves8 ,how do you choose the best keyboards1 screens1 etc41 for you to live comfortably with your machine8 ,how can people feel in charge of their computers--guarding health1 comfort1 and productivity against the ,,hal syndrome8 ,backup3 ,,viii1 ,consultant ,contracts3 ,some ,who-,how ,questions1 page #cci4 #i ,the ,hal ,syndrome ,raquel ,welch1 the movie star who pranced around in a fur bikini in a caveman epic1 reportedly planned to use a #aj1jjj computer to write a fitness book4 ,her ballyhoo in late #aihb stressed that 8the mind and body are connected40 ,but for ,time readers she may not have set the best example4 ,a color photo showed a tightly gowned ,welch lazing on the floor near the newly famous computer--it lacked a detachable keyboard4 ,and if you can't separate your keyboard from the main part of your machine8 ,that might be bad news for both your mind and body4 ,the best distance between your eyes and the ,,tv-like screen may clash with the right separation between your torso and the keyboard4 ,your posture may suffer4 ,in fairness to ,raquel--who declined an interview on the topic--she might have felt perfectly comfortable using her computer4 ,perhaps she had the proper eye-sight1 the perfect body1 for it4 ,if she didn't1 however1 ,raquel may have subjected herself to the ,hal ,syndrome--letting the computer bully her4 ,hal1 you'll recall1 killed all but one of his human masters4 ,raquel's computer didn't murder her1 but if she indeed toiled hard on it for her book1 it may have done a very nice job of killing her back4 ,the ,hal ,syndrome can manifest itself in other ways4 ,even the wrong furniture1 indeed especially the wrong furniture1 can poison relations between humans and machines4 ,what's more1 bad ergonomics--the jargon for the human-machine link--actually can make you sick4 ,raquel may like her work2 but millions of clerical people don't1 and aches from computers can add to their stress4 ,they can help bring about heart attacks1 strokes1 high blood pressure1 perhaps even raise yours by raising your company's health-insurance costs over the long run4 ,and they can lower your profits in other ways4 ,working with bad furniture and lighting1 computer operators in one study made more errors and tapped out #be percent fewer keystrokes than they did under better conditions4 ,michael ,smith1 former chief of the ,motivation and ,stress ,research ,section at the ,national ,institute of ,occupational ,safety and ,health 7,,niosh71 says the ,,niosh experiment lasted a week and was closely controlled4 ,a private ergonomics consultant found a #aj-ae percent difference in a study of good and bad furniture4 ,whatever the percentage1 however1 ergonomics isn't just a gimmick to sell new tables and chairs2 ,smith says it especially can help narrow the gap between mediocre and prize workers4 ,not only does good ergonomics pay for itself in the long run2 it may also improve your labor relations4 ,it's a perfect meeting ground for you and your employees4 ,they want good working conditions4 ,you want good work4 ,and everyone can win2 for with decent ergonomics1 you'll enjoy lower turnover4 ,you may very well lure good people away from competitors who run electronic sweatshops4 ,sharp screens and silky keyboards won't single-handedly stave off unionization or endear you to ensconced unions1 but they won't hurt4 ,a smart1 secure executive1 in fact1 may even turn union complaints to his advantage4 ,he'll listen4 ,he 7or she7 won't spend #bj1jjj on new computers or terminals that inflame people's eyes and tempers4 ,in short1 he'll learn eleven steps to good ergonomics3 #a4 ,the canary-in-the-mine theory of labor relations4 ,ergonomics is people1 too1 not just machines1 and you'll read here of better ways to work with both4 #b4 ,good job design4 #c4 8,terminal0 happiness4 ,detachable keyboards are just a start1 whether you're using a micro or a terminal hooked into a large computer4 ,micros normally include keyboards1 screens1 and other major parts of terminals4 ,so 8terminal0 is what ,i'll say most often in this chapter4 #d4 ,the right furniture4 #e4 ,the proper light1 or as it's been said1 8,let there be less40 #f4 ,noise reduction4 #g4 ,air conditioning1 heating1 and ventilation--basics neglected by a surprising number of computer users4 #h4 ,honest assurances to your people that you're exposing them to the least risk4 ,not all the extra stress in some computer work comes from the equipment itself4 ,some is from fear of the machines4 #i4 ,a willingness to consider alternatives to the ,,tv-like ,c,r,ts that computers use to flash out words and numbers4 ,flat-screen computers--with thin panels rather than bulky tubes--may eventually be easier on the eyes4 #aj4 ,sensible use of wrinkles like the mouse--the hand-sized gizmo you use instead of the arrowlike keys to move the cursor on the screen4 7,see ,backup ,x1 8,of ,mice and ,men--and ,touch ,pads1 ,touch ,screens1 ,etc40 ,also see ,backup ,,ix1 8,window ,shopping407 #aa4 ,a related ingredient1 good software--the topic of earlier chapters4 ,the ,canary in the ,mine 8,how10 ,i asked a consultant1 8do you know if someone is trying to offer a constructive suggestion about computerization or to get in the way80 8,consider the source10 he said4 8,is it coming from a researcher or a union80 ,to some extent the man was right4 ,some people1 unionized or not1 may be no more than twentieth-century version of the ,luddites1 the ,english workers who1 during the #ahjjs1 smashed the mechanical looms that were taking away their livelihoods4 ,indeed1 ,dr4 ,michael ,colligan1 a ,,niosh psychologist1 says1 8,opposition to computers is usually kind of veiled or disguised under more general complaints about eyestrain1 headaches1 and physical discomforts often associated with video display terminals 7,v,d,ts74#cd 8,but10 ,colligan warns1 8if you talk with workers awhile1 major concerns begin to surface40 ,legitimate concerns4 ,whether it's individual workers or unions1 don't tune out gripers4 ,listen to people like ,joan4 ,footnote #cd3 ,the ,colligan quotes are from ,joel ,makower's useful book ,office ,hazards3 ,how ,your ,job ,can ,make ,you ,sick1 published #aiha by ,tilden ,press1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,joan started out around #aihj as a model employee in a northeastern office of a major insurance company1 whose officials declined to be interviewed4 8,i averaged ten hours a week overtime10 she said1 8and ,i came in when ,i had pneumonia and a fever of #ajb40 ,in a modest way1 helping to unravel the mysteries of the machines1 she aided computerization4 ,later1 however1 in a not-so-modest way1 she aided something else3 unionization4 ,by the time ,i reached her1 she had quit her #aj1jjj-;a-year job to go into business with her husband4 ,for more than an hour she poured out her anger against the terminals and the company that now used them4 8,they affected my stomach quite a bit10 ,joan said4 8,most days ,i worked1 ,i would throw up in the ladies room4 ,i didn't throw up before ,i started working on the computer1 and ,i haven't thrown up since ,i quit4 8,the screens weren't at all soft on the eyes1 even with the glare screens that snapped over the top4 ,and they were nontiltable40 ,she also complained that the screens were too low even for a five footer like her4 8,could ,i have some books and put my system on top of them so the screen will be in the middle of my eyes80 she recalls asking a supervisor4 8,you get this constant tension in your back because you're always hunched over40 8,no10 she says the supervisor told her in effect1 8that's unacceptable1 totally40 ,why8 8,because10 came the reply1 allegedly1 8the office won't look the same4 ,it won't be level40 ,joan says management wouldn't even let her work with the terminal in the middle of her desk4 8,they wanted them all on the same side10 she recalls4 8,i said1 #8,hey1 ,i don't work on that side of the desk1 sport4' ,it was ludicrous1 absolutely ludicrous4 ,even a simple request like that was too much40 ,at least the chair was adjustable 8,i lowered it so ,i could get my eyes as close to the middle of the screen as possible10 she says4 8,i was so low that if ,i opened the middle drawer on my desk ,i'd bang myself40 ,but it was the lights that most irked ,joan4 ,they were bright fluorescents1 fine for traditional paperwork but not for the computer era4 ,management1 pressed by employees1 took out many of the tubes2 and yet ,joan says some glare-ridden workers still wore sunglasses4 ,she also complains that the company wouldn't even offer the operators eye examinations1 an irony1 considering that she was processing health claims4 ,again1 ,joan was a union activist--as a result of her experiences--and some managers may recoil from the very notion of clerks organizing1 and yet in her litany of complaints about working conditions1 there was not one with which most ergonomics professionals would quarrel4 ,had management listened to her on those issues1 in fact1 it would have been doing itself a favor4 ,forcing the workers to strain their necks1 backs1 and eyes is hardly the road to higher productivity and profit4 ,it would have cost several thousand dollars at the very most to change the lighting4 ,corporate bureaucracy may or may not have allowed the workers to be consulted in selection of the terminals1 but there is no reason--other than a misdirected passion for discipline and order--why the company couldn't have let ,joan change the level of her screen4 ,joan's experiences are a good argument for the ,canary-in-the-,mine ,theory of ,labor ,relations4 ,in the days before electronic gas detectors1 coal miners carried canaries into the pits4 ,the birds' lungs were more sensitive than theirs to poisonous fumes4 ,and watching the canaries1 many a miner saved himself and others4 ,novelist ,kurt ,vonnegut1 ,jr41 used the canary-in-the-mine parallel to describe artists and writers serving as an early-warning system to call attention to social ills4 ,and workers like ,joan1 8troublemakers10 are your canaries4 ,you may not agree with them1 and you may aggressively fight them1 but before making up your mind1 at least listen to them4 ,they can anticipate the concerns of less vocal workers scared of losing their jobs4 8,well10 you ask18what about my authority as a manager8 ,you knuckle under to the troublemakers once1 they'll come at you again and again40 ,confident executives1 however1 will avoid this misplaced machismo4 ,they will assert their authority more productively1 letting workers have a voice in working conditions but1 in return1 demanding good1 steady production1 which1 after all1 is the bottom line4 ,when your stockholders receive dividends1 how many will think1 ,what slobs--their ,v,d,ts don't even line up at the same level6 ,ideally1 of course1 your people won't have to prop up their machines at all1 because they'll have helped you choose easily adjustable screens and other equipment4 8,when ,i help design new computer systems10 says ,robert ,waters1 an ergonomics specialist with a background in psychology1 8,i try to find out who'll be using them4 ,then1 if possible1 ,i'll seek out their opinions4 8,if you do that1 people won't feel so threatened4 ,it will be their equipment1 too1 not just the company's4 ,they won't think1 ,i don't like it1 it's bad for me40 ,richard ,koffler1 editor-publisher of the ,ergonomics ,newsletter1 also recommends giving the worker a voice in equipment selection3 8,if you can do it1 try it4 ,they'll tell themselves1 #8,i wouldn't want to look like a fool because ,i chose something that wasn't good4'0 ,in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 ,richard ,g4 ,barry1 now senior advisor for management systems at the ,world ,bank1 has successfully let employees help pick some of the computer gear the bank was using4 ,barry didn't set out to experiment4 ,he just decided that giving the workers a strong voice would be the most logical way4 ,it happened1 among other places1 in the offices of the ,eastern ,african region at the bank's ,d4,c4 headquarters4 8,we had a few word-processing machines10 ,barry said1 8and there were a few word-processing centers around the bank where we could go if we wanted something done1 but essentially we were starting out from zero40 ,the office included two hundred professionals and one hundred secretaries and other clerical workers1 and ,barry's task force represented them in several ways4 ,one was by job function2 lending officers were there as well as those overseeing the existing projects4 ,people also came from different parts of the office's bureaucracy1 from different countries1 and1 obviously1 from different job levels--everyone from secretaries to division chiefs4 ,barry didn't go out of his way to pamper clerical workers in particular4 ,he simply felt that like any other bank employees1 they should decide what tools they needed to get the job done4 ,secretaries1 far from being anticomputer1 asked for equipment to reduce repetitive typing4 ,managers sought fast word processing1 in different languages1 which complicated keyboard requirements4 ,the secretaries themselves wanted terminals with whose keyboards and screens they'd be happy4 ,in a microcomputer installation without separate terminals1 of course1 there may be less choice4 ,it took a year for the task force to line up the equipment1 and wisely the actual equipment shopping came last4 ,instead1 the task force focused on what characteristics it wanted the gear to have4 ,then it learned what was available--how products compared to the ideal system within budget4 ,as a result1 the ,eastern ,african region ended up with good1 sharp computer screens1 ergonomic furniture from the very start1 and a lighting system fit for computer work4 ,and ,barry says the teamwork helped promote 444 444 ,good ,job ,design ,a friend of mine1 a mid-level manager1 was almost salivating over the economies of computerized word processing4 8,you know what ,i'd do80 he said of an office where he'd worked4 8,i'd take out just about all the secretaries and dump them into a central office4 ,i'd reduce their salaries4 ,they'd be doing less demanding work and should be paid less40 ,he wasn't an ogre4 ,he was reflecting the thinking of a good many modern managers4 ,it makes sense1 doesn't it1 turning offices into factories1 which1 indeed1 might run twenty-four hours a day1 to make the best use of equipment8 ,well1 not quite4 ,in fact1 not at all4 ,nor should you try obnoxious gimmicks like computerized pacing4 ,they're all threats to good job design1 which is nothing more than sensibly deciding what each job includes and how the employee does it4 ,consider typing pools--er1 centralized word-processing operations4 ,if not pass1 they at least deserve to be2 most1 anyway4 ,employees' salaries keep rising1 even with slowed-down inflation1 while the price of computers is falling4 ,by the end of this decade an average worker's salary may exceed #bj1jjj annually4 ,and yet micros and dedicated word processors will easily cost less than several thousand dollars4 ,even now1 for a typical business1 ,barry says1 centralized word processing simply doesn't pay2 it tears the employee away from his or her boss and harms the managers' own work4 ,executives must vie with other offices of a company for the word processors' time4 ,they can't effortlessly set their own priorities4 ,and quality is more of a problem1 too1 because1 as ,barry notes1 8someone in centralized word processing won't normally get hell for not catching an error4 ,i expect my secretary to challenge anything she's not certain about4 ,for instance1 my secretary will come in and say1 #8,you left such-and-such person off the list of people receiving the memo4' ,which matters4 ,often who a memo goes to matters as much as what's in the memo40 ,and what about the question of knowing which calls to put through to the boss8 ,around the time ,barry and ,i talked1 he was obsessed with a paper projecting the ,world ,bank's office needs for the next twenty-five years4 ,he didn't have to tell his secretary of the importance of any call about the paper4 ,she knew4 ,for she'd been helping him put it together4 8,it isn't a question anymore of the efficient use of the machines10 ,barry says in recommending the traditional secretary over the pool arrangement4 8,it's effective use of the people4 ,it's like the phone4 ,even if people use the phone just twice a day for business1 we still give them their own4 ,we don't put all the phones in one room1 do we80 ,you may disagree with ,barry and still insist that central word processing is the most efficient use of both equipment and people2 and maybe your company's size1 economics1 or policy will allow nothing else4 ,but if so1 be prepared for more job complaints4 ,shut off from the outside world1 perhaps in a windowless1 poorly ventilated room1 the pool members may feel like ,dickensian factory hands4 ,and the claustrophobia may not just be physical4 ,with no one around but others in drudge jobs and their immediate supervisors1 the workers feel cut off from chances for advancement4 ,they become obsessed with their immediate surroundings and may be more apt to notice shortcomings of their equipment4 8,you look at studies of typing pools10 says ,waters1 8and you'll find they may actually get in the way of productivity4 ,more workers hate their jobs1 and they're more likely to dislike their equipment1 feel backaches1 other pains40 ,he says that sick leave1 deservedly or not1 may increase4 ,a gray-haired word processor in ,manhattan said she disliked even 8clusters10 which were smaller and presumably more pleasant than a giant typing pool in a back room4 ,she missed the 8pretty cozy relationship0 she enjoyed as secretary to one executive4#ce ,footnote #ce3 ,the material on the ,manhattan word processor comes from ,barbara ,garson's article in ,mother ,jones magazine1 ,july #aiha1 p4 #cb4 8,he might send me uptown to return a blouse that didn't fit his wife4 ,so he couldn't very well tell me not to make personal calls4 ,not that ,i stayed on the phone all day4 ,my job was to get his work out1 which included staying late if ,i had to4 ,he appreciated me4 ,and ,i expected to stay with him till he retired40 ,responding to consultants' recommendations1 however1 her company one day offered her three choices4 ,she could work as a mere administrative assistant1 join a word-processing operation1 or quit4 ,so she forsook the familiar typewriter for a ,wang4 8,ah10 she reflected1 8when ,i think of those years of correction tape1 white-out1 retyping60 ,then1 continuing her remarks to writer ,barbara ,garson1 she added3 8,i want you to take this down3 ,i love my ,wang4 ,it's not the machine that gave me the shaft40 ,what1 then1 did8 8,straight typing1 seven hours a day10 said the word processor4 8,that's the shaft40 ,like ,barry1 she criticized the quality of work from word-processing pools--or the lack of it4 8,the worst thing10 she said1 8is when things come by me with wrong spelling1 wrong information4 ,sometimes ,i think ,i should correct it4 ,i did at first4 ,but that's not how they judge me40 ,it's by the number of keystrokes4 8,so why should ,i take time to correct their work8 ,and why should ,i stay two minutes past lunch if they're timing me that way80 ,michael ,smith1 however1 makes a good case for careful1 sensitive monitoring4 8,management would be foolish10 he said1 8if they didn't monitor performance4 ,it's what you do with the monitoring that counts4 ,if you use it in a negative way1 that hurts performance4 ,it might improve it for a minute or a half hour while you were watching them1 but it might hurt in the long run40 ,he recommends1 instead1 systems that give the workers themselves 8direct1 immediate feedback4 ,the faster the better40 ,joan's old insurance company1 shortly after she left in #aihb1 started a monitoring system in offices across the country4 ,some of her ex-colleagues found it more palatable than a simple keystroke count4 ,every six months it adjusted their job levels and salaries4 ,and production--the number of health claims processed--was just #cj percent in the formula4 ,accuracy was another #cj4 ,the remainder of the formula plugged in attendance and supervisors' observations on job knowledge and the quality of correspondence4 ,the employees weren't just at the mercy of a machine4 8,it's a more equitable system10 said a claims processor whose salary leaped from #bbj to more than #bhj a week4 ,still1 the union claimed that most members weren't so well disposed to the new system4 ,that may or may not have been true4 ,just the same1 the claims processor qualified her own enthusiasm4 ,she wanted faster feedback from the monitoring4 8,it would be constructive10 she said1 8if we got it at the end of the day or even weekly40 ,the woman1 too1 hoped to know the exact math behind the salary system3 8,i've asked my manager a number of times4 ,she said1 #8,you wouldn't understand it4' ,i said1 #8,tell it to me1 and ,i will understand it4#80 ,big questions persisted4 ,was the insurance company1 for instance1 really crediting her extra for writing letters to doctors who haven't submitted diagnoses with claims8 ,the company told her that it was--that it still paid to handle such cases4 ,but she wasn't so sure4 ,management1 she claimed1 had lied on other matters4 ,another worker said the company did not audit enough forms to discourage slipshod work from high producers4 ,even in its first few weeks1 with the normal start-up wrinkles1 the system did show some promise4 ,production was dramatically up4 8,if ,i was a manager and my job was to get the maximum amount of work out of an employee10 said a claims processor1 a union member1 8yeah--in that position ,i'd use it40 ,but she worried1 justifiably1 about her own future4 8,maybe a person has been producing ninety claims a day4 ,how much more can they push them8 ,they can't push them past a hundred1 so what else is there for them to do8 8,there aren't many promotion opportunities here because supervisors have been here for years and years10 she said4 ,and she wondered3 ,what about turnover8 ,it was winter #aihb4 ,a depression or near depression was in full swing4 ,would the system have worked well in normal times8 ,moreover1 how much of a trade-off existed between the claims processors' productivity and health8 ,,niosh studied #acj occupations in the #aigjs and found that clerical workers were second highest in illnesses like coronary heart disease4 ,also1 many of the women in ,joan's former insurance office had children and blue-collar husbands1 and a ,massachusetts study showed that women in such families suffered nearly double the heart-disease rate of their husbands4 ,and in ,joan's office1 did health insurance claims--for her coworkers' own ills--cancel out some of the productivity increases8 ,moreover1 how about the moral issue8 ,suppose the monitoring system taxes the employees' health for short-term gains2 isn't it almost the same as if the company were belching carcinogens into the air8 ,if you're working in a low-level clerical job without control over your fate1 you're a good heart-attack candidate1 according to ,r4 ,a4 ,karasek1 a professor at the ,department of ,industrial ,engineering and ,operations ,research at ,columbia ,university4#cf ,he cites studies showing that people in 8strain occupations0 may show twice as much 8definite and suspected myocardial infarction and angina pectoris40 ,footnote #cf3 ,see 8,job ,decision ,latitude1 ,job ,design1 and ,coronary ,heart ,disease10 by ,r4 ,a4 ,karasek1 who participated in a #aiha ,purdue ,university conference on job stress4 ,the ,karasek findings appeared on pages #dh-ee of ,machine ,pacing and ,occupation ,stress1 a book published in #aiha by ,taylor ,francis ,limited1 ,london4 ,in ,karasek's words1 8,job-design strategies advocating limited skill usage and decision authority for the majority of the workforce appear to be associated with a host of undesirable1 unintended consequences ranging from skill under-utilization 7and consequent productivity loss7 to increased risk of coronary heart disease40 ,computerized pacing can increase the stress and health risks4 ,smith says it's rarely if ever the answer in white-collar work1 not even mail sorting--nothing 8involving letters1 letters1 and so on4 ,it doesn't improve efficiency because there are a lot of errors40 ,pacing isn't just monitoring1 after all4 ,the work is electronically moving past the worker as if it's on a factory conveyer belt4 ,think of all the lemons ,detroit put on the road in its eagerness for new production records4 8,with older workers the error rate isn't as high10 ,smith says of white-collar jobs paced by machines4 8,maybe it has to do with the nervousness of young people4 ,older workers always report more job satisfaction4 ,they become used to the drudgery4 ,it's a hell of a way to put it1 but that's what happens40 ,not that many older workers love machine pacing1 either4 ,so1 in a large1 factorylike office1 what's a happy compromise between lax discipline and mechanized martinets8 ,you might try participatory monitoring4 ,hear employees' suggestions for a fair monitoring system4 ,you needn't agree4 ,just listen4 ,your people may know of complications you wouldn't consider in arriving at your production goals2 and you may also get a better inkling of how long it will take for people and machines to adjust to each other4 ,also1 setting goals1 keep remembering that tasks vary4 ,don't let your monitoring system penalize people1 for instance1 who fill out forms more complicated than other workers#84 ,keep your commitment to quality4 ,be willing to give employees some time away from arduous work at the tube4 ,it's a good way to reduce expensive errors4 ,and tube breaks might not cost you that much in the end4 ,can you1 for instance1 design your people's jobs to use them fully while limiting their time in front of the screens8 ,maybe you can't4 ,perhaps1 with thorough computerization1 there aren't many off-line jobs left4 ,but try4 ,maybe1 for instance1 some data-entry clerks1 showing high motivation1 can work part time in low-level telephone sales4 ,the clerks won't feel so trapped2 and you may discover some top-flight talent4 ,ask your employees for their ideas4 ,who says every tube break absolutely has to be a work break8 ,plan1 however1 for breaks of one kind or another4 ,,niosh favors breaks 8of at least fifteen minutes every two hours0 for moderately heavy terminal work and the same breaks every hour for workers in the most demanding1 repetitive tasks4 ,a ,british labor group even suggests structuring the workday so that people spend no more than half of it at the terminal4 ,you might chafe under those restrictions--many ,american companies would--but don't scoff at your own people's ideas on breaks as long as they do the work4 ,here again1 think about the ,canary-in-the-,mine ,theory of ,labor ,relations2 do not tune out the complainers3 do not misplace machismo4 ,terminal ,happiness ,in the ,dark ,ages1 the pre-,,vdt days of newspapering1 ,i worked on a rickety manual typewriter4 ,how ,i envied ,darlene at the desk behind me6 ,i was a reporter-feature writer1 while she was stuck with grinding out ,,tv listings and obits2 but ,irving ,leibowitz1 the editor1 had favored her with a ,selectric1 and ,i demanded to know why4 8,well10 ,leibo said1 8she's a neater typist40 ,it mattered4 ,darlene would feed her ,selectric copy to an optical character reader1 which helped convert the typing to newspaper print4 8,there's another reason1 too10 he said4 8,what80 8,darlene has a lousier job than you do10 said ,leibo1 himself a manual typewriter user1 8and just as much typing to do4 ,in fact1 more40 ,budgeting for ,v,d,ts1 you might keep ,leibo's wisdom in mind4 ,he gave out the best equipment not to his higher-ranking people but to those who needed it the most4 ,i thought of ,leibo and ,darlene when ,i read of the ,grid ,compass executive computer and its original #aj1jjj price4 ,it might be a splendid machine1 but what a waste of money in many cases4 ,the money instead might go to buy the right screens and keyboards for subordinates4 ,so often the difference is just a few hundred dollars1 if it exists at all4 ,don't give your employees a say in the selection of equipment and then restrict their choices through unreasonable penny-pinching4 ,if you can't do it the right way immediately1 maybe you should wait before you computerize4 ,mind you1 no terminal or micro is going to be ergonomically perfect4 8,i'd flunk them all10 said ,waters1 and he started with the ,,dec ,,vt#ajj terminal he was using on his job at the time4 ,the display was plain1 old white on black1 not the best ergonomically1 and it was too dim for many offices4 ,fortunately1 the lighting in his room was subdued4 ,the terminal1 however1 had other shortcomings--for instance1 the lack of simple knobs to adjust the screen's brightness and contrast4 ,waters instead had to control them with a series of keystrokes that he was always forgetting4 ,his loudest groans1 though1 were over the numbers pad to the right of the keyboard4 8,i count #a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i10 ,waters said4 8,i don't want anything where ,i count #g-h-i-d-e-f-a-b-c40 ,that's how his numbers pad was2 that's how my machine's is2 that's in fact how most computer pads are4 8,well10 ,i asked1 8isn't that just like a calculator's80 8,but10 said ,waters1 8isn't it a little confusing to switch back and forth between that arrangement and the numbers of a telephone8 ,which are in the normal numerical order40#cg ,footnote #cg3 ,before ,bell adopted the standard touch-phone numbers pad1 it did a study showing the superiority of the #a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i arrangement4 ,the study had strong financial motivations4 ,after all1 the more wrong numbers people dialed1 the greater would be the cost to the phone company1 since ,bell at the time probably wasn't charging anyone for wrong numbers4 ,you may disagree with ,waters1 but his message comes through4 ,even ergonomics experts can't always end up in front of the terminal of their dreams4 ,what you and your people want1 however1 is a sensible compromise4 ,ideally1 rather than simply seeking the biggest discount through the most massive purchase1 you'll remember that different people need different terminals4 ,you may in fact save money that way4 ,an executive who hates to type1 for instance1 and who doesn't have to1 won't need the same keyboard as a data-entry clerk4 ,it still should be a good board in case he changes his mind1 but it needn't be the most expensive4 ,with a ,world ,bank-style selection committee1 you'll be more sensitive to the needs of different offices1 different levels of employee4 ,encourage some committee members to spend at least two or three hours with the equipment you're planning to buy2 they may change their minds later--but that's better than no tryout at all4 ,testing my ,kaypro at dealers1 ,i wrote test letters1 composed sample articles1 and tried as closely as ,i could to duplicate my routine4 ,impressed by the low price of the ,osborne #a1 ,i gave the little keyboard every benefit of the doubt4 ,and yet1 even after several hours1 ,i simply could not adjust4 8,just a matter of operator retraining0 was how one saleswoman put it after ,i complained that ,i kept hitting the return when ,i wanted a quote mark4 ,and yet ,i wasn't about to gamble #a1hjj on a machine with a keyboard ,i might forever hate4 ,ergonomically1 ,i had an advantage3 ,i was buying just for myself4 ,but a selection committee1 made up of different kinds of prospective users--clerks and executives alike--is the next best thing to a lone customer shopping with only himself in mind4 ,avoiding the ,,hal syndrome1 your committee should consider1 among other things1 the following3 ,,the ,,screen ,for heavy-duty viewing1 a terminal or computer should have at least a nine-inch screen and ideally a twelve incher4 ,i emphasize the words 8heavy-duty40 ,an executive using a terminal half an hour a week obviously has needs different from a clerk doing tedious data-entry work most of the day4 ,even the executive1 however1 should have a screen big enough for unexpectedly long sessions in front of the tube4 ,on the other hand1 suppose a bank teller must view just a few columns of numbers every now and then2 he may never need a screen bigger than a few inches4 ,too large a screen1 in fact1 even in heavy-duty work1 may expose one to glary reflections4 ,size preferences can be quirky4 ,i'll make do for the moment with the ,kaypro's nine inches1 but ,i wouldn't mind a bigger screen2 another writer once said he'd like to hook up the same model to a twenty-one-inch monitor4 ,the next basic is the color4 ,the two sexes have somewhat different tastes4 ,men1 says ,john van ,raalte1 an ,,rca scientist1 are less sensitive to colors in the reddish-orange range than are women4 ,that doesn't mean1 however1 that1 as a rule1 women should automatically have reddish-orange monitors4 ,for men and women the optimum range of light sensitivity is usually amber or green4 ,comfort is high in those ranges1 too1 at least for most people4#ch ,footnote #ch3 ,for observations on the merits of various colors1 see ,ergonomic ,aspects of ,visual ,display ,terminals1 edited by ,etienne ,grandjean and ,e4 ,vigliani and published by ,taylor ,francis ,limited1 ,london1 #aihb4 ,amber screens are popular in ,europe1 where one study showed a lower error rate compared to green and other statistics said more users liked amber4 ,american computer magazines have breathlessly praised amber4 ,it's as if they were fashion publications thrilled by the latest from abroad4 ,but some ,u4,s4 experts question the controls in at least one proamber study--for example1 the number of volunteers1 fewer than two dozen4 ,and ,bruce ,rupp of ,,ibm points out that it's harder to produce a steady1 flickerless image with amber than with green4 ,what's more1 an executive with a company planning to sell amber terminals said screens of that color burned out faster than did green ones4 ,meanwhile1 ,,niosh says dark characters against a stable white background are especially promising2 and ,etienne ,grandjean1 a leading ergonomist with many admirers in the labor movement here and in ,europe1 agrees4 ,perhaps there's a less jarring transition when your eyes move between the screen and the printed material you may be working with4 ,it sounds logical enough1 and in fact that's what the ,macintosh and many other computers use4 ,that's also the display style ,i saw in the ,newspaper ,guild offices in ,washington4 8,do you see any flicker80 asked ,david ,eisen1 the guild's research director1 who1 in the labor movement1 is one of the best-informed people on ,v,d,ts4 ,i studied the white background4 8,the little lines10 ,i said1 8seem to be rolling into each other40#ci ,footnote #ci3 ,if you don't want lines on a ,,crt to seem to be rolling into each other when you#8re using a bright background1 you should worry about something called a refresh rate4 ,that's the number of times the picture 8repaints0 itself on the screen4 ,etienne ,grandjean1 the prominent ,swiss expert on ,v,d,ts1 recommends a rate of at least #hj cycles a second2 others say it needn't be so high4 ,the ,xerox #hfj's rate is #gj cycles1 according to ,david ,eisen1 and that's better than average4 ,still1 ,i noticed the roll1 anyway4 ,in a letter to me in ,january #aihc ,grandjean also recommended a slow phosphor for use with the white background4 ,that means the images would take longer to vanish from the screen than they would otherwise--reducing the perceived flicker4 ,the machine's regular operator also saw the roll but said the screen was comfortable1 anyway4 ,the ,guild machine1 moreover1 a ,xerox #hfj1 had the ability to revert to white letters against a black background1 which would have eliminated the rolling4 ,would that all screens be as versatile1 especially those used in many tasks or by people with different tastes4 ,no matter what the task1 however1 don't get caught up in terminal fashion4 ,stress the basics4 ,are the characters1 for instance1 shaped well8 ,how big8 ,at least 4#ab inch and preferably 4#af8 ,is the dot matrix at least seven by nine8 ,harry ,snyder at ,virginia ,polytechnic ,institute found that seven-by-nine matrixes produced 8significantly fewer errors0 than when subjects worked with those that were five-by-seven4 ,if you can't find the information in a machine's literature1 you might use a magnifying glass to count the number of dots making up the maximum widths and heights of the characters4 ,trying the large 8,n0 and several more letters on my ,kay pro1 ,i learned that dot matrix was a mere five by seven--the bare minimum for light use2 for a writer it could be better4 ,you might also back off twenty inches to see if the dots merge almost completely into the letters and numbers4 ,eisen suggests looking for flaws like 8flicker1 character blurring at the edges of the screen1 and adequate space between the characters and lines40#dj ,eisen obviously is looking at ,v,d,ts from the viewpoint of the union members4 ,but unionists' desire for comfort and ease of use often will overlap with employers' desire for maximum productivity4 ,woe unto the employer who doesn't take advantage of the overlap4 ,in fact1 ,eisen's observations here on keyboards and screens are within the ergonomics mainstream and shouldn't be dismissed because of his affiliations4 ,footnote #dj3 ,eisen's advice on ,v,d,ts can be found in the booklet ,humanizing the ,,vdt ,workplace3 ,a ,health ,manual for ,local ,officers and ,stewards1 published jointly by the ,newspaper ,guild and the ,international ,typographical ,union 7the price is #a4ej from the ,guild1 at #aabe #aeth ,st41 ,n4,w41 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 #bjjje74 8,the two things you must remember10 sums up ,waters1 8are legibility and comfort4 ,you may think at first that a five-by-seven matrix is fine4 ,but after six months your eyes may say1 #8,no1 ,no6'--and you may get headaches and feel you need new glasses4 ,actually1 you simply may need a better screen4 ,you've just got to consider how often1 long1 and intensely you'll be looking at the tube40 ,when shopping around1 you also should ask1 8,how many letters and numbers--how many columns--can fill the screen80 ,for word processing you'll normally want at least #hj columns across1 the standard4 ,some screens1 like that of the ,victor #ijjj microcomputer1 can display #acb1 which can be just the ticket for spreadsheet aficionados with the right software4 ,you'll also want to know if you can highlight selected parts of the screen1 for instance1 categories of information stashed away in the computer4 ,you might use reverse video--a light background and dark characters if your normal background is dark--to keep track of columns showing names and addresses4 ,not interested in phone numbers8 ,then those columns for the moment would be the normal light-dark combination4 ,in word processing1 reverse video could show you the blocks of texts that you planned to move or erase or underline4 ,two other amenities--more than amenities1 in fact--would be easily reachable and adjustable controls for changing brightness and contrast4 ,the ,kaypro lacks a contrast control1 much to my chagrin4 ,at least ,i can adjust brightness--a 8must0 normally and one still 8mustier0 for people using antiglare filters1 which reduce light from the screen4 ,keep thinking what you or others will most use the computer for4 ,color graphics8 ,fine4 ,but your multicolor monitor won't display characters as sharply as a black-and-white or monochrome screen would1 and the screens might lose their crispness faster and add to the eyestrain of heavy word processing4 ,one-color screens1 then1 would be best for typical writers and secretaries4 ,on the other hand1 if you're an executive or clerk working with many figures alongside each other1 the color monitor might help you and your eyes keep the numbers apart4 ,might4 ,some people may object to color except for graphics4 ,two kinds of color monitors are common4 ,the composite monitor is technically more like a home ,,tv than the ,,rgb or 8red_/green_/blue0 kind4 ,it's cheaper4 ,but colors blur into each other more than with the latter type4 ,whatever monitor you buy1 keep the screen clean4 ,and don't be surprised if1 in a year or so1 the characters start looking a little fuzzy4 ,harry ,snyder1 a leading expert on the ergonomics of monitors1 says the half-life of a tube in heavy use is normally about a year4 ,don't stint on replacements and jack up your people's error rates4 ,,the ,,keyboard ,remember ,raquel toiling at a keyboard attached to her computer8 ,maybe she's happy4 ,she may have a well-built back1 a graceful1 flexible neck1 wrists that don't quit1 or simply a body compatible with her machine and furniture4 ,but ,i still question the attached board for most people4 ,unless ,raquel spent many hours on the machine before buying it1 she might not have known if she'd be comfortable4 ,the more time you spend at a keyboard1 the more likely you#8ll end up with the right one4 ,test keyboards thoroughly4 ,if you#8re buying several dozen1 you or a staffer might spend a good three or four hours with the machine you're about to purchase4 ,a difference of just #aj percent or so in the number of keystrokes per hour per operator could mean thousands of dollars annually to your business4 ,even if you're buying a machine just for your own use1 you should still put in a good half hour checking out the keyboard4 ,that's true with any computer4 ,but the odds are stacked against you if you buy one with an attached board4 ,in ,norway1 in effect1 computer keyboards by law must be detachable1 and in ,germany official standards require them in most cases 7an exception exists for1 among other things1 limited-use portables with built-in screens and keyboards74#da ,increasingly1 union people here are raising the issue--and quite justifiably1 considering the feeling of most ergonomics experts4 ,detachable keyboards1 in fact1 were one of the issues over which a ,california union struck the local ,blue ,cross-,blue ,shield organization4 ,footnote #da3 ,the ,german requirement for detachable keyboards appears in paragraph #d4c4a of ,standard ,,zh#a_/fah of 8,safety ,regulations for ,display ,workplaces in the ,office ,sector10 as released by the ,trade ,cooperative ,association1 ,central ,office for ,accident ,prevention and ,industrial ,medicine4 8,well10 you ask1 8what about keyboards on infrequently used machines80 ,you might1 however1 end up using the keyboard more often than you expected4 ,so play it safe4 ,make all boards detachable4 ,it won't cost that much more4 ,also1 keep the cords at least four feet long4 ,and unstrap the keyboards from the ,v,d,ts in the first place--which sounds insultingly elementary1 except that ,i've heard of an absentminded company that1 until a labor dispute1 had forgotten to do so4 ,also1 don't let the best keyboards become status symbols in reverse4 ,a well-meaning but wrong executive on the ,west ,coast brags he does not have a terminal with even a good board4 ,he's a fast typist but thinks he could spend his time better giving dictation4 8,an executive typing10 he says1 8is like hiring a brain surgeon to give out pills for a sore throat4 ,if you're paying him #ej1jjj a year1 why should he do a #bj1jjj job two hours a day80 ,most executives would agree4 ,but this is rapidly changing2 more and more executives are tapping out spreadsheets and eventually will do their own word processing4 ,they may bat out rough drafts on computers or word processors1 then have secretaries whip the documents into shape electronically without having to retype all of them4 ,besides1 you can learn typing at any age4 ,and you needn't be an excellent typist for computers to help you2 indeed1 with mistakes easier to zap1 the worst typists will profit the most4 ,take a ,maryland architect-consultant named ,jess ,mc,ilvain4 ,before he got an ,,ibm ,,pc1 he just couldn't write or type at length--worrying that the result 8looked like the cat had walked over it40 ,two years later he was cranking out reports several hundred pages long4#db ,footnote #db3 ,the ,mc,ilvain example comes from ,,pc ,magazine1 ,may #bi1 #aihd4 ,the new breed of managers1 of course1 may feel at home on the keyboard from day one4 ,some colleges even now require students to buy computers1 many of which they'll almost certainly use for word processing4 ,what's more1 as you'll read in ,chapter #aa1 executive keyboards can ease the transition in the future to telecommuting4 ,so don't impose your own work habits on a junior executive with fast fingers4 ,why shouldn't he or she have a deluxe keyboard if it helps him serve your company better8 ,and you yourself shouldn't feel awkward with at least a good board for quick memos4 ,mysteriously1 ,,ibm forsook the ,selectric tradition in designing the keyboard of its original ,personal ,computer1 where the left shift key1 oddly1 isn't immediately next to the 8,z40 ,the deviation left some computer magazine editors flabbergasted4 ,companies even started making keyboards for the ,,pc--at several hundred dollars apiece--that retained the traditional layout4 8,they're not like normal keys10 my consultant friend ,michael ,canyes complained of the ones on the ,,pc itself4 8,they click on and off like switches4 8,a good key10 he said1 8gets stiffer as you press down4 ,but the ,,ibm's are either up or down40 ,some cynics have a theory4 ,maybe ,,ibm didn't want the ,,pc to steal too many customers away from the ,displaywriter costing several thousand dollars more4 ,yes1 keyboards are a matter of taste1 and unlike ,michael1 ,i can stomach the switchlike tactile feedback4 ,but the shift location is inexcusable4 ,,ibm in effect admitted its goof2 the ,,ibm ,,at1 a more powerful cousin of the ,,ibm ,,pc and ,,xt1 appeared with a much-improved keyboard4 ,at least the original ,,ibm ,,pc's keyboard surpassed that of the tiny1 chiclet keys on the first ,,pc,jrs4 ,reluctantly--after sales were flagging--,,ibm replaced the chiclet-style boards with more conventional ones4 ,pity us 8users40 ,even terminals intended for mainframes and minis can be turkeys4 ,i actually favor my ,kaypro board over a terminal--from ,digital ,equipment ,corporation--which ,waters once was using with a big mini at work4 ,blame the old-style programmers who didn't grow up with word processing4 8,most can't type like a secretary10 says ,canyes1 8so the manufacturers often skimp on the touch40 ,and isn't it strange8 ,you can buy an electric typewriter with adjustable touch for #bjj but not get it in a computer costing fifty times as much4 ,i asked ,david ,eisen why he hadn't raised the touch issue4 ,wouldn't bad keyboard matches hurt productivity8 8,that's more the companies' problem10 he said4 8,we're more worried about health40 ,he can't recall a flood of complaints from ,guild members about keyboards with the wrong touch4 ,union people1 however1 have talked about another change1 flat keyboards1 now popular in ,europe4 ,the tops of ,u4,s4 boards commonly slant at fifteen degrees4 ,and ,waters tells of an experiment where1 given the ability to change the angle1 most participants settled for the fifteen-degree one4 ,a caveat1 however1 is in order4 ,maybe the people ultimately would have done better with a flat board and plenty of practice on it4 ,perhaps you want an adjustable board4 ,but for me1 anyway1 it won't matter as much as touch4 ,another issue is the ,,qwerty keyboard versus the more modern layouts4 8,,qwerty0 means the first six letters found on the boards of nearly all ,american computers and typewriters4 ,it's a nineteenth-century legacy--a bad one4 ,the early typewriters couldn't keep up with the nimbler typists1 so the machines' designers thwarted the humans4 ,,qwerty isn't alphabetical1 it doesn't bring together commonly used letters like 8t10 8h10 and 8e10 nor does it use finger muscles properly4 ,the ,dvorak board and other latecomers should work better4 ,in practice1 though1 they might confuse typists1 so here's a solution4 ,let us old-fashioned people ,,qwerty away4 ,but think about buying machines you can switch over for people trained on more efficient layouts4 ,a program like ,smartkey--which electronically changes the keyboard--might be the answer if you also relabel keys on machines used by ,dvorak typists4 ,the ,apple ,,ii7c7 even has a switch on the top of the machine to go from ,,qwerty to ,dvorak4 ,some say the ,dvorak improvement is dramatic4 ,waters isn't so sure4 ,he says some studies have indicated that the ,dvorak board offers as little as a #e percent increase in speed and little reduction of errors4 8,so in the end10 says ,waters1 8most people in the industry have decided not to tinker with the key arrangement40 ,no matter how they're arranged1 your keys shouldn't be shiny2 a matte surface is good4 ,so are neutral colors rather than black and white1 except1 says ,eisen1 for function keys4 ,my ,kaypro sins4 ,its keys1 like those on ,digital ,equipment's ,,vt#ajj1 are a gleaming black1 which1 however1 doesn't matter that much to me1 since ,i can control my lighting and normally don't look down at the board when ,i'm typing4 7,some other ,kaypros have black matte keys47 ,function keys--the ones that let the operator delete a word or add a paragraph with a single touch--should ideally be a different color from the main keyboard's4 ,the same for number pads4 ,the function keys if possible should have labels indicating their purpose4 ,if not1 a chart near the function keys might show1 for instance1 that 8,p#a0 8,deletes ,word40 ,some people1 however1 say that function keys really slow you down1 that they make you take your fingers off the main keyboard4 ,i basically agree4 ,the same would hold true for the use of ,macintosh-style mice4 ,,special ,,ergonomic ,,features ,a dream ,,vdt tilts4 ,it swivels4 ,it can move up and down on a pedestal4 ,it helps you avoid back strain1 stiff necks1 glare1 and headaches4 ,it adjusts1 so you don't have to4 ,a good ,,vdt can help compensate somewhat if you lack 444 ,good ,furniture 8,people will adapt very nicely to automation10 an ,,ibm official once said1 8if their arms are broken1 and we're in the twisting stage now40 ,that was in #aige4 ,since then1 however1 in a literal way1 some computer makers have been gentler with people's arms--and wrists and backs4 ,a variety of good computer furniture exists now1 some in walnut1 some in formica4 ,with all the trimmings1 you can vary3 #a4 ,the heights of the keyboard and of the computer or terminal4 #b4 ,how far the keyboard platform protrudes from the platform on which the computer rests4 #c4 ,the tilt of the computer--a useful glare-reducing feature4 #d4 ,the angle at which the screen faces you4 ,you can swivel away to your heart's content to suit your posture or cut back on glare4 #e4 ,the height of your chair4 ,you don't of course need high-tech furniture to do that--just common sense4 ,for a computer operator1 says ,david ,eisen of the ,newspaper ,guild1 a straight-back chair can become 8a ticket to the orthopedic ward40 ,you might also shop for a palm rest and1 if you're short1 a leg rest4 ,an easellike copy holder could help as well4 ,and so can enough desk surface1 shelves1 or file cabinets for your paperwork4 ,why buy a detachable keyboard if you can't move it around because your desk is too cluttered8 ,jon ,ryburg1 an ergonomics expert with the ,facility ,management ,institute1 a ,michigan think tank owned by ,herman ,miller furniture1 says computer gear may take up as much as #dj percent of a desktop4 ,and yet does the space requirement for paperwork decline by that percentage8 ,hardly4 ,so unless you enjoy seeing chairs used as desks1 you'd better plan your furniture well4 ,not that all improvisation is bad1 especially if you're a professional or small businessman working at home4 ,my ,kaypro1 for instance1 rests atop an old carton from a toy store1 and ,i've bought some little gray legs1 the color of the case1 to tilt the screen back4 ,that takes care of my ergonomics4 ,of course1 my requirements in this case aren't the same as those of a company with dozens of ,,vdt users4 ,joan's old supervisor at the insurance company might scowl at this haywire1 but so far ,i'm comfortable4 ,i would be much less casual about buying furniture for others4 ,for example1 ,i'd make certain that the chairs and tables would be not just adjustable but easily so--and understandably so4 ,even an ,,ibm salesman couldn't puzzle out all the ways to adjust the ergonomic furniture on which a ,displaywriter sat4 ,despite such a flaw1 however1 special computer furniture isn't just a frill4 ,an ergonomic desk and chair might cost several hundred dollars more than an ordinary set--even a lesser-known brand may--but your furniture could be good for a decade4 ,and just a #e percent increase in a cleric's productivity may pay back the extra investment in less than two years4 ,at the least1 buy an adjustable chair and1 ideally1 a table of variable height4 8,a very short woman10 argues ,bob ,waters1 8may sit with her eyes almost a foot closer to the floor than a six-foot-two-inch man's40 ,the home-row keys on the keyboard--the row including the letters ,a1 ,s1 ,d1 and so on--could be twenty-nine or thirty inches above the floor in a typical case4#dc ,other measurements8 ,upper screen-eye distance3 #ag to #ai inches4 ,center of the screen3 #aj-bj degrees below the horizontal plane of the operator's eyes4 ,angle between upper and lower arms3 between #hj and #abj degrees4 ,wrist angle3 #aj degrees or less4 ,the keyboard is at or below elbow height1 and the table allows enough room for your legs4 ,footnote #dc3 ,the advice on keyboard height is from ,military ,standard #adgb;,c1 ,human ,engineering ,design ,criteria for ,military ,systems ,equipment and ,facilities1 published by the army in ,may #aiha and summarized in the ,july #aihb ,popular ,computing4 ,your goal1 of course1 isn't to make anyone fit the charts showing average distances4 ,it's just to keep people productive and comfortable4 ,above all1 when shopping around to do this1 be skeptical4 8,a lot of so-called ergonomic things10 says ,waters1 8aren't ergonomic at all40 ,he grimaces when he sees #cjj wooden tables with fixed-level platforms for computer monitors4 ,they're an expensive way to strain your neck4 8,the normal line of sight for human beings is fifteen degrees below horizontal10 ,waters says4 8,people normally look slightly down even when they hold their heads up40 ,needless to say1 you and your neck will come out ahead if1 using an old ,apple ,,ii1 you don't set the monitor atop disk drives resting on the computer4 ,ignore the ads showing this compact pile4 ,their purpose is to sell computers1 not save necks4 ,lighting ,bright fluorescents are to computer users' eyes what a drip1 drip1 drip1 is to the foreheads of ,chinese water-torture victims4 ,they're rude1 persistent distractions4 ,and as with the water torture1 the fluorescents' victims may be captives of sorts4 ,how many people can dictate the lighting in their companies' offices8 ,many4 ,but not all4 ,so the letters and numbers on their screens1 the facts they need to do their jobs1 may compete with the glare beamed off the glass4 ,what's more1 the culprit needn't be just the fluorescents that light so many ,american offices4 8,the window with sunshine streaming in may still be a psychologically gratifying link with the outside world10 says ,eisen1 8but it spells plain eyestrain and perhaps headache for every ,,vdt operator within range of the glare40 ,even brightly painted walls can sin here4 ,so can glossy paper4 ,in fact1 any paper is bad in one over-powering way4 ,the proper lighting level for paperwork is much higher than for computer work4 ,and yet most computer operators have yet to see the much-touted paperless office4 ,how do you keep eyes comfortable with both paper and computer screens8 ,here are some possible solutions to the lighting problem3 #a4 ,removing half the tubes from existing fluorescent fixtures4 ,you'll want1 however1 to make certain that some areas of the room aren't still overlit while others are light starved4 ,be skeptical4 ,this is the miser's solution4 ,if you can get away with it1 fine4 ,but don't count on it4 ,remember1 the women at the insurance company in ,new ,york say they still suffered glare afterward4 #b4 ,parabolic fluorescent fixtures with baffles to keep the light out of the places where it can cause glare4 #c4 ,parawedge louvers1 which1 according to ,eisen1 8have been particularly effective on a number of newspapers40 ,small plastic cells turn light downward1 so that1 ideally1 you can barely notice it at desks just a few feet from the one you're illuminating4 8,light should be cut off10 ,eisen suggests1 8outside a line emanating at a forty-five-degree angle from the fixture40 #d4 ,desk and floor lamps4 ,you might buy rheostats you can plug in between them and the outlet to adjust the light level4 ,and be careful otherwise4 ,shield your lamps so they don't glare off nearby computer screens4 ,properly used1 however1 they could be a godsend for people doing both computer work and paperwork4 #e4 ,indirect lighting4 ,the disadvantage is the expense4 ,you may have to repaint walls and ceilings and pay for a consultant to select the right tones4 ,moreover1 indirect lighting may be hard to install in rooms with ceilings lower than nine feet4 ,used well1 however1 this is one of the best solutions4 ,as a general rule1 think about a lighting level between #cjj and #ejj lux--between #cb and #ec footcandles4 ,a lux tells how much light is hitting a certain area1 and #i4e lux would equal #a footcandle4 ,for rough measurements you might borrow a good lightmeter from a photographer4 ,don't aim directly at the light4 ,sample1 instead1 desk and computer surfaces1 among others1 though not the screens themselves4 ,for more detailed measurements and advice1 hire a consultant or call your state labor department4 ,make certain you#8re in touch with the consulting rather than the enforcement branch4 ,yes1 any contact with officialdom has its risks4 ,but they're low here4 ,and you're strengthening your hand in labor relations by documenting your concern for your workers' eyes4 ,in fact1 before you place your order for lighting1 ask if your supplier can run a test in your office4 ,or can you at least visit offices using the product8 ,also1 all along1 worry about glare as well as lighting levels4 ,you might try the mirror test suggested by a veteran ergonomics expert4 ,place a mirror over the face of a computer screen4 ,then you can see where the glare is coming from--which window1 which lamp2 for all you know1 the source could be a brightly colored painting or a glassed-in print4 ,try to rid your office of glare instead of using a filter4 8,i believe in avoiding a broken arm rather than putting a splint on it afterward10 says ,harry ,snyder4 ,if you need a filter1 however1 here are possibilities3 #a4 ,coatings or etching applied during manufacture of the video displays4 ,they needn't harm the viewing quality noticeably4 #b4 ,coatings put on after manufacture4 ,generally1 but not always1 they don't work out4 #c4 8,colored plastic panels and etched faceplates10 which1 says ,eisen1 8have such damaging effect on brightness and clarity of the characters that they should be avoided40 #d4 ,micromesh filters1 favored by ,german ergonomists4 ,eisen says ,u4,s4 opinion of them 8is mixed4 ,they do a good job of reducing reflections1 but the mesh makes for a restricted viewing angle1 absorbs some of the light from the display1 and scatters some of the rest1 degrading the image40 #e4 ,polarizing filters4 ,they may reduce brightness and shorten tube life1 since you must crank up the tube to compensate2 at #ajj or more1 they are more expensive than the other add-ons4 ,but they give you a better image than other filters4 ,the contrast especially can be impressive4 ,noise ,reduction ,don't just buy the fastest1 the cheapest1 printer4 ,look for one with good manners toward the humans nearby--a quiet printer4 ,a daisy wheel can be a real offender4 ,what more can you expect of a machine with a metal hammer constantly striking away8 ,and dot-matrix printers often make a higher-pitched sound that mercilessly cuts through walls4 ,so ask your printer supplier for noise figures if you think this will be a problem4 ,military standards say that for work needing heavy concentration--in areas like libraries and conference rooms--the sound level must be no more than #de decibels on the d,b7,a7 scale1 which allows for sensitivity of the ear at various sound pitches4 ,otherwise1 aim for a level less than #fe decibels4 ,you may be able to rent the necessary meter from a scientific instrument store4 ,measure the sound from the distance someone's head would be when he was working4 ,here again1 you might ask the supplier for a look-see at an existing installation4 ,put your printers if necessary inside padded wooden boxes2 carpet2 drape walls2 install sound-muffling panels on ceilings and walls1 perhaps4 ,the less echoey and factorylike your office is1 the more productive it will be4 ,air ,conditioning1 ,heat1 ,and ,ventilation ,around the first week of ,january #aihc1 when ,time honored the computer as the 8,machine of the ,year10 a ,commerce ,department computer ungratefully stopped working and delayed the release of an important government report4 ,the reported cause was nothing more than a dehumidifier motor out of whack2 perhaps the room got too moist for the computer sensor4 ,if so1 ,i wasn't surprised4 ,computers and related machinery can sometimes be quirky about their surroundings4 ,my old ,anderson ,jacobson daisywheel printer1 later sold1 wouldn't run unless the room temperature was above fifty degrees4 ,since ,i was comfortable at seventy degrees1 ,i obliged the ,,aj4 ,in our attentiveness to machinery1 however1 let's not forget the people nearby4 8,you can see the heat wafting out the backs of our ,v,d,ts10 said a woman with the northeastern insurance office--and yet the firm didn't turn up the air conditioning4 8,what might happen10 said ,waters about a hot insurance office1 8is the overheated computers may go down and they'll pay out extra money1 anyway40 ,look inside a ,,vdt and you'll very likely find an orange glow in the neck of the tube4 ,the heat there may be no more than a light bulb's1 but on a hot day1 with more than one machine in the same room1 you'll want your air conditioning to be up to the job4 ,at the same time1 having a room too cool--even in just a few places--can harm productivity4 ,an employee in the insurance office said her coworkers1 when not using the terminals1 sometimes wore gloves4 ,as for bad ventilation1 it1 too1 can jinx production and add to sick leave1 and in recent years1 especially1 it's been a problem1 as companies tightened up their buildings to save energy4 ,people in high-paced jobs or those requiring concentration may suffer the most4 ,healthy ,honesty ,when ,laura ,moore was pregnant1 she neither smoked nor drank--not even coffee4 ,she did1 however1 operate a computer terminal for a telephone company in ,renton1 ,washington1 near ,seattle1 and she was one of three ,,vdt operators there with problem pregnancies within a year and one-half4#dd ,footnote #dd3 ,the facts of the ,renton1 ,washington case come from ,laurie ,garrett's ,national ,public ,radio interview with ,laura ,moore1 which aired ,august #ab1 #aihb4 ,laura ,moore1 after nineteen hours of labor1 gave birth to a son with a birth defect called spina bifida4 8,we didn't see it at first10 she said4 8,we saw a larger head and a foot that was a little odd and distorted4 ,but when the nurse picked him up1 then we saw this huge opening in his back1 which is a spina bifida40 ,laura was 8devastated4 ,just devastated4 ,we--,i went through a severe depression afterward40 ,moore is just one of many people worried about ,v,d,ts4 ,in ,massachusetts a pregnant journalist1 fearing radiation1 wore a leaded apron4 7,a leaded apron's weight on the mother might itself harm an unborn child47 ,at the ,new ,york ,times two young editors developed cataracts and filed for workers compensation1 blaming their computer screens4 8,we've heard of cases of everything from bad dreams of computers chasing people to psychic distress where people have attacks of depression10 says ,michael ,smith1 the ex-,,niosh man4 8,but it can't be linked specifically to the ,,vdt40 ,and yet ,,niosh as of this writing was continuing safety studies4 8,we might find that it has nothing to do with the video tubes10 ,smith says of problem pregnancies among terminal operators4 8,it could be part of the circuitry4444 ,it may be from job stress40 ,meanwhile1 proven problems--like eyestrain--bedevil men and women on the tube4 ,when #a1bcf secretaries and word processing-operators replied to a survey done for a major disk-maker1 almost #gj percent worried about potential health complication4 ,some #fc percent told of eyestrain1 and #cf percent reported backaches4 ,almost #hj percent wanted better lighting and more time to rest their eyes4 ,so1 regardless of how your equipment supplier vouches for your computers' safety1 keep two facts in mind3 #a4 ,there is a possibility1 extra-slim1 but still there1 that low-frequency radiation from computers can seriously threaten the health of workers like ,laura ,moore and their unborn children4 #b4 ,more minor physical and mental problems from computers definitely do exist4 ,you and your people1 however1 can either overcome them or at least live with them4 ,don't shrug the problems off4 ,if you do1 you'll only ruin your credibility when you and your employees discuss radiation and other possible hazards4 ,most people1 however1 accept the inevitability of computerization4 ,employees usually know you need your machines to keep up with your competitors4 ,so do unions4 ,they have computers of their own4 ,the major labor-management issues aren't over whether to computerize3 they're over how to be safe and humane about it4 ,and often1 by agreeing to requests like those for eye examinations1 you'll be helping your company along with the workers4 ,here is a summary of expert thinking about actual and possible health threats of computers3 ,,radiation ,could low-frequency radiation from ,v,d,ts indeed endanger the unborn8 ,or might it cause cataracts8 ,and what about x-rays8 ,a computer user sits much closer to the screen than most ,,tv-watchers do2 might this increase the danger8 ,after all1 a typical computer1 like a ,,tv1 uses a cathode ray tube with a high-voltage charge4 ,an electron gun fires these subatomic particles toward the phosphor coating on your screen4 ,toward you1 in other words4 ,wouldn't x-rays created by this process be dangerous8 ,well1 throw away your #ej lead-impregnated acrylic shield6 ,experts feel that x-ray are a nonissue here4 ,the x-rays aren't strong enough2 besides1 there's too much leaded glass in the computer screen itself for you to suffer harm4 ,i'd worry more about the chemicals in my typewriter cleaning fluid than about x-rays from my green screen4 ,then again1 some respected scientists wonder about low-frequency radiation given off by computer monitors4 ,until researchers can absolve computers of blame in cases like ,laura ,moore's1 the ,,vdt safety issue will remain legitimate4 8,the wild cards in the ,,vdt debate are the eleven clusters of problem pregnancies and miscarriages among women who work on or nearby ,v,d,ts10 says ,louis ,slesin1 editor of ,microwave ,news and publisher of the sister publication ,,vdt ,news4#de ,some computer industry spokesmen and federal officials think the clusters show up by chance4 ,slesin1 however1 while noting that the 8normal0 miscarriage rate in the ,u4,s4 is almost #bj percent1 says3 8,the incidence of birth defects is harder to account for40 ,and he says similar clusters haven't popped up among women tapping away on typewriters4 ,footnote #de3 ,the ,slesin quotes come from his article in ,columbia ,journalism ,review1 ,november #aihd4 ,the ,review correctly says ,slesin's newsletter 8has taken no sides in the ,,vdt story while keeping up with all relevant developments40 ,it appears monthly4 ,the ,microwave ,news's address is ,p4,o4 ,box #agii1 ,grand ,central ,station1 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 #ajafc4 ,subscriptions are #bjj a year4 ,,vdt ,news1 a bimonthly1 costs #db a year4 ,these clusters--found in widely scattered offices in the ,u4,s4 and ,canada--may result from causes other than radiation4 ,some ,,vdt operators feel less in control of their jobs than do traditional typists2 and a remote possibility exists that this additional stress could take its toll on the unborn children4 ,slesin says fear of ,v,d,ts may itself increase the stress--a ,catch-#bb if ever one existed4 ,seeking a definitive answer on the birth-defect and miscarriage questions1 ,,niosh in #aihd was planning a study of about #e1jjj pregnancies in a two-year period4 ,perhaps one-half of the women would use terminals4 ,and the study would tell if they had more miscarriages and children with birth defects than did the other mothers4 ,it would not pinpoint the cause1 however--justification for further study4 ,a possible culprit here is very low frequency 7,,vlf7 radiation from the flyback transformer4 ,the transformer whips the cathode ray tube's electron beams from one side to the other of the phosphor-coated screen1 then back again4 ,typically a flyback transformer gives off radiation pulses at the rate of about #af1jjj cycles a second1 far below the ,,am radio broadcast band--hence1 the term ,,vlf4 ,could pulses at this frequency have biological effects8 ,we don't know about ,,vlf4 ,but a ,spanish scientist named ,jose ,delgado says even very weak pulses of extremely low-frequency radiation 7,,elf71 the term for below #cjj cycles a second1 have damaged chick embryos4 ,some authorities question the 8,delgado effect02 still1 scientists in both the ,u4,s4 and ,europe are undertaking similar experiments4 ,trying to gauge the possible risks from ,,elf1 researchers may face certain technical complexities4 ,some scientists talk about 8windows0 of power and frequency4 ,just a slightly lower or higher frequency1 for instance1 might mean the difference between safety and danger for expectant mothers4 ,like it or not1 the jury is still out on the low frequency issue1 and some companies may want to protect themselves legally--just in case--by transferring pregnant women from ,v,d,ts4 ,ideally you'd coordinate this policy with those regarding maternity leaves and other health benefits2 then a woman would feel free to tell you immediately about her pregnancy instead of disguising it for as long as possible4 ,even if radio frequency radiation is a culprit1 there is some hope4 ,slesin notes that the flyback transformer is on the side or back of a computer monitor rather than in the front near the operator4 ,that isn't the best news for someone sitting near the flyback transformer of a coworker's machine1 but perhaps the ,,vlf threat isn't so great to someone without any other ,v,d,ts nearby4 8,with the right office layout10 says ,mark ,pinsky1 editor of ,,vdt ,news1 8you might be able to greatly reduce exposure to ,v,l,fs fields4 ,and obviously the risk to home computer users might be less without another machine around40 ,although ,v,d,ts have yet to be proven free of radiation risks1 please note that groups like #i to #e and the ,newspaper ,guild have been using at least a few computers in their offices for several years4 ,don't lie to your people that there's nothing to worry about2 do point out that the risks are low enough to justify computerization's benefits4 8,can computer screens cause cataracts80 some employees might also ask4 ,probably not4 ,a ,,niosh study at the ,baltimore ,sun found no greater number of cataracts among ,,vdt users than nonusers 7although the researchers noted that the employees on ,v,d,ts averaged less than four years at the tube--perhaps not long enough to suffer the cataracts74 ,to be sure1 strong microwave radiation indeed can lead to cataracts4 ,but ,v,d,ts don't give off microwaves1 and no one has suggested that ,,elf and ,,vlf are responsible for cataracts4 ,maybe there are other causes4 ,regardless1 a certain percentage of people1 some in their #cjs or even late #bjs1 will always develop cataracts--whether or not they work in front of a tube4 ,,back ,,and ,,muscular ,,problems ,they are common--because1 as mentioned earlier1 some terminals force you to choose between the best hand-keyboard distance and the optimal eye-screen one4 ,and for the most part1 the pains are avoidable4 ,etienne ,grandjean tells of a study in which #aa percent of fifty-three people on data-entry terminals suffered neck problems2 #ae percent1 shoulder troubles2 #ae percent1 problems in their right arms2 and #f percent1 problems in their right hands4 ,the study also included fifty-five people in traditional office work4 ,no more than #a percent suffered neck1 shoulder1 or right arm pains1 and none had problems with the right hand4 ,olov ,ostberg and ,ewa ,gunnarsson1 two other ,european ergonomics experts1 likewise documented the frequent muscular pains from computer-related jobs4 ,they found that almost two-thirds of some fairly young clerks with a ,scandinavian airline reported such problems4 ,in the ,united ,states1 ,,niosh1 in its #aiha report1 also said terminal users endured more muscular and skeletal pain4 ,the outrage is that it's unnecessary1 almost always1 now that ergonomic furniture and detachable keyboards are on the market4 ,don't blame your people for their pain4 ,buy truly ergonomic products4 ,and don't just buy for male executives or female typists1 especially in this age when more women are working4 ,,psychological ,,complaints ,,niosh's #aiha report observed that ,,vdt operators showed dramatically more anxiety and depression than people not on the tubes4 ,the researchers qualified their finding1 however4 ,they noted that many terminal operators were in jobs more routine than those of the non-,,vdt people1 increasing psychological problems4 ,could the machines themselves1 however1 have made some work more routine8 ,for me computers mean less typing and more writing4 ,for a data-entry clerk1 however1 they may mean becoming part of what ,grandjean calls 8a man-machine-system40 ,not all workers object4 ,some1 as ,grandjean says1 8are proud to be included in the new work of modern technology40 ,but most people would still favor the human touch1 with or without a computer4 8,the computer10 it's been said1 8is the ultimate unsupportive boss40 ,a ,cleveland office worker observed that another woman was 8fast as the wind0 on a computer keyboard after ten years at it4 8,but10 said the worker1 8it's really affected her personality4 ,i used to wonder if something was wrong--she had no exuberance4 ,once she said to me1 #8,rose1 as soon as ,i sit down at that machine in the morning1 ,i feel ,i'm going to cry4'0#df ,footnote #df3 ,the quote from the ,cleveland office worker and from the two examples immediately after it come from ,warning3 ,health ,hazards for ,office ,workers1 published in #aiha by the ,working ,women ,education ,fund1 #abbd ,huron ,rd41 ,cleveland1 ,ohio #ddaae4 8,you know10 said a worker at an accounting firm1 8when the boss brings new clients through the office to show them around1 he'll point right to me working at the word processor and say1 #8,here we have our wonderful new ,,lexitron1' and then move right on4 ,he doesn't bother to introduce me--just the machine60 ,mightn't he also have bragged about the operator8 ,can you dismiss her as a whiner8 ,is it any surprise that on most days the woman and two colleagues suffered headaches1 shaky hands1 jittery stomachs8 8,the place looks gorgeous10 said a worker1 8and that's where the management's priorities lie4 ,they're not really as interested in efficiency as they are in using people up and pushing them out the back door40 ,according to ,grandjean1 psychological reactions to computers will differ depending on3 ,the type of work4 ,the way the job is organized4 ,the way it is introduced4 ,various personal attitudes4 ,to his list ,i would add 8,surroundings40 ,a newspaper installed dark blue panels1 six feet high1 around some ,,vdt operators4 ,the dark blue may have cut down the glare1 but at a cost4 8,all we see is the walls around us10 lamented one1 8and sometimes the supervisor4 ,the isolation is terrible40 ,some employees might welcome isolation at times1 especially a chance to work at home2 but here management seems to have unwittingly created high-tech solitary cells4 ,,eyestrain 8,i wore glasses before ,i came in10 said a claims processor with the northeastern insurance office mentioned earlier1 8and now ,i need a stronger prescription4 ,and ,i can't even read a book anymore4 ,before ,i used to enjoy reading10 she told me1 8but now ,i can barely glance at newspapers40 ,many computer-ergonomics experts would scoff at the idea that the woman's work is blinding her4 ,no one has convincingly shown that the terminals cause a permanent deterioration in eyesight4 ,there is1 however1 some uncertainty4 8,we don't know10 said my ophthalmologist when ,i asked during an eye examination about long-term effects--and also when he prescribed new glasses4 ,most ergonomics experts would be more reassuring4 ,they would say1 for instance1 that1 first1 people's eyes weaken naturally as they age1 and you can't automatically blame the terminals4 ,second1 terminals place more demands on your eyes than reading does4 ,v,d,ts1 however1 don't permanently harm eyes1 according to a twelve-member panel of the prestigious ,national ,research ,council 7,,nrc7 which is connected with the ,national ,academies of ,science and ,engineering4 ,the ,,nrc study1 released in #aihc1 said no evidence existed that ,v,d,ts could cause 8anatomical or physiological damage 444 to the visual system40 ,the panel felt that the ,,vdt controversy should be a productivity issue rather than a health one4 ,at the very least1 however1 it's a comfort one4 ,harry ,snyder1 the ,virginia ,polytechnic ,institute expert1 in #aihc said that three-fifths of ,v,d,ts then on sale were not even reasonably comfortable4 ,just consider1 if nothing else1 the resultant productivity losses6 ,even if the computer isn't permanently blinding the northeastern claims processor1 it's in a sense shortening her life4 ,she has less time for the reading she loves4 ,presumably1 she would agree with the findings of a ,,niosh-sponsored study of ,san ,francisco clerical workers4 ,ninety-one percent of the ones on terminals reportedly complained of eyestrain1 while only #fj percent of the nonterminal users did4 ,how to reply to such complaints8 ,follow the lighting and glare suggestions outlined earlier and consider rest breaks or alternating ,,vdt and non-,,vdt tasks4 ,and educate your workers--ideally before you hire them4 ,let them know you're doing all you can to reduce the risks4 8,i have a selfish interest in this1 too1 you know10 you can tell them once they're working for you4 8,the lousier your eyes get1 the more errors you'll make4 ,which hurts me40 ,then hand them cards with a good ophthalmologist's name on it--or perhaps several possibilities--and say3 8,make an appointment4 ,we'll pay for it40 ,why should a company invest thousands or millions of dollars in computer maintenance without worrying about other work tools--employees' eyes8 ,have new employees' eyes checked in these ,,niosh-approved ways1 among others1 during thorough examinations3 #a4 ,refraction #b4 ,accommodation #c4 ,acuity #d4 ,color vision function #e4 ,degree of opacity of the lens #f4 ,the possibility of a detached retina ,yearly1 the doctor should test for refraction1 acuity1 and accommodation4 ,make sure your health insurance covers bifocals and other glasses that your employees wouldn't need except for your ,,crt4 ,c,r,ts3 ,should ,they ,go ,down the ,tube8 ,yes4 ,not immediately4 ,but sooner or later4 ,c,r,ts are harder on the eye than the better flat screens will eventually be1 and although scientists haven't proved that ,c,r,ts are a radiation threat1 the small possibility remains4 ,these bulky antiques1 however1 have been to the computer establishment what gas guzzlers were to ,detroit4 ,the ,,crt isn't the most promising kind of computer screen--just the most entrenched4#dg ,footnote #dg3 ,information on flat-screen displays comes from ,info,world1 ,may #g1 #aihd1 and other micro magazine articles2 the ,washington ,post of ,april #bi1 #aihd2 ,george ,weiss1 director of computer systems studies with ,quantum ,science ,corp41 ,new ,york2 and ,kenneth ,bosomworth1 president of ,international ,resource ,development1 ,inc41 a market-research firm in ,norwalk1 ,conn4 ,admittedly1 ,c,r,ts have improved to the point where some pocket-sized ,t,vs can use them4 ,but in compactness and low-power consumption1 ,c,r,ts will never rival the flat-screen displays4 8,people will begin using flat-screen portables as regular desktops10 a ,new ,york researcher correctly says4#dh ,flat-screen computers may not be as viewable now as the best ,,crt displays1 but this may quickly change4 ,what's more1 flat-screen machines don't hog desks as the ,kaypro ,,ii-style portables can4 ,after all1 the flat screens are essentially--flat4 ,they don't need hefty transformers1 moreover1 and don't burn out like old vacuum tubes4 ,c,r,ts are vacuum tubes4 ,low voltage is still another plus of most flat screens4 ,not that ,c,r,ts are normally a shock hazard1 but you'll presumably feel safer if you didn't sit near a #bj1jjj-volt gizmo flinging electrons around inside some glass4 ,footnote #dh3 ,the 8people will begin using0 quote is from a ,weiss interview with ,,usa ,today4 ,also1 as ,david ,la,grande1 an official with the ,communications ,workers of ,america notes1 flat screens may 8eliminate the radiation danger1 reduce the risks for pregnant women40 ,and unless you spray a flat display with radioactive material1 it just won't give you cancer4 ,again1 no one's proved that ,c,r,ts will turn people's bodies into tumor farms4 ,but why gamble8 ,your caution won't hurt labor relations4 ,flat screens1 also1 don't flicker tiresomely as many ,c,r,ts do1 and someday they may boast more fully formed images than those from the ,c,r,ts4 ,so you might make fewer errors reading material from the screen4 ,the word 8might0 is important4 ,many liquid-crystal displays--,,lcds1 like the wristwatch kind--showed much cruder images in #aihd than did typical ,c,r,ts4 ,the broken-up letters might bother you just like those from the cheap dot-matrix printers4 ,also1 some ,l,c,ds offered horrid contrast between the screen background and your typing4 ,that was as of late #aihd4 ,even cheap ,l,c,ds in the future could do away with the breakup and contrast problems4 ,already the ,japanese are selling color ,t,vs with ,l,c,ds4 ,perfected1 ,l,c,ds could make computerized offices brighter and cheerier4 ,they don't glow4 ,rather1 they reflect light1 just like paper1 so you needn't darken the office4 ,in fact1 light helps4#di ,footnote #di3 ,for a reminder of the advantages of ,l,c,ds in avoiding a dark office1 ,i'm grateful to ,bert ,vorchheimer1 a corporate communications specialist1 who1 as a sideline1 wrote some farsighted articles on office ergonomics4 ,and if ,l,c,ds don't fully pan out8 ,there's yet another choice--electropheretic screens1 which may offer decent contrast and even beat ,c,r,ts' sharpness4 ,here's the theory4 ,a magnetic charge pushes tiny particles to the surface of the screens1 and patterns of particles form images4 ,these gizmos will tax your battery less than some other flat-screen displays do4 ,and listen to this3 when you turn an electropheretic off1 it remembers4 ,the images on your screen don't vanish4 ,now1 combine that wrinkle with memory chips that use next to no power and can be running all the time4 ,and what do you have8 ,a computer that will automatically shut off without harm if you didn't tap a key after a certain stretch of time4 ,just like a calculator4 ,so--battery makers1 beware6 ,there are still other alternatives to ,c,r,ts4 ,one is the electroluminescent screen--used on the ,grid ,compass portable--which glows and is sharper than the ,,lcd4 ,electroluminescents in #aihd1 however1 were far too expensive for the average computer buyer2 the ,grid was selling for #d1bej1 and much of that was the cost of the display4 ,a second failing of electroluminescent screens is that they're electricity hungry4 ,you can't operate them with miniature batteries4 ,another ,,lcd alternative is the plasma panel1 which glows with a gas mixture consisting mainly of neon4 ,plasmas don't flicker4 ,the characters are sharp2 the contrast1 excellent4 ,but backup circuitry has been expensive2 and even small plasmas1 with the accompanying electronics1 cost several thousand dollars in #aihd--;a far cry from a #aej ,,crt monitor4 ,to sum up1 the main advantages of flat screens are their lightness1 low power consumption in most cases1 safety1 lack of flicker1 and very likely a better view in the long run4 ,as of late #aihd the trade-offs 7at least in the case of ,l,c,ds7 were3 ,the broken-up1 somewhat fuzzy letters and the low contrast between them and the background4 ,the need to have the display at just the right angle from you to get the sharpest picture4 ,this could get in the way if you were moving the ,,lcd to reduce glare4 ,the comparatively slow speed with which letters or numbers appeared on an ,,lcd after you've typed4 ,the general lack of full-sized #bd-line screens with #hj columns4 ,the ,data ,general portable debuted with #bd lines and a screen measuring #aa inches diagonally--a welcome exception1 even if the quality of the characters still wasn't good enough for heavy use4 ,since many flat screens were on portables1 there were other ergonomic problems not related to the display technology per se4 ,in late #aihd1 most flat-screen portables lacked detachable keyboards4 ,but the limitations of ,l,c,ds were the main problems4 ,a reporter friend1 banging out stories for his paper at times in the field1 told me he's survived the #dj-;column1 #h-line screen of the ,radio ,shack ,model #ajj very well4 ,but ,i'm not surprised4 ,he's also brooked that clunky ,select software1 which gets in the way of corrections and insertions4 ,gene1 you see1 apparently knows what he's going to write--he needn't watch the screen as much4 ,i wish ,i were as decisive4 ,at any rate1 what was right for ,gene wouldn't necessarily be right for a clerk who'll be at the keyboard seven or eight hours a day4 ,no matter what hardware and software you end up with1 don't lose sight of three goals1 among others3 #a4 ,getting the most work out of your people #b4 ,keeping them happy #c4 ,guarding your electronic files ,sometimes1 alas1 the easiest-to-use computers may be the ones most vulnerable to computer crime and loss of important information--the subjects of the next chapter4 ,backups3 ,,ix1 ,window ,shopping1 page #cdc4 ,x1 ,of ,mice and ,men--and ,touch ,pads1 ,touch ,screens ,etc41 page #cdf4 #aj ,jewels that ,blip ,the words have a nasty metallic ring1 as if to suggest helmeted policemen with black jackets and billy clubs4 ,watch out3 the 8data security0 troopers are at the front door4 ,but a small business on the ,east ,coast nowadays wishes it had enjoyed more 8data security40 ,a fire melted its computer disks into plastic globs4 ,the firm just missed bankruptcy after losing several hundred thousand dollars' worth of information--everything from accounts receivable to tax records4 ,scrambling to recover1 salesmen leaned on customers for copies of old bills4 ,arson8 ,maybe4 ,a disgruntled worker may have short-circuited some tangled wiring4 ,proof never came4 ,either way1 however1 the incident was a powerful argument for 8data security0--the right kind4 ,it's nothing more than trying to make sure that your computer and its information are safe4 ,this isn't to advocate overkill4 ,don't overprotect nonsecrets or facts that you can easily duplicate2 for instance1 instead of buying costly fireproof cabinets1 you might simply keep backup disks at another location--perhaps a more secure approach1 anyway4 ,why1 however1 do ,i say 8trying0 to make your computer and its information 8safe08 ,an ex-hacker1 ,ian 78,captain ,zap07 ,murphy1 now a computer security consultant1 wisely observes3 8,you're safe from average crooks--they don't envision a nice1 mild-mannered human being working at anything more than a souped-up typewriter4 ,but you can never1 never be able to #ajj percent secure a computer system4 ,even the most trusted user could say1 #8,f-- the damn payroll1' and destroy your records40 ,but in the best of all worlds1 your electronic files are safe1 accurate1 and if need be1 tamperproof and confidential4 ,the equipment is sound4 ,and so are you and others working with it4 ,you've shown good judgment4 ,you're ideally safe not only from crooks but also your own blunders4 ,you know you often can't keep paper copies of all your electronic jewels1 your treasured business files1 at least not without giving up the conveniences of computerization4 ,you have faith1 then1 that your green screen1 at your command1 will display the right blips4 ,i'm stretching the meaning of the word 8blips0 to emphasize the transitory nature of what you see on the screen4 ,without your stashing it away on a disk or otherwise--and without your making an electronic backup--it may be lost forever4 ,the unlucky owner of the ,east ,coast company will never see his blips again because he violated a major precept of data security4 ,he stored his original disks and his copies in the same room--the one with the fire4 8,the remark at all times in cases like this is #8,why didn't the dealer tell me8#80 says ,harold ,joseph ,highland1 a top computer crime consultant and author of ,protect ,your ,microcomputer ,system 7,john ,wiley ,sons1 #aihd74 ,a store can only sell you a computer1 not common sense4 ,nor can this chapter impart it to you4 ,it can1 however1 pound away at the elements of data security--people1 policies1 hardware1 and software4 ,they go together1 these four4 ,and so do the criminal and noncriminal parts of data security4 ,if you've lost control of your computer files and don't know what's normal1 you'll hardly notice the abnormal4 ,you'll never thwart a computerized embezzler1 for instance1 with a gun4 ,you will with good software4 ,buy it and errors in your electronic files may leap out at you4 ,may4 ,remember ,canyes's ,law of ,computing3 8,sooner or later you'll feel like killing yourself40 ,in other places ,i've written about good software and other mundane ways to make yourself less suicidal4 ,and here1 too1 you'll read of everyday calamities like coffee spilled on floppy disks4 ,but this is also the fun chapter1 the one with the stories about errant whiz kids and a computer crook who supposedly stole #h million and got away with it4 ,each of their sins met ,harold ,joseph ,highland's definition of a computer-related crime4 ,they were 8committed using a computer as a tool40 8,in other words10 explains ,highland1 who has taught computer science at the ,state ,university of ,new ,york1 8you use the computer to get to financial records4 ,or to get to software if you're illegally copying software40 ,estimates of the size of the threat have ranged from the double-digit millions up to over #e billion a year4 ,this uncertainty has sparked a feud between the icebergers and some computer makers4 ,highland is an iceberger4 ,he says that reported computer-related crimes are 8just the tip of the iceberg10 that the annual loot is at least #gej million and more likely reaches the billions4 ,another expert wrote a crime article livened up with a drawing of the ,titanic4 ,meanwhile1 the ,computer and ,business ,equipment ,manufacturers ,association pooh-poohs all but the more conservative estimates4 8,computer crime is not now1 never has been1 and never will be out of control10 an association official once said1 8unless security is completely ignored4 ,and that is not going to happen40 8,if that's your opinion1 sir10 counters ,captain ,zap1 the computer felon now working as a security consultant1 8why are fourteen-year-olds getting on defense networks8 ,and what about adult criminals doing their thing on banks80 ,also1 how about computer crimes against small business8 8,no one's going to find out why ,joe ,blow goes out of business10 says ,ken ,churbuck1 a ,new ,hampshire lawyer and former computer engineer1 who believes that electronic crime may be the downfall of many more small businessmen than supposed4 8,you think ,joe ,blow can afford an investigation8 ,you think anyone else wants to autopsy the corpse80 ,large business or small1 however1 don't swear off computers and buy quill pens for your accountants4 ,you may or may not get robbed electronically1 but you'll very possibly lose money if you cheat yourself of the benefits of computerization4 ,although computer crooks may be difficult quarry at times1 at least you can console yourself that they're normally not geniuses4 ,consider a story from ,highland4 ,the law caught up with one crook--presumably more knowledgeable about computers than banks--after he asked a teller to cash seven identically dated checks made out to him4 ,the embezzler had simply learned how to take advantage of a feature in the check-printing program4 ,it allowed checks to be reprinted in the event of mistakes2 only his stupidity offset this programming error4 8,you don't have to be knowledgeable10 ,highland says4 8,you can be an absolute idiot and try a computer-related crime40 ,some of the victims1 alas1 show their own streaks of navet4 ,one small business lost thousands of dollars to a bookkeeper who funneled it to relatives' firms via phony invoices4 ,such crimes happen with or without computers4 ,but the company begged for trouble here by retaining an accountant old-fashioned enough to have felt at home alongside ,scrooge and ,cratchitt4 ,computers baffled him but not the embezzler1 who knew of this vulnerability4 ,executives at big corporations needn't be smug about such grass-roots examples4 ,many large companies1 for instance1 have reduced the crooks' risks in computerized crime by auditing samples instead of everything--pulling one hundred checks1 perhaps1 out of a batch of four thousand4 ,the young man trying to cash his seven duplicates worked for a large ,west ,coast firm given to quick and dirty sampling2 just tote up the odds of catching him through an audit if he'd been smart enough to go to different banks4 ,ideally1 at least1 your system should flag quirks like the seven checks4 ,you can also complicate life for computer crooks by studying classic cases of the past4 ,mostly the criminals sinned with or against large computers4 ,and yet eternal truths linger on even in the micro-mini age4 ,in fact1 some mainframe cases may mean even more to the desktop crowd today1 with so many small computers hooked up as terminals on large systems4 ,you might also say giant machines are acquiring plenty of pygmy siblings--joined ,siamese style with them at the brains4 ,and the big and small machines aren't just wired together by phone or otherwise4 ,increasingly1 mainframes are sending electronic copies to micros outside data-processing departments4 ,what's more1 in power and capabilities1 the pygmies are matching some big ,i,b,ms and ,univacs of yore4 ,so whether you're using a #a1jjj ,apple or a #ajj1jjj mini1 you'll come out ahead knowing about the ,golden ,oldies of computer crime4 ,computer consultants1 especially ,donn ,parker1 a prominent expert with the ,,sri think tank in ,menlo ,park1 ,california1 have labeled various offenses4#ej ,footnote #ej3 ,the categories of computer-crime offenses1 together with many examples1 come from ,donn ,parker's ,computer ,security ,management1 published in #aiha by ,reston ,publishing ,company1 ,reston1 ,virginia4 ,another book for more information is ,parker's ,fighting ,computer ,crime1 published in #aihc by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons1 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 ,data ,diddling ,when a time-keeping clerk hoodwinked a railroad1 he committed the most tried-and-tested computer crime3 data diddling4 ,that's just jargon for fiddling with data before or during entry into the machine4 ,the culprit's duties included filling out time forms for three hundred employees1 and he learned that someone had shown a fit of absentmindedness in setting up a computer system storing pay and hour records4 ,the railroad put workers' names as well as their identification numbers into the computer4 ,but the machine used only the numbers to track down names and addresses to print on checks4 ,manually processing the forms1 however1 humans normally ignored the computer numbers4 ,they actually had the gall to think of the workers just by their names4 ,wheels turned in the clerk's head4 ,why not sneak in overtime pay by using other people's names on the paper forms but his own number for the myopic computer8 ,and so his income increased by several thousand dollars each year4#ea ,footnote #ea3 ,the example of the railroad clerk is from a report ,parker coauthored for the ,justice ,department1 8,computer ,crime3 ,criminal ,justice ,resource ,manual40 ,the clerk's end came only when an auditor by chance looked over ,w-#b forms and asked why the railroad had been so generous toward the man4 ,confronted1 the clerk confessed4 ,there's a moral here3 if you have a timekeeping and payroll system1 don't rely on ,,id numbers alone4 ,attach to them the first few letters of workers' names4 ,also1 include a cross-comparison of names and numbers in your auditing procedure4 ,today scattered terminals--or micros or minis used as them--make data diddling as tempting as ever4 ,a police officer in an eastern city told me criminals had walked into the offices of used-car lots1 sneaked in a few minutes on terminals there1 and altered financial records in a credit bureau's computer4 ,forget about the mystique of computer crime4 ,people have been diddling credit bureau files for years by changing or deleting paper records4 ,machines and lack of paper records in some cases just make their work easier and faster4 ,the ,trojan ,horse ,a comely woman at a ,new ,england firm was the victim of what might loosely be called a computerized sex crime4 8,she would be doing her electronic paperwork10 ,tracy ,kidder said in ,soul of a ,new ,machine1 8when suddenly everything would go haywire1 all her labor would be spoiled1 and on the screen of her cathode-ray tube would appear cold1 lascivious suggestions40 ,someone had electronically wheeled in a ,trojan horse--hidden unauthorized instructions in the computer's program4 ,the 8sex crime0 kept up daily for several weeks1 leading an executive to observe that the villain must have 8the mentality of an assassin40 ,it was unfair4 ,young computer whizzes at the company played horse pranks on each other all the time4 ,but this victim couldn't strike back4 ,gallantly1 the woman's bosses set electronic traps to learn from which terminal the masher was mashing4 ,the villain1 though1 was too nimble4 8,at one time10 said ,kidder1 8he made his escape by bringing to an abrupt halt the entire system on which most of the engineer departments relied40 ,finally1 one of the woman's protectors chatted casually with a suspect about the computer's wondrous vulnerabilities to pranks4 ,the obscenities and glitches stopped4 ,this ,trojan horse was just a prankster's1 but the company may have squandered thousands of dollars in human and computer time to kill it off4 ,consider1 too1 the company--,data ,general1 the mini maker that ,kidder admired4 ,imagine a serious saboteur wheeling his horse into the computer of a company without the same knowhow4 ,it happens4 ,donn ,parker says ,trojan horse tricks are 8the most common method in computer-based frauds and sabotage40 ,a horse1 in fact1 may have shown up in the first federally prosecuted computer crime in ,minneapolis in the #aifjs4 ,a programmer told an ,,ibm #adjd to drop an unflattering series of bytes about his personal checking account--overdrawn4 ,trojan horses are more of a mainframe and mini problem than a micro one4 ,normally1 professional programmers don't run desktop computers4 ,but as computer literacy spreads1 this might not matter so much1 and besides1 unsecured micros make such easy nuts to crack4 8,they're peanuts10 ,highland says1 8not butternuts40 ,most micro systems today lack electronic console logs--requiring operator ,,id numbers--that some bigger computers have to tell who did what on the machines4 ,in other words1 there's no audit trail4 ,john ,lewis1 an ,,fbi agent teaching a course on computer crime1 told me1 8,i can write a perfectly error-free payroll program on a micro1 load it in from a disk1 and run it4 ,but ,i modify one or two lines in there1 saying1 #8,when you find ,john ,lewis's name1 add #a1jjj to net pay4'0 ,you can even have the program zap the evidence immediately after the crime4 ,significantly1 too1 you can reprogram a micro in a fraction of the time you'd need on a mainframe4 ,and in the future the micros1 while retaining their ease of programming1 will develop more electronic nooks and crannies in which to hide horses4 ,and what about the micros already hooked in at times with the big computers or using down-loaded data from them8 ,if a saboteur or con man is giving fits to the giant machines1 then the pygmy machines may suffer along4 ,the ,salami ,trick ,you just can't make sense of your savings account statement4 ,no matter what you do1 it's a nickel off4 ,you don't1 however1 pursue the matter--not over five cents4 ,all over your city your fellow depositors are thinking similarly4 ,a computer crook1 meanwhile1 is growing rich4 ,the nickels1 dimes1 whatever1 add up4 ,he works at the bank and has programmed its computer to round interest downward1 for instance1 rather than upward4 ,the sliced-off money goes into a dummy account4 ,from hundreds of cheated customers1 maybe thousands1 he's amassing enough over the years for a new ,buick4 ,he may even have told the computer to steal prudently and not clip anyone more than twice a year4 ,it's the old salami trick1 an ,,mo of countless embezzlers inside and outside the computer world--ranging from pudgy1 fat-bottomed drones to glamour figures in ,hollywood and on ,wall ,street4 ,an amusing salami tale comes from ,thomas ,whiteside's brilliant ,new ,yorker series on computerized crime4 ,the name 8,zwanda0 did the crook in4 ,programming for a mail-order sales company1 he rounded down sales-commission accounts and diverted the loot to a dummy account for a 8,zwanda40 ,the 8,z0 name made sense4 ,the computer worked alphabetically1 and he could more easily guide the money to the end account4 8,the system10 ,whiteside says1 8worked perfectly for three years1 and then it failed--not because of a logical error on the culprit's part but because the company1 as a public-relations exercise1 decided to single out the holders of the first and last sales-commission accounts on its alphabetical list for ceremonial treatment4 8,thus1 ,zwanda was unmasked1 and his creator fired40 ,could ,zwandas show up in your company's microcomputer--not just mainframes8 ,perhaps4 ,it's no less likely than the micro case mentioned earlier in which the bookkeeper was paying bogus bills from his relatives' firms4 ,of course1 in the case of a micro1 the trouble probably will be not in the way the program is written but in how it's set4 ,most micros1 after all1 use off-the-shelf software4 ,superzapping ,it's named after the 8superzap0 program used on some large ,,ibm computers4 8,superzap0 is known among the pros as a break-glass program1 the kind you use in emergencies to change or divulge the computer's contents4 ,it can bypass all security controls4 ,you can also think of superzapping another way4 ,the computer is a high-rise building1 and this program is a master key to all the apartments or offices inside4 ,pity the building manager if a thief can counterfeit the key4 ,donn ,parker1 the source of those comparisons1 says a ,new ,jersey bank lost #abh1jjj to superzaps4 ,the crook was none other than the bank's manager of computer operations4 ,he first superzapped legitimately to change errors in accounts as his superiors asked4 ,the main program wasn't working--hence1 the superzapping4 ,the bank was upgrading its computer system1 the glitches kept piling up1 and the operations manager zapped again and again1 discovering the joys of ignoring the normal controls4 ,the usual electronic logs and journals just didn't show his actions4 ,so1 he decided1 why not zap away the barriers to shifting the money to the accounts of three friends8 ,the bank learned of the crime only after a customer saw that his own money wasn't adding up right4 ,superzaps like this1 of course1 are simply special breeds of ,trojan horses1 just as the salami tricks can be4 ,like the horses1 the zaps aren't so much a micro crime now4 ,they're more of a mini and mainframe one1 but watch out for the future when garden-variety crooks are more learned and micros are more like the bigger computers4 ,the ,trap-,door ,trick ,a trap door--or back door--normally is just a shortcut into the program1 bypassing the normal security systems1 meant as a debugging aid4 ,once the writers have a program up and running1 they should get rid of the door4 ,large programs are so complicated that programmers sometimes leave the doors in as an emergency way for them to get back in if the main passwords are lost or the computer 8hangs up40 ,david ,lightman1 the teenage hacker in the movie ,war,games1 used the trap-door ploy to penetrate a ,defense ,department computer and almost caused a nuclear ,armageddon4 ,in a real-life example mentioned by ,parker1 some automobile engineers in ,detroit called up a computer service bureau in ,florida1 found a trap door1 and could 8search uninhibitedly0 for privileged passwords4 8,they discovered the password of the president of the time-sharing company and were able to obtain copies of trade-secret computer programs that they proceeded to use free of charge40 ,the electronic thievery didn't stop until the company found out accidentally4 ,and it never learned how many other crooks were rummaging around inside the computer4 ,once again1 this form of crime isn't so much a worry for the desktop set as for those using bigger machines4 ,at least for now4 ,the ,logic ,bomb ,heard the old joke about the ,washington speech writer at odds with his boss8 ,it's a favorite story among journalists and other wordsmiths4 ,the aide was tired of drudge work for a dumb1 lazy but electable congressman who didn't even read the immortal prose ahead of time4 ,one day the politician1 a square-jawed1 movie-actorish man1 was mellifluously speaking on the ,house floor4 ,as usual1 he was fresh to the material4 ,but his rendition overwhelmed everyone1 from the pols to the pages1 to the tourists in the galleries4 ,he knew he was on his way to the ,white ,house4 ,with actorlike polish he intonated through the third page1 including the last sentence3 8,and now1 let the words ring out1 loud and clear1 to all corners of the earth--to our friends1 to our foes1 across every ocean1 every mountain4 ,you purblind piece of excrement1 ,i quit1 and you're on your own40 ,the fourth page1 of course1 was blank4 ,malicious programmers must nod and wink when they hear the story4 ,for the speech writer had just the right kind of temperament to hide a logic bomb--a computer glitch that explodes1 so to speak1 only under certain conditions4 ,the conditions in the ,washington joke were clear4 ,the congressman mustn't read the speech to himself beforehand--something inevitable4 ,he was dependably lazy4 ,nor must he understand the speech2 no problem1 certainly1 for he was dumb about everything all the time4 ,above all1 however1 if this bomb were to 8kill10 he must be embarrassable4 ,and that's why the bomb in a sense just maimed him--because1 like most politicians1 he never blushed4 ,in a real-life story told by ,parker1 a payroll programmer hid a bomb to erase the entire personnel file if he ever got fired--that is1 if his own name ever vanished from it4 ,simulation and ,modeling ,a crooked accountant embezzled a million dollars using simulation4 ,on his own computer he set up a mock version of the victim company's accounting and general ledger4 ,then he could figure out how his thefts would show up on the company's electronic books--and how to cover up the crime4 ,scavenging ,a ,texan ripped off oil companies through computerized scavenging4 ,he used a computer time-sharing service bureau1 the same one as the oil companies4 ,this thief read scratch tapes--temporary storage tapes without the safeguards protecting the main ones--by phone off the service's computer4 ,he was stealing secret seismic information to sell to the oilmen's competitors4 ,finally1 however1 the service bureau caught on4 ,a worker there had grown curious4 ,why did a red 8read0 light glow at bizarre times8 ,how come the customer was prowling through the tapes before entering his own data8 ,parker says a 8simple investigation0 ended the electronic scam4 ,scavenging can be physical1 too--nothing more complicated than rummaging through old trash barrels for printouts4 ,data ,leakage 8,hidden in the central processors of many computers used in the ,vietnam ,war10 ,parker says1 8were miniature radio transmitters capable of broadcasting the contents of the computers to a remote receiver4 8,they were discovered when the computers were returned to the ,united ,states from ,vietnam40 ,it was a data-leakage problem--defined by ,parker and other pros as the removal of data or copies of it from a computer or a computer center4 ,culprits can even smuggle out secrets by hiding them in apparently routine reports4 8,data leakage10 he says1 8might be conducted through use of ,trojan horse1 logic bomb1 and scavenging methods40 ,you don't have to be in the ,vietcong or ,,kgb1 of course1 to spy on a computer by radio4 ,today a smart snoop can walk casually into your computer area and leave behind a miniature transmitter--perhaps hooked up to the maze of wires that snake under the floor of many modern offices4 8,i could then find out everything that you were sending for a year10 says ,harold ,joseph ,highland1 8which is the life of the unit ,i could transmit with4 ,i could buy it for #i4ej from any of the large supply houses4 ,there's one more expensive that will transmit up to five miles away4 ,with the forty-buck one ,i can park across from the building and keep a tape recorder going40 ,wiretapping ,some say it's rare in the computer world4 ,the thinking goes1 ,there are easier ways to steal4 ,why tap when so often you can just call up your victim's computer and be greeted with a friendly electronic whine8 ,but don't count on wiretapping not existing4 ,your local radio store carries cheap equipment usable for tappers4 ,and electronic banking and new computer services will grow1 making wiretapping more tempting4 ,a security consultant1 ,j4 ,michael ,nye1 opened an unlocked closet of the second floor of an office building in ,hagerstown1 ,maryland1 and pointed to the telephone wires inside4 8,see these80 he asked me4 8,they're hooked up to a bank's computer4 ,if you wanted to change the amount of money in a deposit1 you could attach a portable computer and no one might be the wiser40 ,the wiretapping threat may increase because of the break-up of the ,bell system--as more and more repair people parade in and out of wire closets4 ,you might be able to get around the threat1 or at least reduce it1 by electronically scrambling the messages you transmit over the phone wires4 ,for the moment1 don't let fear of wiretapping obsess you unless1 say1 you're routinely transferring millions of dollars via computer4 ,piggybacking and ,impersonation ,it's bone cold outside1 the stranger looks harmless1 and you let him in as you unlock the doors of your apartment building one night4 ,the next day all the old ladies in the lobby are talking about a burglary4 ,you fret4 ,rightly4 ,you may have let a criminal succeed in piggybacking his way behind you into the building4 ,it's happening1 too1 in computer rooms1 which crooks use similar tricks to enter4 ,that's physical piggybacking4 ,the electronic kind1 rare1 can happen this way4 ,you punch in a password or key on your terminal and hook up with the computer1 unaware that the piggybacker has a hidden terminal connected to the same phone line4 ,perhaps you haven't signed off properly4 ,the computer keeps the connection going1 and the piggybacker 8rides0 on4 ,impersonation is what it sounds like1 and it can be physical or electronic4 ,leslie ,d4 ,ball1 a ,massachusetts consultant and college professor1 once illustrated computers' vulnerabilities to such tricks4 8,why is it more difficult to rob a bank of #b1ejj than to steal millions from its computer80 he asked1 and quickly answered the question4#eb ,footnote #eb3 ,all the ,ball quotes and paraphrases in this chapter are from ,technology ,review4 8,during a security consulting project at an ,atlantic ,city hotel10 ,ball said1 8,i spent the evening with an associate in the casino4 ,at about eleven p4m4 we headed for our rooms1 but the elevator stopped where the computer center was located1 and we decided to look around4 ,the door marked #8,computer ,center--,no ,admittance' was locked but had a bell beside it4 ,a computer operator opened the door when we rang1 letting us in without a word4 ,for the next ten minutes we wandered through the center without speaking to the operators on duty40 ,in effect1 by acting as if they belonged in the room1 ,ball and the associate were impersonating authorized people4 8,finally10 he recalled1 8we said1 #8,thank you' and left4 ,they were lucky we were not disgruntled heavy losers60 ,a real impersonator1 an ex-college professor named ,stanley ,mark ,rifkin1 passed himself off as a bank branch manager to steal #aj4b million4 ,he bought diamonds in ,switzerland4 ,the law caught up with him only because1 like many bright1 cocky computer crooks1 he bragged4 ,that wasn't all4 8,while awaiting trial10 ,ball says1 8he attempted a fifty-million-dollar transaction from another bank4 ,when apprehended1 ,rifkin told a reporter that he thought he finally had all the bugs worked out40 ,rifkin was just another example of an ordinary man using legally acquired skills to commit an illegal act4 ,however smart1 and despite his background as a computer science professor-consultant1 he was hardly a genius4 8,master criminal80 asked ,h4 ,michael ,snell1 a publisher who'd dealt with him4#ec 8,i could sooner imagine a smoking gun in the hands of ,winnie the ,pooh4 ,in fact1 ,stan resembled ,pooh ,bear3 short1 stocky1 paunchy from too much good food and wine1 a deeply receding hairline above an intelligent1 sloping forehead4 ,quiet1 unassuming1 not the kind of guy who'd stand out at a cocktail party40 ,rifkin was good at puzzles1 at problem solving1 but as ,snell and others agree1 that's true of all talented programmers4 ,you could say the same1 too1 of first-rate accountants and engineers4 ,rifkin's case made me think of ,hannah ,arendt's phrase about ,adolph ,eichmann1 applied not to the ,nazis but to garden-variety crooks within the computer field3 8the banality of evil40 ,footnote #ec3 ,the ,h4 ,michael ,snell quotes are from an article he published in ,computerworld4 ,rifkin's take happened to be larger than most4 ,but his mind-set was the same4 ,snell said1 8,he shared the dreams of many academics who feel blocked from great success and wealth1 and he loved #8get-rich-quick' stories1 such as a friend who struck gold in ,california real estate or the ,silicon ,valley's overnight millionaires40 ,greed1 however1 isn't the only motive4 8,people who like computers are games people10 ,john ,lewis1 the ,,fbi agent1 told me1 8and they like challenges4 ,it's #8me against the machine4' ,you give them a computer and say you can do anything but that1 and that's the first thing they're going to do4 ,you go back to the ,book of ,genesis in the ,bible where ,god said1 #8,you can do anything in the ,garden of ,eden but eat from that tree1' and what's the first thing people did80 ,we were in a windowless1 fluorescent-lit room at the ,,fbi ,academy in ,quantico1 ,virginia1 where ,lewis lectured on computer crime4 ,he looked at a fellow instructor1 a tall1 alert man who started out in the bureau not as an agent but as a programmer4 8,i've seen ,ken get ahold of material4 ,like this one program that said it couldn't be copied4 ,now he didn't care what the program did4 ,the first thing he did was copy it4 ,because they said he couldn't do it4 ,and he did it40 ,i thought of ,john and ,ken three weeks later when ,i picked up a copy of ,technology ,illustrated magazine4 ,a stranger in ,quantico1 ,virginia1 it seemed1 was dialing up the electronic bulletin boards on which computer pranksters sometimes left messages4 ,the bulletin boards were a form of electronic mail4 ,callers could write out their thoughts for friends or anyone checking up on the highest-numbered entries4 ,the mysterious computer dialer from ,quantico1 however1 would just read1 never send4 ,aware of the ,,fbi ,academy's location1 one of the pranksters posted a friendly suggestion on a board4 ,he invited the ,quantico caller to subscribe to the ,,tap newsletter--said to be 8to phone phreaks what the ,wall ,street ,journal is to stockbrokers40 ,,tap stands for a group named the ,technology ,assistance ,program1 a successor to ,youth ,international ,party ,line 7,,yipl71 whose own radical pedigree goes back to ,abbie ,hoffman's ,yippies4 8,al ,bell0 and ,hoffman started ,,yipl4 ,it was a high-tech display of ,hoffman's ,steal ,this ,book philosophy1 there being1 however1 a serious problem1 one shared by society at large4 ,the technocrats usurped the politicians4 ,they were1 reportedly1 8more interested in blue boxing ,ma ,bell than in pushing politics40 ,cheshire ,catalyst1 who was editing the ,,tap newsletter when ,i talked to him1 said1 8,you don't have to be a phone phreak to read us--but it helps40 ,lindsay ,l4 ,baird1 ,jr41 a tough1 no-nonsense consultant with famous corporate clients1 told me ,,tap was a serious threat4 8,they're now using micro systems to test the #hjj numbers methodically to see which ones have computers on them10 he said of some ,,tap people4 ,the corporate computers whine their strange mating call no matter who dials up1 saying electronically1 8,i am here1 ,i am a computer1 ,i am ready40 ,you might say they're like an unlocked1 unattended ,,bmw left with the motor running in ,new ,york ,city4 ,and ,baird claimed1 rightly or not1 that ,,tap has some political zealots mixed in with the technocrats and that they could indulge in large-scale computer zapping over the next few years4 ,the ,t,a,ppers' side was this3 they illegally logged on to networks like ,telenet and the feds' because they couldn't stand seeing expensive computer time go unused4 8,nobody wants to pool it as a computer utility and make it available to everyone because it would probably not make a profit10 groused 8,a4 ,ben ,dump0 in the newsletter4 ,cheshire portrayed ,,tap to ,high ,technology as basically just pranksters1 at least in his case4 8,good grief60 ,cheshire once ghost-wired to a ,telex machine2 8,i seem to have reached ,adelaide1 ,australia4 ,this is just a computer hacker in the ,united ,states out for a good time40 ,the ,t,a,ppers said they were against the ,bell bureaucracy1 not ,america at large1 and1 in fact1 censored an article submitted to their newsletter telling how to build an ,h-bomb4 8,among other things10 ,cheshire worried1 8anyone using that technology is going to take out the phone network40 ,i still wondered4 ,would ,,tap have printed the article if a way existed to ,h-bomb the countryside without toppling any microwave towers8 ,hacking3 ,an ,addiction to ,be 8,squelched08 ,with ,war,games-style break-ins in mind1 someone once called hacking an addiction to be squelched4 ,that's wrong4 ,hacking is more an addiction to be tamed4 ,the term 8hacking10 perhaps born at ,m4,i4,t41 just means someone who hacks away at computer problems until he solves them4 ,many hackers for some reason or another love ,chinese food4 ,sooner or later a computer-crime expert will link computer addiction to ,o,ding on monosodium glutamate4 ,cheshire ,catalyst is a prototypical hacker in many ways4 ,he's a thin1 bearded man in his twenties1 extrapolite1 who1 when ,i saw him1 was in ,washington for an aeronautics and space gathering and wore a ,space ,shuttle tie and an ,apple pin4 ,his nickname indeed came from the grinning1 vanishing cat in ,alice's ,adventures in ,wonderland4 ,proudly he told me how his clock ran counterclockwise4 ,cheshire said he hoped someday to meet another backward-clock buff1 ,grace ,hopper1 a distinguished military officer who helped give the world the ,,cobol computer language4 ,cheshire might find even more of a soulmate in ,steve ,wozniak1 the ,apple cofounder1 who is perhaps one of the world's leading hackers--in addition to having been a phone phreak in his time4 8,woz0 and a friend snooped on computers across ,america4 ,the friend was ,john ,drapper1 a bearded1 somewhat maniacal-looking man who earned the nickname ,cap'n ,crunch because he used prize whistles from cereal boxes to steal free long-distance calls by way of a tone at exactly the right frequency4 ,later1 ,crunch wrote the ,easy,writer word-processing program used on the ,apple and later the ,,ibm ,,pc4 ,on balance ,cheshire thinks that hackers do more good than harm4 8,let's say you have money in a bank10 he says4 8,wouldn't you rather that a hacker get into its computer than a criminal did8 ,he could warn the bank4 ,if ,i had money at a bank1 ,i'd feel safer with hackers checking out security40 ,well1 it depends4 ,some hackers are nothing more than electronic vandals4 ,some are a privacy threat2 they're doing the equivalent of spying on mail and tapping phones4 ,still1 talented hackers may become real assets to corporations4 ,they'll care infinitely more about your computer system--and all its quirks--than will programmers working nine to five for the money alone4 ,just a little oversimplistically it's been said that you can befriend a hacker merely by supplying a computer with enough ,,ram1 encouragement1 a long leash1 and lots of chow mein4 ,the ,t,a,ppers1 depending on your viewpoint1 came across in ,technology as reassuringly or distressingly middle class4 ,cheshire at the time of the article was teaching computer skills at a large corporation4 8,,vax-man0#ed worked as a computer programmer1 8,the ,librarian0 as a systems analyst1 and another was1 of all things1 a middle manager for a defense contractor2 indeed1 every member reportedly boasted a technical background4 ,most1 ,i suspect1 perhaps nearly all1 didn't see themselves as criminals4 ,footnote #ed3 ,presumably ,,vax-man chose his name with both the ,,vax minicomputer series and the ,pac-,man game in mind4 8,we're just an information service for the people10 said one4 ,well1 okay4 ,maybe it's good that if ,g-men want to bone up on the latest electronic tricks1 they need only log on to hackers' bulletin boards and read the ,,tap newsletter4 ,still1 how many crooks have the same idea8 ,,tap's another indication that for the criminally greedy the 8data cookie jar10 as it's been called1 is out there4 ,lindsay ,baird scoffs at computer trade associations' efforts to play down the problem4 ,and he fires back with statistics of his own4 8,i've worked on thirty-five or forty cases10 he says1 8and only one was reported to authorities40 ,the loot ranged from #dj1jjj to #bi million4 ,and ,baird1 dismayed that some computer criminals' sentences are more shoplifterlike than adequate1 jokes1 8,my wife tells me ,i ought to commit a crime40 8,the security problems with computing systems in the #aifjs was like a balloon deflated10 he says1 8and you could hold it in your hand4 ,but now it's like a huge balloon inflated4 ,or a big bowl of ,jell-,o4 8,you just can't handle it now1 and the manufacturers have got to be concerned40 ,of course you should remember that most corporate data are far from sensitive1 that only the most self-important executive would view everything as a national-security secret4 ,also1 ,baird is hardly hurting his bank account in sounding the computer-crime alarm4 ,still1 he's basically right in saying that computer buyers with sexy data of interest to thieves now may have three choices3 #a4 ,burden programmers and others with electronic versions of heavy padlocks4 #b4 ,keep their computer systems easy to use--and vulnerable4 78,then you're going to get raped407 #c4 ,compromise4 78,you get half raped407 ,baird doesn't blame just the manufacturers for some computers' sievelike leaks4 8,business isn't willing to pay the price to secure systems10 he says--a complaint echoed in effect by the ,computer and ,business ,equipment ,manufacturers ,association 7,,cbema74 ,it acknowledges the present clash between security and ease of use of computer systems4 8,if a computer could be designed with various levels of security as options1 computer security might well be a marketable commodity10 said a statement from ,,cbema to a trade magazine4 ,in recent years there has been much more research in this area1 and when #cb-;bit micros become the norm1 it will be much easier to beef up security4 ,when crimes do happen on existing systems1 they're often covered up by top executives panicky over going to court or jail4 ,how'd you like to be the chairman of a corporation faced with an ugly data-security scandal--and the possibility of a stockholders suit8 ,you needn't be in the scandal personally4 ,your stockholders could charge you with malfeasance1 if not misfeasance1 for letting it happen4 ,so could the ,securities and ,exchange ,commission and other feds4 ,when companies hush up computer crimes1 it's not necessarily for high-minded reasons such as protecting assets by playing down vulnerability to electronic crime4 ,consider ,baird's experiences4 ,called to a ,new ,england firm to do routine theft prevention1 ,baird merrily put himself on the payroll--not to steal but to demonstrate system weaknesses4 8,i also10 he says1 8nicked the vice-president for participating in a #djj1jjj-;a-year kickback40 ,at another company1 an accounting firm did the books at year's end and had to make an adjustment of #a4b million4 8,then10 said ,baird1 8we went in some more and really did a number on that company4 ,and we came up with #d4e million in proven losses4 ,and it all had to do with their computer system40 ,but1 you're wondering1 how about that crook who stole #h million and got away with it8 ,the story--perhaps apocryphal but told in the sedate ,smithsonian magazine--is that bank officials confronted the thief in a restaurant over breakfast4 ,he coolly confessed4 ,if they tried to jail him1 why he'd blow the whistle on the bank's vulnerable computer system4 ,and it would cost more than #h million to fix4 ,so the bank officials just asked him to step down quietly4 ,leaving the table1 the crook smiled4 8,i'll keep the eight million10 he said1 8but ,i'll pick up the tab for breakfast40 ,definitely1 then1 ,donn ,parker was on target when he once called computer security 8first and last a people problem40 ,people and ,policies3 ,working with the ,right ,ones ,honest1 loyal employees are more important than the latest security gizmos4 ,use common sense4 ,beware of the #bf1jjj-;a-year programmer who suddenly acquires a posh home and a sports-car collection4 ,don't pry4 ,but don't shut your eyes1 either4 ,start with a sensible hiring policy4 ,decide on the questions you want to ask applicants and their references--about the prospective employees' backgrounds and characters4 ,then bounce them off your legal department4 ,the rule of thumb is that you won't get in trouble if the questions are related to the job4 ,,ibm has said it doesn't even ask applicants about their ages or marital statuses4 ,if there aren't legal obstacles1 you might invest #be in a credit-bureau check of a keypunch clerk but perhaps several hundred dollars for a top programmer4 ,keep in mind the notorious lack of reliability of many reporting services4 ,check for criminal records when hiring for responsible positions4 ,a ,maryland hospital didn't4 ,it hired a convicted embezzler1 a computer operator who later diddled #dj1jjj out of the system4 ,granted1 there are occasions when you might knowingly hire an ex-con to give him a chance4 ,but ask the normal questions4 ,what's he done to justify your trust since his sentencing8 ,what are your risks8 ,how much could he steal1 and how8 ,whomever you hire--ex-cons1 ,harvard grads1 or combinations of the two--know how to respond to the common criminal motives4 ,jay ,bloom,becker1 a top computer crime expert1 sums up one of the main motives by quoting the title of a collection of ,doonesbury comic strips3 ,but the ,trust ,fund ,was ,just ,sitting ,there4 ,reduce the temptation4 ,let your people know there'll be surprise audits--and mandatory vacations4 ,a thief busy slicing salami might be loath to take too much time off1 lest his or her replacement catch on to what's happening4 ,likewise1 consider rotating duties every few months and also divvying them4 ,people who write checks with computers1 for example1 ideally won't be the ones approving them2 in a small business1 of course1 this might not be possible4 ,the old need-to-know policy1 of which the military is so fond1 may also increase the criminals' risks--by increasing the need for collusion4 ,this1 too1 isn't always possible1 and it could boomerang4 ,if employees aren't supposed to know what their colleagues are doing1 maybe a thief would actually have less chance of being noticed4 ,also1 tell people that stealing--even small amounts from a large company--will hurt4 ,if you can't prove how it will hurt the corporation noticeably1 then you'd better make a good case that it will hurt them4 ,pretend you're a department store warning the nimble fingered3 8,all will be prosecuted40 ,well1 within bounds4 ,you needn't fire and prosecute a thirty-year man because he once used a company micro to calculate his average golf score4 ,but do remind your employees of the applicable theft-of-service laws1 larceny ones1 and others4 ,not that electronic theft is your only problem4 ,whiteside tells of a computer-ridden ,north ,carolinian1 working for an insurance firm1 who reportedly shot a handgun several times at the hated machine4 ,and ,harold ,joseph ,highland offers another cautionary tale4 ,executives at an ,east ,coast firm fired a crabby woman1 then returned the next ,monday to find its floppies sliced apart with a paper cutter4 ,they never proved her guilt4 ,regardless1 someone moved the blade up and down1 costing the company several hundred thousand dollars in time reentering the paper versions of the records into the computer4 ,and that doesn't even include the orders canceled by customers angry over the delay4 ,in yet another story1 a disgruntled worker short-circuited a terminal by urinating on it4 8,hire well10 says ,jack ,bologna1 an expert on the 8people0 side of computer security1 summing up ways to avoid such traumas4 8,pay fairly1 praise people for good work1 give them opportunities for advancement1 and make them feel comfortable talking over their problems40 ,remember that the line can fuzz between outright sabotage and simple sloppiness induced by poor morale4 ,if there's a disaster and you're not sure if it's accidental or deliberate1 however1 don't be too quick to point your finger4 ,you may find it chopped off with a lawsuit filed by your suspect1 perhaps for less than #a1jjj1 while your firm must spend several times that to defend itself4 ,unjustified accusations1 also1 hurt morale and may even add to security problems4 ,and if you do prove theft or sabotage8 ,act4 ,don't cover up4 ,rather1 cover yourself--legally4 ,tell your boss what happened4 ,if you're mum and someone else reports the crime1 your superior may consider you among the guilty4 ,also1 don't discount the possibility that your boss may himself be either guilty or a part of a cover-up because he fears a stockholders' suit4 ,you may have no choice but to report him to his boss4 ,press for an independent audit committee if you're powerful enough and if the size of the crime justifies one4 ,should you fire someone for a computer-related offense1 do it artfully4 8,if they're in a critical job position1 help them clean out their desk1 collect their ,,id card and any office keys1 and walk them to the door or to the personnel department10 says ,timothy ,a4 ,schabeck1 who edits ,corporate and ,computer ,fraud ,digest with ,jack ,bologna4 ,the ,,fbi's ,lewis says as much4 ,if you do prefer instant firing1 follow ,schabeck's advice to provide counseling and severance pay4 ,and soften the blow1 too1 by warning everyone1 when hired1 that your axes are quick and sharp4 ,mightn't instant firing1 however1 be brutal1 anyway8 ,well1 it depends on the amount of damage that a discharged employee could inflict and on how vindictive you perceive him to be4 ,ideally1 you could minimize the damage by having backup disks or tapes out of the your victim's reach4 ,also consider how successfully you can keep the fired employee from returning to your computer--by ruse or otherwise8 ,is your office absolutely physically secured8 ,can you trust guards or janitors working weekends not to admit a familiar face8 ,it's all a part of bridging the gap between policy and practices4 ,don't just wait until a crime to make your staff security conscious4 ,too often1 warns ,james ,a4 ,schweitzer1 a ,xerox security expert1 people protect information only if it's on paper4 ,he says1 8,there have been a number of cases where tapes and disks have mysteriously disappeared from places like desktops40 ,if need be1 designate an employee to make sure others have locked up right by the end of the day4 ,in less than a minute1 using a floppy disk1 a thief may duplicate hundreds of times as much material as he could on a paper copier4 ,worry1 too1 about your people's use of modems--the gizmos that transform your computers digital output into a whiny sound for the phone lines4 ,don't let them routinely keep sensitive material on disks that will play back to savvy criminals who happen to dial in4 ,this especially applies to ,winchesters4 ,they're the oxide-coated aluminum disks that remain in the machine housing them1 and they stash away many times the amount of information on most plastic floppies4 ,now imagine the delights awaiting a thief or snoop4 ,via your auto-answer modem he could rifle thousands of pages of ,winchestered documents4 ,such electronic robberies needn't happen1 but until businesses get burned this way1 they will4 ,so if you're sharing an electronic spreadsheet or mailing list with your branch office1 do so if possible at a prearranged time during business hours when you know who's calling4 ,tell your people to do the same4 ,you'll also need a privacy policy--internal and external4 ,do you1 for instance1 want salary information on a ,winchester disk that any of your company's computer-users could read8 ,and how about employees' health records8 ,good data security should protect your people as well as your company4 ,so limit your computerized records to the essential and tell your executives not to use their home computers to bypass privacy laws4 ,worry1 too1 about an external-privacy policy4 ,are you respecting the rights of your customers1 including those1 who1 by computer1 may be transmitting to your company their electronic jewels8 ,it isn't just decency you want2 it's also good protection against suits1 whether from people or client companies4 ,here again1 set a firm policy against your people misusing their personal micros4 ,alan ,f4 ,westin1 a ,columbia ,university professor of public law and government1 correctly warned in ,popular ,computing1 8,a financial officer of a bank might store information about the life-style1 habits1 sexual preferences and other personal behavior of large individual borrowers or key corporate executives40 ,the banker might do this behind customers' backs to help decide who was 8stable0 enough for loans4 ,you'll also need a policy covering employees who use your computers for1 say1 maintaining their church's bingo books4 ,why not let them8 ,it isn't the worst public relations4 ,some companies even allow their employees to play games after hours1 tapping into company systems from home1 and you1 too1 might experiment with this1 provided it won't add to your data-security problems4 ,better a fringe benefit than a crime4 ,on the other hand1 you've got to draw the line somewhere4 ,can you estimate how much this extracurricular use of your machines costs in wear and tear--in1 eventually1 replacement costs8 ,feel your employees out on this one if you're running a small business or hold sway over a large one4 ,would they rather enjoy computer privileges or better health insurance8 ,you might offer cafeteria-style fringe benefits1 with computer use as one of the options4 ,employees not selecting this choice might have to agree to it1 anyway1 if you discovered them using a company computer for personal purposes4 ,this problem1 of course1 may lessen as the prices of small computers plummet and their capabilities grow4 ,whatever the form of potential crime--theft or otherwise--keep remembering one of the basics of data security3 ,it should cost neither more money nor morale than justified4 ,hardware and ,software ,now for advice on finding the most crookproof computers and programs4 ,buy a micro with #af- or #cb-;bit word lengths and ,r,a,ms of #bef,k or more4 ,those specifications will let you use more elaborate codes to protect information4 ,what's more1 they might be less cumbersome than codes on an #h-;bit machine4 ,look1 too1 for electronic design that lets your computer establish privilege levels--reachable through passwords4 ,that way1 ,sally1 the new secretary1 can start out getting into the computer only for word processing4 ,helen1 the payroll clerk1 can have access to confidential salary information but not a top-secret budget that doesn't give her the raise she's been pestering you about4 ,questions exist about the effectiveness of passwords and codes1 at least when the thieves or snoops may be sophisticated1 but that's another story4 ,most experts will tell you that anything that can be coded can be cracked4 ,the trick is to make it not worth the criminals' time and resources4 ,of course1 the best safeguard is still the simplest3 locking up the disks and computer after you or your people are through4 ,new minis1 by the time you're reading this1 may all be #fd bit or higher4 ,they adapt to codes--and fancy electronic logs showing the kind of work done on them--more easily than do micros4 ,and they might justify other costly security measures4 ,suppose1 for instance1 you want to follow the many government agencies' examples and pen in the tiny radio waves that computers emit so that eavesdroppers can't pick them up with sensitive receivers4 ,a micro fortified this way might cost perhaps #aj1jjj4 8,what's the sense of doing that for what's essentially a throwaway computer80 asks ,harold ,joseph ,highland4 ,the 8throwaway10 be assured1 is an exaggeration1 but his point comes through4 ,of course1 don't forget the disadvantages of minis4 ,most machines at the mini level or above need professional programmers1 and that's bad news if you're trying to stay in complete charge of your business4 ,also1 minis1 because of their expense1 normally won't pay for themselves unless they have at least several terminals4 ,and the more terminals you have1 the more 8doors0 through which crooks can 8walk40 ,still1 you normally shouldn't let security alone determine if you end up with a micro or with a mini4 ,remember the warning earlier in this chapter that security costs shouldn't overwhelm you4 ,how often1 for instance1 is your information so sensitive that you're worried about criminals lurking in the bushes with the elaborate equipment needed to make sense of the tiny waves your computer emits8 ,your data might not even justify use of codes4 ,i myself haven't the slightest need for codes1 user-privilege levels1 anything other than locking up my disks1 since ,i'm essentially a small businessman who is the sole operator of a micro4 ,even the ,,fbi doesn't really worry about security on some computers4 ,at the time ,i visited the agency's academy in ,virginia1 several little ,radio ,shack models were purring away there--the same kind you'd buy off the shelf4 ,the micros' software had passwords1 but some agents could bypass them1 anyway1 which wouldn't be necessary1 of course1 since1 in this case1 the ,,fbi wants the machines to be used4 ,before saddling yourself with fancy electronic precautions1 do see if a security service1 a good1 heavy safe1 a locked room1 or a burglar alarm would work instead4 ,and what about simply carrying home some duplicates of your most important floppies8 ,that possibility will become increasingly attractive as the disks' storage capacity increases4 ,this isn't to say1 however1 that you should store ,exxon's major corporate secrets in a dirty unlocked drawer next to old underwear4 ,but a small businessman might consider taking his backup disks home4 ,if you buy a safe for your office's disks or tapes1 think about fire protection4 ,check with your fire department4 ,what makes of safes could be in the middle of the flames without the disks suffering temperatures of more than #aae degrees ,fahrenheit8 ,investigating locks and burglar alarms1 you'll learn that your computer may be able to protect itself4 ,how8 ,some gadgets can let only card-carrying employees--your people with magnetic cards--enter a room4 ,and they can tie into the computer to save you money4 ,the same applies to burglar alarms4 ,of course1 you might want nothing fancier than a strong lock bolting your computer to a heavy table4 ,don't spend more than the data are worth to replace4 ,you might also consider a guard service4 ,the problem is that salaries add up even for quick nighttime checks4 ,after a few months or a year1 you may be well on your way to having shelled out the cost of an elaborate electronic security system4 ,guards normally would be more appropriate for users of large minis and mainframes than for desktop types4 ,one advantage of physical security--most any kind--is that it can protect the computer equipment itself1 not just your electronic files4 ,you've undoubtedly read of theft of computer chips from ,silicon ,valley firms4 ,now be prepared for reports of widespread computer theft1 eventually1 as the market grows for both legally bought and fenced merchandise4 ,with computers shrinking in size1 they may well be an even hotter item for fences than stolen ,selectrics4 ,even ,apples several years ago were too intimidating to a burglar1 like the one who stole the silverware of an acquaintance of mine but passed over his computer4 ,be assured1 though1 that crooks are increasingly computer literate4 ,there's even talk of the mob moving into computer crime1 raiding government files1 and1 presumably1 engaging in less challenging illegalities1 like setting up computer-fencing rings4 ,with computer crooks in the future being smarter and more organized1 you should think hard before depending on simply passwords or codes to protect you4 ,first1 assume that at least some people may try to unravel your puzzles4 ,a whole generation of prodigies right now is practicing by copying the supposedly uncopyable computer games on disks4 ,in effect1 notes ,churbuck1 the ,new ,hampshire lawyer1 each disk provides two puzzles4 ,one is the original game4 ,the other is the puzzle of figuring out how to make illicit copies4 ,and at the ,university of ,western ,ontario1 ,prof4 ,john ,carroll surveyed students in two advanced computer courses and found that one-third had sought free1 illegal computer time4 ,it's been pointed out that the very best1 the very brightest1 students have too many legitimate opportunities--on large systems--to worry about pillaging small computers4 ,and that may be true4 ,but by the late #aihjs or early #aiijs1 some journeyman criminals may develop among the second-raters4 ,second1 don't shrug off a warning from ,r4 ,e4 7,bob7 ,kukrall1 author of the handbook ,computer ,auditing1 ,security and ,controls3 8,cracking a computer system's defenses may be about as difficult as doing a hard ,sunday crossword puzzle40 ,he says that thieves managed in minutes to call up computer files that were protected by a five-digit code number4 ,they just programmed the computer itself to try each of #ajj1jjj combinations4 8,in effect the speed and capabilities of the computer were used to violate its own security10 ,kukrall said in ,tele,systems ,journal4 ,how the ,national ,enquirer ,gets ,some ,security along with ,bargain ,communications ,some ,national ,enquirer reporters send in stories via computers1 but there's little danger of rival tabloids spying on the computer collecting the articles4 ,the reason8 ,there's no receiving computer1 actually--just an auto-answer modem rigged up to a dot-matrix that spews out paper copies at several hundred words a minute4 ,the modem and printer can't send messages or relay stories elsewhere4 ,but who needs that--not when some computer-smart ,national ,star reporter might give his eye teeth to find out what the competition is up to8 ,to be sure1 the scheme has some problems3 ,the ,enquirer can't transfer the reporters' stories to a computer there for editing1 since they are on plain old paper but not in an electronic format4 ,editors1 however1 heavily rewrite the original stories4 ,capturing reporters' key-strokes for the typesetter wouldn't help as much as at an ordinary newspaper4 ,theoretically someone could still steal the hard copy 7just as he or she could sneak off with a floppy disk74 ,the system isn't secure against telephone tappers who could translate the modem whines4 ,still1 the system is dirt-cheap4 ,if knowledgeable1 you could probably replicate it for less than #ejj for the printer and modem4 ,and you could send to it with just a #djj lap-sized portable4 ,beyond that1 the ,enquirer's arrangement may be safer than leaving an unprotected computer on the phone to collect unencrypted files4 ,then there's the ,dalton school case in ,new ,york ,city in which the four culprits1 age thirteen1 violated silicon sanctity hundreds of miles away4 ,the feds caught up with them before they could steal ,pepsi ,cola1 by coaxing an order out of a warehouse4 ,but another computer didn't fare so well4 ,the thirteen-year-olds destroyed more than one-fifth of the #ej million bits in the machine's memory1 inspiring a magazine writer to call them 8electronic ,huns40 ,more recently1 the #dad ,gang out of ,milwaukee--named after their telephone area code--broke into computers across the country4 ,these half-dozen or so high school students1 tapping on home micros1 broke into more than sixty computers and among other things they3 ,hooked up with a ,,vax #aa_/ghj at ,sloan-,kettering ,cancer ,center in ,new ,york4 ,eighty hospitals across the ,u4,s4 were using the computer to help treat hundreds of radiotherapy patients4#ee ,broke into an unclassified computer at the ,los ,alamos nuclear laboratory4 ,penetrated a ,security ,pacific ,bank computer in ,los ,angeles4 ,that may not have been so much a challenge4 ,the account name and password both were 8,,system0--a word that many computer manufacturers routinely put in new machines and that their customers often forget to take out4 8,,test10 8,,demo10 and 8,,maintenance0 are other old standbys4 ,footnote #ee3 ,the #dad invaders fortunately didn't alter radiotherapy information4 ,but they reportedly did zap a file used to bill customers a total of #a1ejj for computer use4 ,if teenagers can wreak ,attilan havoc and snoop on a bank computer1 then think of adults4 ,so use passwords and codes1 knowing their vulnerabilities4 ,try1 anyway1 to give computer crackers a good challenge by avoiding use of obvious passwords like street names or those of wives or children4 ,consider a two-level password2 also1 maybe one with two words of pure gibberish2 that's what ,compu,serve does4 ,and1 obviously1 purge the computer of standard passwords in the 8,,system0 vein4 ,if your system permits dialing in through a modem1 see if it can limit the number of tries that people can make before the modem hangs up the phone4 ,your dial-up computer should send its name until the caller has given the right ,,id4 ,be careful of overly helpful prompts that lead callers on to the next step4 8,a prompt saying1 #8,hi6 ,this is the ,last ,national ,bank ,disbursement ,department1' sort of gives the game away1 doesn't it80 says a ,creative ,computing article laying out precautions4 ,also1 change passwords regularly4 ,and if an employee's leaving8 ,change the access codes4 ,here's what ,i'd ponder if shopping for a password or encryption system3 #a4 ,how hard1 exactly1 would it be to puzzle out8 ,just how many combinations would a computer cracker have to try8 ,could he easily do this through his own machine--or yours8 ,you might want to consult a cryptography expert to learn how much of a challenge this particular program would be4 ,you'd be surprised4 ,you may see the manufacturer's claims instantly deflated4 #b4 ,how compatible is the program with your computer8 ,if security is so important1 choose the protective software first1 then the hardware--assuming1 of course1 that it will run your applications programs4 #c4 ,is the security program easy to use8 ,if it's too hard1 it'll be self-defeating4 8,ease of use0 would include how much time the security software adds to your normal tasks4 #d4 ,are you certain the program won't jeopardize the accuracy and completeness of your files by making you more accident-prone8 #e4 ,should you expand your system1 will the security software be able to grow along8 #f4 ,do you want a public key encryption system8 ,it works this way4 ,you pass out a code that people can use in sending messages to you4 ,only you have the means to unscramble them1 though4 #g4 ,will your code be based on the ,data ,encryption ,standard 7,,des71 published by the ,u4,s4 government and repeatedly tested by the ,national ,security ,agency 7,,nsa7 and the ,national ,bureau of ,standards8 ,to this day the rumors persist that ,,nsa has built in a trap door to snoop on ,,des-style codes4 ,true8 ,i don't know4 ,captain ,zap says1 8,i don't trust it4 ,i don't think ,,nsa would have approved it if they couldn't crack it40 ,,nsa-approved codes are overkill in all but the most sensitive systems4 ,telenet has a special interest in encryption software4 ,it is the network into which thousands of computer users dial to reach other machines and services like ,the ,source4 ,in #aihd ,telenet claimed to be the first public network offering encryption software--a package for the ,,ibm and clones that uses the public-key method and sells for somewhere under #fjj4 8,you have a directory that has all the public keys in it10 said ,claudia ,houston1 ,telenet public affairs manager1 explaining the ,phasor software's operation4 8,you look up the guy's key that you want to send a message to4 ,you punch that key and your message gets encrypted40 ,for a two-page message1 a ,telenet man says that might take thirty seconds4 ,then you're ready to send over the phone lines4 ,even if someone wiretaps you1 theoretically1 he won't be able to puzzle out your secrets4 ,,mci ,mail also offers encryption--through a customized version of a popular communication program--and other electronic networks will undoubtedly follow suit4 8,black boxes10 or hardware that scrambles messages1 might likewise help2 the topic is too complex for me to cover here in the detail it deserves4 ,this equipment usually costs well into the thousands4 ,one security expert1 ,j4 ,michael ,nye1 even puts out a consumer's guide to black boxes4#ef ,a good black box could be just a special modem with scrambling circuits built in4 8,if no one else produces a good1 low-cost modem with encryption10 says ,nye1 8,i might start doing it myself40 ,footnote #ef3 ,after writing a draft of this chapter1 ,i helped ,nye prepare a section of his black box guide4 ,i find it to be useful1 but overly technical for some lay people4 ,nye may be reached at ,marketing ,consultants ,international1 ,suite #bad1 #ajj ,west ,washington ,st41 ,hagerstown1 ,md4 #bagdj4 ,call #cja_/gia-jbij for the latest information about the guide's price and other details4 ,captain ,zap's ,wisdom on ,protecting ,your ,dial-up ,computer ,the ,captain and friends stole--via computer connections--over #ajj1jjj in goods and #bab1jjj in services1 including a #ac1jjj ,hewlett-,packard minicomputer4 ,he received a #a1jjj fine and two and one-half years' probation1 with fifteen hours a week community service4 ,far from being #ajj-percent antiestablishment1 however1 ,zap is a ,philadelphia ,republican fond of wing tips4 78,they show good breeding407 ,and a computer security consultant1 a client1 praises him as 8a damn good technician40 ,a computer-crime expert named ,jay ,bloom,becker isn't so keen on the use of e-criminals in security3 8,there are a lot of people just as bright who have stayed within the law40 ,regardless1 ,zap has some good tips for security-minded computer users1 especially those with dial-up machines4 ,among them3 ,don't think of computers as gods4 8,remember1 there's just another human at the other end40 ,spread out your computer numbers2 you might even use different telephone exchanges4 ,don't have numbers adjacent to each other--like #eee-abab next to #eee-abac4 ,if you do1 your computers will be easier targets for hackers with ,war,games-style dialing programs that scan local exchanges for computer numbers4 ,that's good advice from ,zap4 ,in the same vein1 even if you have just one micro1 you might consider trying to get a phone number in an exchange miles from your actual location4 ,you might even want to use a tie line to another city4 ,it all depends on whether you think the costs would justify the added protection2 for many businesses they wouldn't4 ,also1 you might keep your modem number secret from people who don't need to know4 ,a ,hollywood director1 fearful that computer-smart science-fiction fans might tap into his dial-up machine1 used such a precaution4 ,only he and his regular callers knew the number4 ,his super-secretive approach obviously wouldn't have worked in a typical business1 especially one with many phone lines coming in4 ,also1 nothing's foolproof2 suppose an electronic snoop unlocks your building's wire closet4 ,if possible1 use modems faster than #a1bjj baud4 ,then1 says ,zap1 8most hackers' modems can't keep up40 ,most small computers' modems transmit at #cjj baud1 about #cjj letters or numbers a second4 ,remember that hackers can be ingenious4 8,don't be smug just because you have a dial-back modem4 ,that's a device that makes callers tap out a special code1 and then it rings them back at their authorized location4 ,you can get around it by tying into the central office and setting up a three-way call--without anyone hearing you4 ,i know hackers can set up three-way calls4 ,i've done it myself40 ,protective devices1 however1 are better than nothing at all4 8,despite their limitations1 ,i'd still install a call-back arrangement or a device that asked you for a code--or maybe a combination of the two4 ,a combination usually would be much better40 ,don't get hung up on protecting your dial-up computer with just hardware or just software--use both4 8,black boxes can help keep the wrong people from breaking in4 ,but you also need good security software to control how deeply even authorized people can get into your computer4 ,you want some people--like customers--to have only partial access to the goodies inside your system40 ,watch what you throw away4 8,some hackers can log onto your dial-up computer after first poking through your trash--for printouts with passwords and similar material40 ,another hacker jokingly refers to 8,the ,dempster ,dumpster ,library40 ,don't lose track of security threats around your office itself while worrying about modems and encryption4 ,would you believe that you can't absolutely erase an electronic file--say1 a letter or report on your disk--just by following the directions in your software8 ,a snoop might recover the information with a special program like ,disk ,doctor4 ,luckily1 however1 you can zap a sensitive file by magnetically 8writing0 over its part of the disk4 ,say you want to wipe out a letter #ejj words long1 ,file ,a4 ,well1 do the following3 #a4 ,see if your disk has a file at least #ejj or #fjj words long4 ,if so1 make a copy4 ,if not1 type out a file that long4 ,i'll call this new file 8,b40 #b4 8,write0 ,file ,b's contents under ,a's name4 8,overwrite0 in other words4 #c4 ,erase ,a4 ,to really erase an entire disk8 ,well1 don't depend on your computer's 8copy0 program or 8format0 program4 ,instead1 just sweep a magnet over it--within a quarter inch or so4#eg ,footnote #eg3 ,my thanks to ,j4 ,michael ,nye1 for calling my attention to the problems of incomplete erasures4 ,ed ,bigelow1 of ,adevco1 a ,pennsylvania company selling networks to link computers in the same office1 also was helpful4 ,so much for the ,james ,bond kind of data security4 ,now on to coffee spilled on floppy disks4 ,whether it's coffee or ,coke1 unless you're careful1 you're possibly going to be your own biggest data-security threat4 ,just ask people like ,betty ,cappucci1 a quality-control manager with the ,dennison ,kybe ,corporation in ,kopkinton1 ,massachusetts4 8,most of the time10 she says of returned disks1 8it isn't the disk--it's spit or fingerprints4 ,all you have to do is look at offices with people eating their lunch near their computers40 8,we see disks coming back with cigarette ashes and coffee stains10 said ,jack ,fitzgerald1 who at the time was a field engineer with another disk maker4 ,and it isn't just the very smallest computer users who abuse their disks4 8,the big problem in computer facilities10 he says1 8often is cleanliness4 ,i've been to a large investment firm in ,new ,york ,city and seen apple cores on the floor1 ,big ,mac containers near the disks4 ,and yet they were complaining of data-loss problems4 8,this was a major investment firm with all sorts of ads on news programs and football games about how carefully they protected your money10 says ,fitzgerald4 8,no investor lost money in this case because the firm at least had backup disks4 ,but the company itself lost thousands of dollars of processing time--money they could have spent helping their investors earn more40 ,a programmer with a ,florida accounting firm1 however1 didn't even have a backup when his disk crashed on a large computer4 8,he was actually crying on the phone10 ,fitzgerald recalls4 8,he had lost two disks4 ,and he was willing to pay #bj1jjj to get data off them4 ,his job was on the line4 8,i've had disk crashes myself10 ,fitzgerald says1 discussing his off-hours work on his micro4 8,i was developing a small game similar to ,space ,invaders4 ,i lost power on my computer and about three hours of work4 ,i ignored one of my basic rules1 which is to back up about every #bj lines--make a copy on a second disk40 ,captain ,zap's rule is1 8,every fifteen minutes1 save on both disks40 ,that's extreme4 ,like all forms of security1 apply this in relation to the trouble it would take to recover a loss4 ,even ,paul ,lutus1 famous in the industry for his work developing ,apple software1 has a scary crash story4#eh ,footnote #eh3 ,the ,lutus story is from ,popular ,computing4 ,he'd toiled to develop a new program1 of which he took two copies to the company4 ,an electronic glitch cost him one of the copies4 ,the sun melted the other4 ,it seems that ,steve ,jobs1 an ,apple cofounder1 had put the disk under the windshield of his car4 8,i ended up very carefully prying apart the case of ,jobs's copy and switching the floppy disk inside to another case so we could recover the programs10 ,lutus says4 8,i haven't always been so lucky4444 ,for me the biggest drawback to personal computing is the quality of the mass storage4 ,i dislike floppy disks intensely40 ,here's how you can help your floppies and data survive threats more immediate--sloppiness and stupidity3 #a4 ,zealously enforce a no-drinking1 no-eating policy around disks1 at least if trouble develops4 #b4 ,remember the ,rothman ,dirt ,domino ,theory4 ,dirt1 dust1 and grease often can sneak up on your floppies indirectly1 in stages4 ,you start with clean hands4 ,then1 however1 they fall domino style when you touch a dirty table or one with your office mate's submarine-sandwich drippings4 ,you return to your own desk briefly before you yourself leave for lunch4 ,you don't work with floppies then1 and you wash your hands after eating1 but during your brief stop at your desk before lunch1 you've already left a trace of grease behind1 anyway4 ,your disk box picks it up when you set it on the wrong spot on the desk4 ,then1 working with the floppies1 you lay one atop the box4 ,now the disk itself fails4 ,alas1 most disk failures aren't gradual like a recording that gets progressively noisier until you can't stand to listen to it anymore--they tend to be sudden and total4 #c4 ,realize that floppies don't always mix well with office materials that correct errors the old-fashioned way--erasers1 for instance1 white-out fluid1 or that unavoidably flaky correction tape4 #d4 ,know about other natural enemies of floppies or at least of the data on them4 ,beware of airport metal detectors4 ,a disk maker says this isn't a problem2 but don't gamble1 since a magnetic detector1 misadjusted1 might still mush your data4 ,beware1 too1 of telephones atop disks3 the magnets in them are powerful4 #e4 ,don't even let your floppies rest against your computer's screen1 which1 like a television's1 can be full of static electricity1 attracting dust4 #f4 ,remember that the more information you can pack on a floppy1 the more vulnerable it may be to damage from dirt1 fingerprints1 magnetic fields1 and other causes4 #g4 ,clean your disk heads4 ,don't use rubbing alcohol4 8,try something like a ,freon-based material with #ia percent pure alcohol10 ,fitzgerald says4 8,you can get it at some computer stores40 ,or1 after every twenty hours of operation1 use a cleaning diskette1 three of which typically come in a #ae package4 ,each disk1 says ,fitzgerald1 will last about thirty cleanings4 #h4 ,have head alignment checked1 to reduce disk errors4 ,with heads out of whack1 your machine may be the only one that can read your disks--not even identical machines4 ,a crude way of assuring proper alignments1 in fact1 might be to see if other machines can read disks written on your micro4 #i4 ,buy quality disks4 ,of course1 the more you spend on disks1 the more expensive your backups become--discouraging you from making them4 ,find a balance between cost and convenience that suits your security needs4 ,timing--that's the secret to saving your electronic diamonds or rhinestones on your floppies1 whatever the quality4 ,in the past1 working just with paper1 timing meant to me nothing more than the ,rothman ,chronological ,method4 ,the newer the document on my desk1 the closer it would be to the top of the file4 ,it wasn't the most efficient way4 ,but ,i rarely lost material1 just temporarily misplaced it4 ,computerizing1 however1 ,i worried4 8,floppies are treacherous10 my friend ,michael ,canyes said like a ,john ,bircher discussing commies4 8,they always trick you when you least expect it40 8,thanks10 ,i said4 8,the way you're encouraging me to computerize1 ,i'm beginning to think you actually want to sabotage me4 ,help me lose my manuscripts and all that40 8,just back up your copy page or so10 ,michael said4 8,isn't that a lot of trouble80 8,maybe twenty seconds4 ,then you're protected if the power fails4 ,or maybe your computer4 ,you can't afford to have your material stored just in on your chip4 ,it's just temporary4 ,you cut off the current a fraction of a second1 it'll forget everything4 ,you've got to get your stuff on the disk ,,asap40 ,all right1 ,i supposed my creative juices wouldn't dry up during the half minute the disk drive was whirring4 8,the #8,save' command on ,word,star is ,,ks10 ,michael said4 8,just hold down the #8,control' button on your computer while you're doing that4 ,then you'll hear a whir and the disk drive clicking away40 ,somehow my ,kaypro was coming across as an animal to be fed during training2 the clicking could be the sound of a dog chomping up candied biscuits after a successful lesson4 8,you're also going to make backup disks10 ,michael said4 8,sort of like electronic carbon paper40 8,i don't have time10 ,i said4 8,you'll find time4 ,you can do it in just a minute or so4 ,you can even use a scratch disk to be safe40 8,what's a scratch disk80 8,suppose the power failed or something went wrong with your machine while you were making your copy10 ,michael said4 8,then you could be up the creek without a paddle4 ,you might lose both the original and the copy40 8,so80 8,that's why you have a scratch disk4 ,you copy on it first4 ,if something goes haywire1 then you're still safe4 ,because1 during your last work session1 you made a backup40 8,theoretically10 ,i said4 8,and if something goes wrong while you're recording on your permanent backup disk1 then you can just work from the scratch disk4 ,it's just what it sounds1 sort of a scratch pad40 8,oh1 ,i'll use paper1 thank you10 ,i persisted4 8,the best backup yet4 ,it'll be years before it falls apart4 ,and who knows8 ,maybe by then the ,library of ,congress will be preserving my manuscripts40 ,michael withheld a guffaw4 8,well1 ,i can type a mean streak on my ,selectric10 ,i said4 8,i can get my stuff back into the computer in no time40 ,always the patient teacher1 ,michael didn't argue4 ,presumably1 however1 another writer nowadays would have agreed with ,michael immediately4 ,his editors had been looking forward to having the printer set type from the disk he'd submit with the paper version of his manuscript--a crowded floppy storing every single byte from his toil4 ,then the editors could bring the book out six or eight weeks faster1 with the disk in the printer's hands4 ,but in this unlucky man's case the disk never reached the printer's hungry computer--he hadn't1 alas1 made an electronic copy4 ,a case of hubris if ever there was one4 ,you might avoid such traumas by following the ,rothman ,chronological ,method ,,ii 7,,rcm ,,ii71 a lazy man's form of data security for those with fast printers3 #a4 ,every five minutes or so1 type out the 8,,ks0 or an equivalent and dump your work of the moment into the disk--for1 ideally1 permanent preservation4 #b4 ,every half an hour make a printout of your recent work4 ,with a fast printer1 that'll still be faster than messing around with an electronic copy at this point4 ,remember1 you still have the backup disk from your last work session4 ,so even if the original fails1 you'll need to reenter just the newest material4 #c4 ,every day make your backup floppy4 ,you might forget about the scratch disk and make two copies4 ,what about working with hard disks8 ,well1 ,winchesters are more dependable than floppies4 ,on the other hand1 they commonly store many times more material than do the soft disks--meaning perhaps a fiftyfold increase in your agony if one fails4 8,always try to use an uninterruptible power supply with your ,winchester10 warns ,fitzgerald1 whose former company produces hard disks as well as floppies4 ,some manufacturers say their hard disks don't need this protection4 ,but1 in general1 it's a good idea2 here's why4 ,normally1 the head picking up the magnetic patterns is only ten or twenty thousandths of an inch from the oxide-coated disk4 ,the disk is aluminum--and shear-prone in the event of a crash4 ,instead of the typical soft whirl1 you'll hear an ear-piercing squeal like a car brake out of adjustment1 except that the aftermath will be more costly4 ,repairs may run into the hundreds of dollars1 not to mention the loss of data4 ,not every power failure will produce a disk crash4 ,but why gamble with your ,winchester and its data8 ,an uninterruptible power supply will protect them by pumping out juice long enough for you to know something is amiss and shut the disk down4 ,it sells for several hundred dollars1 commonly1 and is normally worth it4 8,also10 says ,fitzgerald1 8be sure the drive is grounded and shielded as the manufacturer recommends4 ,if not1 power surges could cause it to lose track of its data40 ,he suggests one more precaution4 ,since the disk and the head are so close1 why not warn furniture bangers8 ,this could change4 ,hard disks are shock mounted in some portables nowadays1 so that the equipment isn't quite that delicate4 ,but ,i'd still try not to be too klutzy around it--and to be careful in other respects4 ,you can back up a ,winchester in one of several ways3 #a4 ,dumping to floppies4 ,it's cheap but slow4 ,then again1 you can speed up the process by updating only the files you've been working on4 ,you just 8write0 over them4 #b4 ,transferring the ,winchester's contents to a special tape drive large enough to hold them4 ,this method is fast but may cost you a good #a1ejj4 #c4 ,dumping to an ordinary videocassette recorder4 ,although slow1 it's okay up to around #ajj megabytes or so1 and you can set the ,,vcr timer to 8watch television0 off the ,winchester at night when you're not using it4 8,interesting10 you say1 8but how about the lap-sized portable ,i'm considering8 ,how do ,i protect the information inside that80 ,the best way1 of course1 is not to lose the memory and the rest of the portable2 as a well-practiced raincoat forgetter1 ,i'll never be the ideal owner of a lap-sized portable4 ,common sense1 too1 suggests that you not store a lap-size portable inside a car with the sun blazing down--bad news for heat-sensitive chips and other parts4 ,if your portable uses a bubble memory1 your data-security problems are milder in some respects than with other kinds4 ,the bubbles are tiny magnetized areas inside a small metal container4 ,magnetized 8north10 a bubble might mean a bit specifying 8one40 ,magnetized 8south10 it could mean zero4 7,you'll recall that bits form a byte standing for a letter or number47 ,magnetic bubble memories aren't that much faster than disks1 but they keep remembering forever--unlike the ,,cmos 7,complementary ,metal ,oxide ,semiconductor7 ,r,a,ms used in many portables4 ,an ,,ram will develop amnesia if your power fails1 and a ,,cmos ,,ram is no different4 ,it's just that the ,,cmos keeps the power requirements extralow so small batteries can dribble out the needed juice after you've 8officially0 switched your machine off4 ,this 8hibernation0 may last weeks or months4 7,check your instruction manual47 ,you're in great shape1 however1 only as long as your batteries are2 the ,eveready commercials may talk of nine lives1 but your data may have only one4 ,someday your care may count more than ever4 ,low-cost ,,cmos ,r,a,ms may eventually store thousands of pages on one chip2 and power failure might not be the only risk4 ,imagine4 ,you can tap out a chapter of your #a1jjj-page great ,american novel some bitter winter night1 lazing on the rug by your fireplace4 ,your lover is stroking your back and--,,zap6 ,since ,,cmos ,r,a,ms are such low-voltages devices1 think what thousands of volts from static can do4 ,here's one solution to the portables' static problems4 ,before computing1 you might discharge yourself on a nearby vent or anything else that's grounded4 ,you can also spray your home and office rugs with ,static ,guard or its equivalent4 ,and you also can use a static mat--cheap at your local computer store--if the zaps persist4 ,what about a plane thirty thousand feet up8 ,then you might try discharging yourself against a metal ashtray before using your portable4 ,if it's all plastic1 with no metal parts1 by the way1 your risks are much less than otherwise4 ,but they're still there4 ,whatever style portable you're using1 remember the importance of backups--however inconvenient or costly4 ,through a cable called a null modem1 you can pipe valuable reports from your portable to a larger computer a few feet away4 ,you may want to do this1 anyhow4 ,your lap-sized computer simply may run out of storage room much more quickly than a bigger machine and may lack floppy disks to spread those bits and bytes around4 ,so make sure your portable software lets you zip material back and forth between machines4 8,and in the field8 ,what backup technique1 then80 ,well1 you're often stuck with slow1 tape-style storage4 ,and mini-disk drives may be expensive and take up room if they're not already in your portable4 ,but why not see if your company will let you send valuable reports over the phone for temporary storage in its big computer8 ,you can also stash them away inside a desktop computer hooked up to the portable the same way4 ,and there's yet another answer4 ,rent electronic storage space on a commercial computer network like ,the ,source of ,compu,serve4 ,in the future1 maybe computer memories--on little portables and desktops alike--won't be so temperamental4 ,perhaps there will be superreliable ,,cmos ,r,a,ms4 ,or how about practical1 low-cost disks that you use lasers to 8read0 and 8write0 on8 ,dreams1 dreams6 ,meanwhile1 most of us struggle along with floppies and must keep thinking1 ,backup6 ,handle carefully6 ,clean6 ,maintain6 and ,how often8 ,in summary1 keep asking yourself3 #a4 ,how much time or money does it take to enter your data or set up your computer equipment8 #b4 ,how easily could you duplicate or replace it8 #c4 ,how much time or money do you have for copying1 cleaning1 maintenance1 whatever precaution you're taking8 ,do keep data security in perspective4 ,remember1 even if you must be a zealot at times1 it's just part of surviving with your computer4 ,harold ,joseph ,highland1 a data-security stalwart in his work--a believer in two backup disks of book manuscripts--tells of people who make out very well with far less copying4 ,they are students at the ,university of ,minnesota1 computer-science majors1 and they trudge through snow and ice carrying unbacked-up floppies in their books4 ,their professors are tolerant4 ,if a disk fails and a student's assignment is late1 they understand4 ,the students can't afford too many floppies1 and some just don't have the time for backups4 ,it's the same1 perhaps1 at countless other colleges1 and maybe that's only right for twenty-year-olds who'll learn soon enough about disappointments beyond the campus4 ,but you're in business1 perhaps1 without a friendly professor ready with a sympathetic nod4 ,your making regular backups is just plain good sense1 and if you don't1 you deserve what's coming to you4 ,isn't that what data security should be about8 ,it needn't be ,orwellian at all4 ,if anything1 in fact1 ,winston ,smith had more of a data-security problem than ,big ,brother4 ,privacy1 certainly1 is an important data-security element1 as is what the jargonists call integrity--accuracy and completeness of files4 ,think of ,winston ,smith and his appreciation of history and ,big ,brother's propensity for tampering with the contents of back issues of the ,london ,times6 ,even if 8#aihd0 has already become a year1 the number1 to true believers in data security1 remains a warning4 ,this will be especially true as more and more machines swap secrets over the wires between home and office4 #aa ,wired to ,work ,john ,fuller's daughter is grown now1 and he's taken over her room1 cluttering it with computer and boating magazines and his ,heathkit micro4 ,at first glance it looks like the computer room of any of thousands of hobbyists4 ,you may1 in fact1 catch whiffs of smoke from ,fuller's soldering gun4 ,it's an unlikely setting for a working office of the ,u4,s4 ,navy4 ,and yet that's exactly what it was when ,lieutenant ,commander ,fuller responded to my notice on an electronic bulletin board asking if anyone at home was hooked up to his boss via computers4 8,i've been getting away with it for six months10 ,fuller drawled proudly4 ,on the verge of retirement from the navy1 he was determined to telecommute in civilian life1 too1 perhaps as a management consultant1 his military job4 8,it seems foolish for me to get in a car to go to an office10 he said1 8if ,i can go to that office by phone4 ,i'm much happier not having to get into traffic for forty-five minutes each morning4 ,i can have coffee and read the ,washington ,post1 and ,i'm not tense4 ,i work fewer hours4 ,but ,i don't have five or six guys to talk to about ball scores1 either4 ,the government's getting a better deal from me working at home40 ,in fact1 ,electronic ,services ,unlimited 7,,esu71 a research firm in ,new ,york ,city1 found typical productivity increases between #ae and #bj percent4 ,so it isn't surprising that at least #bej firms1 including some big names like ,american ,express and ,mc,donald's1 were allowing work at home as of #aihd4 ,many more companies might be4 ,they might have kept quiet1 however1 fearing either 7#a7 union resistance or 7#b7 pressure from employees who wanted to telecommute before management was ready for them to do so4 8,i look outside my ,manhattan window and think some cities are going to be transformed--streets will be empty10 ,info,world quoted an ,,esu official4 ,that might have been stretching it4 ,in #aihd only several thousand people were full-time telecommuters on a payroll4 ,but ,jack ,m4 ,nilles1 coiner of the word 8telecommuting10 said the number may have reached twenty thousand if you included other people4#ei ,lone individuals1 stockbrokers1 even a software house organized 8on-line10 were trying it4 ,and ,nilles1 a future studies researcher at the ,university of ,southern ,california1 was predicting perhaps as many as ten million wired workers by #aiij4 ,he said most of the ten million would telecommute only part time4 ,still1 that would be a huge number1 perhaps one-fifth of the information workers in the ,united ,states4 ,footnote #ei3 ,nilles is in a position to keep track of statistics associated with telecommuting4 ,he has done numerous telecommuting studies as a senior research associate with the ,center for ,futures ,research at the ,university of ,southern ,california4 ,nilles has written an important pioneering work in the field--,the ,telecommunications_/,transportation ,tradeoff3 ,options for ,tomorrow4 ,in this chapter ,i am indebted not only to ,nilles but also to work that the ,stanford ,research ,institute did4 ,,sri's three-part study1 completed in ,may #aigg for the ,national ,science ,foundation1 appeared under the main title ,technology ,assessment of ,telecommunications_/,transportation ,interaction4 ,the first part is ,volume ,i3 ,introduction1 ,scenario ,development1 and ,policy ,analysis1 by ,richard ,c4 ,harkness1 available for #ag4ej in paper and #d4ej on microfiche as ,,pb-#bgb-fid1 from the ,national ,technical ,information ,service1 ,u4,s4 ,department of ,commerce1 #ebhe ,port ,royal ,rd41 ,springfield1 ,virginia #bbafa4 ,the second is ,volume ,,ii3 ,detailed ,impact ,analysis by ,harkness2 #gj in paper and #d4ej on microfiche1 ,,pb-#bgb-fie4 ,the third is ,volume ,,iii3 ,contributions of ,telecommunications to ,improved ,transportation ,system ,efficiency by ,a4 ,e4 ,moon and ,j4 ,m4 ,johnson1 ,e4 ,p4 ,meko1 ,h4 ,s4 ,proctor1 and ,c4 ,d4 ,feinstein2 #ad4ej in paper and #d4ej on microfiche1 ,,pb-#bgb-fif4 ,needless to say1 ,alvin ,toffler's ,third ,wave 7,new ,york3 ,william ,morrow1 #aihj7 contributed greatly to popular interest in the subject of telecommuting4 ,you might beat the crowd in the most obvious way--by becoming a do-it-yourself telecommuter1 perhaps without even leaving your present job4 8,wired to ,work0 will explain4 ,you'll also learn how your company might benefit from large-scale telecommuting4 ,even small firms can come out ahead4 ,a growing translation service in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 squeezed into the basement of the owner's home1 lends tiny ,radio ,shack computers to workers4 ,telecommuting may very well help your firm reduce real estate costs2 hire better people1 clerical and professional2 and get a head start on your competitors1 mixing high tech with decency and managerial common sense4 ,no1 ,i'm not going to suggest putting a 8,for ,sale0 sign tomorrow on your corporate skyscraper4 ,telecommuting isn't for every worker or every company4 ,american bureaucracies1 however1 public and private1 are not yet tapping the full potential of telecommuting4 ,as far back as #aigj ,commerce ,department statistics showed that half of ,american workers dealt in information1 whether it was travel agenting1 technical writing1 or filling out #aj,k forms4 ,match those statistics with ,jack ,nilles's estimate that more than #b4e million nonfarmers in the ,united ,states already work at home1 and you can appreciate telecommuting's prospects4 ,fuller's case1 in particular1 shows how countless ,americans might leap at the chance to telecommute4 ,his employer was a bureaucracy1 a huge one1 hardly a trendies' citadel1 lacking an official telecommuting program1 and yet he carved out his own niche as a wired worker4 ,the ,navy allowed a few other men from his office to write and think at home4 ,but the resourceful ,fuller went a step beyond2 he took the initiative of hooking himself up electronically4 ,and he told me1 8,i'll never again work where ,i don't want to be40 ,it seemed so logical4 ,now that telecommuting was technologically possible1 why shouldn't employees ask for it8 ,why shouldn't telecommuting be a grass-roots movement among professionals in large organizations1 not just the province of corporate planners and rich escapees from ,wall ,street8 ,moreover1 with his down-to-earth wisdom expressed plainly in a ,georgia accent1 ,john ,fuller couldn't be shrugged off as a dreamy hacker4 ,the purists might not have accepted ,fuller into the telecommuting fold1 since he was still spending at least one-quarter of his forty-hour week in other people's offices4 ,to me1 though1 he was all the better an illustration of how people and companies could gracefully change over4 ,as an in-house consultant1 ,fuller went from office to office1 telling1 for instance1 how the ,naval ,academy could set up a cost-analysis formula for its laundry or how a base commander could consolidate two computer systems4 ,his 8clients0 were not completely 8on-line40 ,and he appreciated the value of face-to-face meetings where he could smooth ruffled feathers with southern humor4 8,i may look like another alligator10 he would tell bureaucrats intimidated by the presence of a management consultant1 8and ,i may be taking you away from your work1 but ,i need information from you to help you do it better40 ,fuller would also stray into his boss's office from time to time for library research and to remind people he was still breathing4 ,every few days he reminded them in other1 more meaningful ways4 ,he would load up his little ,heath computer with disks containing the report he was working on and a communications program4 ,the computer would then pipe the output to his modem1 which sped the results to a ,wang word processor in his office--well1 his former office4 ,a secretary would capture the information on a disk1 watching in appreciation as ,fuller's work flashed across the ,wang's screen at several hundred words per minute4 8,the secretaries don't admit to being threatened10 he said4 8,they're still busy transcribing the stuff the other guys bring in4 ,and if the others were transmitting it like me1 they'd still need to do the final formating1 editing1 the modifications required of these things4 8,besides1 there's got to be someone there who answers the phone40 ,baby-sitting a computer by the phone doesn't sound like the most challenging task1 but one day many of the secretaries themselves may work at home4 ,granted1 some management-level workers worry that telecommuting would lower their own job status by forcing them to work keyboards4 8,if ,i were a civilian at some companies and ,i sat down at a keyboard and composed my day's work10 ,fuller admitted1 8a clerk or administrative-type person might complain to the personnel office that ,i was clerical rather than professional and should be demoted4 8,as the younger generation of managers grows up with keyboards and rises higher in the power structure10 ,fuller said1 however1 8you'll find the stigma fading40 ,by century's end1 moreover1 a voice-controlled computer might sell for less than #a1jjj4 ,good-bye1 typing6 ,you may still use a keyboard1 actually--but just to clean up sentences where the computer confused 8sleigh0 with 8slay0 or muddled similar combinations4 ,should you1 then1 even today1 follow ,fuller's example and make yourself a telecommuter8 ,consider3 #a4 ,how much public contact does your job require and in what form8 ,and how much contact do you have with your coworkers8 ,fuller didn't need to have strangers passing through his office4 ,his job1 rather1 called for him to go to 8clients40 ,also1 he was working on his own projects1 not entangled in office-wide activities1 and he didn't need constant feedback from his boss4 #b4 ,does your job require much office politics1 and how secure are you in it8 ,john ,fuller was about to retire4 ,had he been a young manager fighting for a promotion1 he might not have chosen to remain most of the time out of his boss's sight4 ,then again1 he did have the benefit of a superior more enlightened than many4 ,his boss wanted results1 not mere attendance4 ,margrethe ,olson1 an associate professor at ,new ,york ,university's business school1 warns that some telecommuters may suffer at promotion time4 ,she correctly wonders about 8the long-term career potential of an employee in an environment where visibility is still critical to promotability40 ,in a #aihb paper ,olson observed3 8,some form of management by objectives1 either informal or formal1 generally needs to replace #8over the shoulder' supervision1 in spirit as well as in fact40 ,as she once said1 8,culture changes more slowly than technology40 ,keep in mind the experiences of a vice-president of a ,new ,york consulting firm who telecommuted from ,florida4 ,when the ,new ,york ,times interviewed him1 he insisted that he remain nameless1 lest the wrong people in the firm find out about the arrangement4#fj 8,i still think there's a mentality around there that people who work at home are not working10 he said1 adding1 however3 8,i like to have uninterrupted periods of work alone4 ,if ,i have to stop and go to a meeting for two hours1 ,i lose more than two hours40 ,footnote #fj3 ,the example of the ,florida-based telecommuter is from 8,rising ,trend of ,computer ,age3 ,employees ,who ,work at ,home20 ,new ,york ,times1 ,march #ab1 #aiha1 p4 #a4 #c4 ,what becomes of the clerks and secretaries whose work your telecommuting may change or reduce8 ,fuller's 8disappearance0 from his regular office didn't put anyone out on the street4 ,it merely lightened the secretaries' work loads4 #d4 ,how expensive1 and how much trouble technically1 would telecommuting be to your company and to you8 ,in ,fuller's case it was relatively easy4 ,his office already had the word processor1 and as a computer hobbyist he already owned the ,heath micro4 ,ever ingenious1 he devised an easy way of entering data so the ,wang1 which justified margins by the paragraph1 could function with his home system1 which did so by the line4 7,see ,backup ,,xi1 8,the ,micro ,connection3 ,some ,critical ,explanations10 for more tips on links between your own micro and the office's47 ,john ,fuller's electronic hookup cost next to nothing4 ,a modem like his--the device allows a computer to talk over the phone--would sell for about #ajj today4 ,faster modems may cost #cjj-fjj4 ,it pays to check out technical specifications and shop around4 ,the old compatibility rule applies here3 don't believe that any combinations of equipment will work together until you've actually tested them out4 ,obtain a store's promise that you'll win a refund if the systems won't talk to one another electronically4 ,you'll also need to make sure that the computers have communications programs that function together4 ,a good communications program for a micro--one that's easy to use and lets you store information to be transmitted--can cost less than #aej4 ,even free software may work for you4 ,i didn't pay a cent for my ,,modem#g program1 which the writers placed in the public domain4 ,normally1 as a do-it-yourself telecommuter1 you should favor micros over 8dumb terminals40 ,at least make certain you can easily accumulate large masses of material to shoot out over the phone lines4 ,that way you'll conserve your company's phone and computer resources4 ,suppose1 however1 that somehow they're both unlimited and you don't mind a phone line being tied up while you're dumping material into the big corporate computer4 ,then maybe you can get away with a dumb terminal costing just a few hundred dollars4 #e4 ,how do you normally gather information in your job8 ,by phone8 ,by looking over written material8 ,by tapping into your company's computer8 ,if facts normally reach you by phone1 you can install a special business line and tell your colleagues that1 no1 they won't disturb you at home--that your work is what the line's for4 ,written material is trickier1 of course4 ,one answer may be a facsimile machine1 which could cost more than your computer but may be justified if drawings are part of your work4 ,in the future1 even cheap personal computers will have attachments to scan written documents and zip the images over the phone lines4 ,already some expensive ,wangs offer this feature4 ,meanwhile1 like ,fuller1 you may want to catch up with written material by visiting your office every few days1 or you may try a formal or informal messenger service--perhaps a coworker4 ,if you must tap into your company's own computer1 make certain you can do so without any data-security complications4 ,and consider how accessible your corporate data base is to begin with4 ,maybe there aren't ways of conveniently plugging in--in which case you'd better rid yourself of plans for do-it-yourself telecommuting4 #f4 ,would your family leave you alone while you telecommuted8 ,you must work out a deal with them that includes a place to work without interruption1 rules for phone messages1 and so on4 #g4 ,what about potential marital problems8 8,if you work in your employer's office1 your spouse doesn't show up very often10 says ,walter ,i4 ,nissen1 ,jr41 a programmer-consultant who1 off and on1 has been telecommuting in various jobs since the late #aifjs4 8,but if you're home1 your spouse can get angry at you1 face-to-face1 right there40 ,he finds telecommuting to be easier with his wife now working as a social worker4 #h4 ,do you have the drive to do your job alone8 8,i'm not a ,theory ,x man10 says ,fuller1 referring to the school of management that says people work best with the boss peering over their shoulders4 ,don't mess with do-it-yourself telecommuting if you aren't a self-starter--a useful trait even in corporately initiated programs4 ,don't recommend it to anyone lacking this trait4 #i4 ,can your boss measure your performance objectively8 ,this isn't necessary but it helps4 ,michael ,k4 ,caverly1 a recently retired captain and ,john ,fuller's former supervisor1 couldn't give any precise figures comparing the overall quality of the telecommuter's work to earlier times4 ,but ,caverly was plainly delighted4 ,he believes that ,fuller performed better without having to worry everyday about the horrors of rush hour4 8,i almost feel guilty about it10 he said of ,fuller's diligence4 8,he would rework a problem all night long1 and ,i'd feel almost as if ,i were taking advantage of him4 ,in our office we did thirty-three studies one year1 and ,john's studies were the only ones that came in on time all the time40 ,jeremy ,joan ,hewes is also sold on telecommuting4 8,can you work at home80 ,hewes's own boss asked when he hired her for ,,pc ,magazine1 an independent publication for owners of the ,,ibm ,,pc4 8,that's where the computer is10 she replied happily4 ,it made sense4 ,hewes had her ,north ,star micro there1 after all4 ,what's more1 she'd written a book on 8worksteaders10 as she called them1 and by her late thirties had worked at home most of her professional life4 ,so why not use her ,north ,star there and modem her stories in8 ,she might even edit others' articles sent over the phone lines4 ,the magazine wouldn't have to jam another human sardine into the cramped offices it then occupied above a restaurant in northwest ,san ,francisco4 ,she could work better alone4 ,the pay would be the same for her hundred hours a month4 ,and she could enjoy tax breaks on computer equipment1 supplies1 even some of her rent4 ,the magazine1 in return1 ended up getting more than five thousand words a month from her1 sometimes double that amount1 while1 at the same time1 as an associate editor1 she regularly oversaw at least one other writer4 ,she also did additional work for which she was paid beyond the hundred hours4 8,it's a lot less chaotic at home10 said ,hewes1 who also was writing books4 8,i don't have to dress up4 ,i normally wear jeans or corduroys4 ,i can start work at dawn in my bathrobe and answer the phone that way if it rings while ,i'm headed for the shower4 ,i don't have to drive through traffic jams every day4 ,or stand up for twenty minutes on a bus1 hanging on for dear life to a pole1 jolting along the street4 ,i work in surroundings ,i've created40 ,she created them with both the ,,irs and aesthetics in mind4 ,her apartment1 near the ,golden ,gate ,bridge1 was on the second floor of a seventy-year-old house with high ceilings and leaded bay windows4 ,a bookshelf and wooden cabinet set the computer area apart4 ,her keyboard and video screen were atop a custom-crafted table with fruitwood edges2 she can work alongside her cocker spaniel-poodle1 and through the bays she could see a doll-repair shop4 ,it was vintage ,san ,francisco4 ,no matter that neighbors' punk-rock music once besieged her ears or that practice pitchers sometimes thudded tennis balls against the house or that apartments cluttered what once were sand dunes4 ,several times a day she switched on her answering machine1 a device she deemed necessary for worksteads4 ,then she'd swim laps at a nearby pool or walk her dog amid cypress and eucalyptus trees1 perhaps with friends1 perhaps alone1 perhaps mulling over future articles for ,,pc1 where she once warned would-be telecommuters of the need for 8regular breaks from the concentration of work40 ,at the same time she lectured herself and others on the need for self-discipline4 ,she trained her friends to realize that she was earning a living1 not goofing off--a confusion that may fade as telecommuting becomes a more mundane pursuit4 ,she kept her sanity and a schedule--well1 a writer's equivalent of a schedule--by remembering how she had promised to research ,x material by ,y date and how she would complete an article on time4 8,i go to an editorial meeting10 she said1 8and ,i say1 #8,here's what ,i want to write for the ,march issue4' ,they say1 #8,oh1 gosh1 someone else is doing that1' or1 #8,why don't you do this8' or1 #8,fine1 hand it in by the fifteenth4'0 8,rarely10 ,hewes said of her editors1 8can ,i imagine them calling me at eight in the morning to transmit a story in an hour40 ,mostly1 in fact1 she sent in her stories at night through her computer4 ,her ,,ibm--she loyally bought one to replace the ,north ,star--talked over the phone to the magazine's machine with an automatic-answer modem4 ,she could tell the office computer to save her copy on a disk4 ,except for light editing and formating1 no human normally needed to type another keystroke2 ,,pc's computers tied in with the printer's4 ,it sounds ,h,a,lish1 depersonalized1 but like ,fuller1 she and others at the magazine tried to infuse their work with as much warmth as they could4 ,no one at ,,pc was leaving martinetlike orders--unaccompanied by conversation1 phone or otherwise--on the green screen4 ,and ,hewes painstakingly consulted over the phone with her writers4 ,moreover1 while ,hewes worked from home at least seventy of the hundred hours1 she was at the ,,pc offices several times a week to socialize1 pick up mail1 and swap ideas4 ,and she would have come in1 occasionally1 anyway1 even if she lived fifty miles from the magazine4 7,also1 she was in the field for face-to-face interviews1 just as ,fuller1 working for the ,navy1 would visit his 8clients407 ,as the telecommuting movement grows1 workers and supervisors alike should remember to see and speak to others1 not just key to each other4 ,whatever the case here1 both ,hewes and ,,pc were tickled with her telecommuting arrangement4 8,we're not paying for office space1 electricity1 desk space10 said ,david ,h4 ,bunnell1 then publisher and editor in chief4 8,she even provides her own coffee40 ,an office for her might have cost the equivalent of #a1bjj a year4 ,more important1 however1 ,bunnell happily noted the thousands of words she writes for each issue3 8,she couldn't be more productive1 and she does her research conscientiously4 ,like the article she did on printers4 ,it was obvious she'd surveyed twenty or thirty manufacturers in the field40 ,close to a year later1 ,hewes told me that she was no longer telecommuting regularly4 ,bunnell had been so happy with her work that he had appointed her editor at the book division of ,,pc ,world1 which he had started after leaving ,,pc ,magazine4 ,hewes still loved the concept of telecommuting4 ,but she understood its limits better4 8,when ,i was an associate editor of ,,pc ,magazine10 she said1 8,i was actually more of a writer than an editor1 and ,i didn't have to be as much a manager as ,i am now4 ,but now ,i have to juggle ten book projects and do budgets and go to several meetings a week4 ,my ideal thing would be to go to the office two days a week and work at home the other three4 ,i figure ,i'll work on that for next year4 ,now all ,i've got to do is get everyone ,i need to see to come in the same two days that ,i do60 ,bunnell himself offers another qualification in praising telecommuting--not everyone has the needed discipline--but he says telecommuting can work especially well for people who write or sell4 ,one ,new ,york magazine publisher1 in fact1 developed a special computer system for handicapped people1 featuring written prompts to keep sales pitches consistent4 ,and ,bunnell thinks that telecommuting can work for executives1 too1 with the right system1 taking advantage of computerized records of the words they keyed in4 ,can clerical-level workers1 however1 also telecommute happily8 ,a ,south ,carolina case illustrates both the blessings and potential pitfalls of telecommuting for clerical people4#fa ,footnote #fa3 ,the ,south ,carolina facts come from 8,rising ,trend of ,computer ,age3 ,employees ,who ,work at ,home10 the ,new ,york ,times1 ,march #ab1 #aiha1 p4 #a2 8,computers ,turn ,dens into ,offices10 ,,usa ,today1 ,may #i1 #aihc1 p4 #a2 and 8,home ,computer ,sweatshops40 ,the ,nation1 ,april #b1 #aihc1 p4 #cij4 ,in addition1 ,i talked to ,ann ,blackwell and her husband1 ,tim1 assistant vice-president of basic and major medical claims at ,blue ,cross-,blue ,shield1 in ,south ,carolina4 ,blue ,cross-,blue ,shield there says it isn't running an electronic sweatshop4 ,the telecommuters' rewards are roughly comparable to those of the regular office workers1 and some cottage keyers can actually come out far ahead4 ,the program has been going on for years4 ,and there's a long waiting list4 ,ann ,blackwell1 one of the keyers1 transmits her work back to ,blue ,cross at the crack of dawn2 then she can fix breakfast for her two children and take breaks for household work and lunch4 8,i'd rather do this than go to the office10 she said4 8,i don't have to dress4 ,i don't have someone looking over my shoulder all the time to see if ,i'm working40 ,in a typical day a 8cottage keyer0 processes #cfj claims forms from doctors4 ,the pay is sixteen cents a claim1 or #eg4fj for the #cfj1 minus a levy of #aj4bj for equipment rental1 meaning that the worker ends up with #dg4dj before taxes4 ,that's #b4ah more a day than full-time employees at ,blue ,cross receive for similar work1 if you consider the full timers' benefits like holidays1 sick leave1 vacation1 and disability and health insurance4 ,a good clerk could earn some #ab1jjj a year4 ,and #ab1jjj is nothing to sneer at in ,south ,carolina where many living costs are low4 ,however3 #a4 ,the cottage keyers are paying more than #b1fjj a year to rent their machines4 ,doesn't this smack of company-store tactics in a mining town8 ,why not finance the purchase of the worker's own machine1 which he or she might pay off in a year8 ,blue ,cross official ,tim ,blackwell--who has given his company some useful feedback based on his wife's experiences--defends the steep charge for the machines4 ,he says it's actually an incentive4 ,the more a cottage keyer works and earns1 the smaller will be the percentage of her income going to pay for the terminal cost4 #b4 ,the telecommuters don't get the security that full timers do4 #c4 ,likewise1 the cottage keyers lack the normal fringe benefits4 ,the program could delight a wife whose husband holds a steady job with good health insurance and other benefits4 ,on the other hand1 the arrangement could be bad news for a worker depending on the telecommuting for his or her main income4 ,significantly1 women head most single-parent households4 #d4 ,the keyers may not be sharing the experiment's rewards fifty-fifty4 ,excluding minor administrative expenses1 the telecommuters' services cost the firm #dg4dj a day on the average1 minus whatever profit the company may make off the terminals it rents to the workers4 ,let's say the final expense is #de4 ,by contrast1 the regular workers cost at least #ej4eb a day if you include vacation1 fringe benefits1 and the #e4cj that the firm pays for a terminal lease4 ,missing1 however1 are the expenses of office space4 ,also1 the company's getting slightly more work from the telecommuters with only about #ab percent as many errors6 ,could an antitelecommuting backlash develop as workers catch on to the economics8 ,already the ,american ,federation of ,labor and ,congress of ,industrial ,organizations and the ,services ,employees ,international ,union have proposed the outlawing of computer homework4 ,given the political climate of the mid-#aihjs1 that seemed unlikely4 ,this could change1 however4 ,gil ,gordon1 an ex-,johnson and ,johnson personnel man turned telecommuting consultant1 correctly warns against using telecommuting to bargain down workers' pay or bust up organizing drives4 8,there's nothing new about shift work1 piecework1 which is what pay per line of information is10 says ,karen ,nussbaum1 president of #i to #e1 the ,national ,association of ,working ,women4 8,or pay by keystroke homework4 ,that's a step back into the ,middle ,ages1 if you ask me1 and into the cottage industries40#fb ,footnote #fb3 ,the ,nussbaum quotes are from 8#i to #e ,president ,raps ,office ,automation1 ,says ,it ,deskills1 ,devalues ,office ,jobs10 ,computerworld1 ,may #c1 #aihb1 p4 #ec4 ,a difference exists1 after all1 between creative jobs1 like ,hewes's1 and those that1 in any setting1 will be drudge work4 ,the question is ,where will the typing1 the data entry1 the other labor1 be more palatable--home or normal office8 ,and ideally that's a worker-by-worker1 company-by-company1 decision4 ,perhaps some workers will eventually strike for the right to telecommute4 ,in fact1 ,glenn ,e4 ,watts1 president of the ,communications ,workers of ,america1 while frowning on electronic scabbing1 once said that telecommuters might even plug into union gatherings4 ,union opposition to telecommuting could very well change4 ,the big variable is whether companies will follow ,gil ,gordon's wise advice not to use telecommuting as a union-busting ploy4 ,of course1 presently1 home work isn't for all4 ,today a telecommuter can't make steel1 cars1 or refrigerators by remote control4 ,he or she can't cook a ,big ,mac1 sweep a floor1 run a supermarket checkout1 or load a truck2 for telecommuting is now strictly the province of white-collar workers and professionals4 ,indeed1 companies in predominantly blue-collar fields may decide that certain office jobs just defy wiring in4 ,suppose an auto worker suffers a series of late paychecks4 ,will a payroll clerk sitting in a comfortable suburban home be as responsive as he might be dealing with the man face-to-face8 ,even in basically white-collar fields1 some bosses and employers may look askance at universal telecommuting4 ,some1 for instance1 may miss the hints of body language1 the blink of an eye1 the tapping feet1 the little1 subtle signs that many people feel to 8read0 friend and foe4 ,others simply miss seeing people hard at work4 ,a ,seattle hospital administrator1 a telecommuter supervising two others working at home1 says3 8,it ultimately comes down to an honor system40#fc ,footnote #fc3 ,the ,seattle example is from ,business ,week1 ,may #c1 #aihb1 p4 #ff4 ,so if you don't trust your underlings and can't objectively measure their output1 you'd better keep your workers at the office and watch for eye blinks4 ,not that every employee will want to telecommute1 anyway4 ,management ,recruiters ,international1 ,inc4 asked six thousand people if they'd be willing to telecommute several days a week4 ,only #cf percent said they would4 ,that's still an impressive percentage1 and it will grow as more people appreciate telecommuting's virtues and it becomes more socially acceptable1 but there'll always be skeptics like ,jack ,smith4#fd ,footnote #fd3 ,,usa ,today1 ,march #bh1 #aihd1 p4 #c;,b1 reported ,management ,recruiters' telecommuting survey4 ,he's a columnist with the ,los ,angeles ,times1 which once freed him of his commute4 ,after six weeks1 however1 his granddaughter broke his typewriter1 and he temporarily returned to the newspaper1 where he rediscovered the joys of face-to-face contact and decided to remain4 ,his columns perked up4 ,he had missed 8the friendly faces1 fresh in the morning2 the clothes2 the gossip2 the flirtations2 the benign conspiracies2 lunch-hour expeditions2 the open forums on war and peace1 ,reaganomics1 and the ,rams quarterback controversy1 none of which could be examined with such reckless spontaneity by anything canned for consumption on your home computer40 8,he realized that he really came back to the office not just to write but to renew his interaction with human life10 says ,william ,renfro1 a ,washington consultant4#fe ,footnote #fe3 ,william ,renfro's comments appeared in ,the ,futurist1 ,june #aihb4 ,then again1 ,maxine ,messinger1 a gossip columnist with the ,houston ,chronicle1 writes happily on a computer at home and brags that she hasn't been to the office in years4 8,for a long time it's been far more efficient for me to work at home10 says another confirmed telecommuter1 ,hollis ,vail1 a part-time management consultant with the ,u4,s4 ,geological ,survey4 8,i use my computer for writing1 reports1 and sending reports and messages10 he says1 8and ,i can get all the data ,i want from the system40 ,the ,u4,s4 ,geological ,survey has thousands of people using electronic mail1 and ,vail can even hold conferences over the wire and record the results on his computer disks4 ,then he can sum them up4 ,in fact1 he can electronically cut and paste to produce policy documents reflecting many viewpoints4 ,david ,snyder1 now a professional futurist and consultant1 fondly remembers the computerized conferences of his days as an ,internal ,revenue ,service official4 8,i wrote a book with eight other people10 he says1 8and we didn't meet until it was written4 ,it was a much better product because we could work that way4 ,the travel would have been too expensive4 ,and the mails would have been too much of a delay40 ,the coauthors left their contributions in each other's electronic mailboxes for perusal and change4 ,back then ,snyder was on a government computer1 but later he hooked up an ,apple in his ,maryland home2 he was planning to connect with aunts1 uncles1 and other members of his extended family1 nationwide1 who1 together1 do consulting and produce films4 8,you can't have a mom-and-pop steel mill10 he said4 8,you can have a mom-and-pop information factory40 ,rank ,xerox1 the office equipment giant's joint venture in ,england1 is helping to pave the way for ,mom and ,pop4 ,it's letting managers and other professionals telecommute4 ,they're no longer salaried1 and they give up pensions and perks like company cars2 but the 8networkers10 as they're called1 normally sign two-year contracts guaranteeing them work at least two days a week4 ,business with other companies may take up the remaining days4 ,in a sense the ,rank ,xerox program could be a large corporation's version of the hundred-hour-a-month arrangement that ,jeremy ,hewes worked out with the computer magazine4 8,clearly10 says ,derek ,hornby1 staff support director and a member of the ,rank ,xerox policy committee1 8we need and will always have a #8core' staff within the head office for day-to-day management4 ,many functions1 however1 can be fulfilled by networkers40#ff ,footnote #ff3 ,the ,xerox example comes from correspondence1 interviews1 and the ,financial ,times1 ,london1 ,july #bj1 #aihb4 ,computer work1 pension advising1 management training1 even putting out the company newsletter1 are some of the tasks with which the networkers may help core staffers4 ,who qualifies for the program8 ,someone the company wants to keep but whose services it needs only part time4 ,the first networker1 ,roger ,walker1 a former personnel manager in his late thirties1 helped cut costs in the most direct way1 eliminating his job4 ,he was planning1 anyway1 to venture out on his own4 ,but the ,rank ,xerox program eased the transition4 8,what do you answer10 ,i asked the company1 8when people say1 #8,isn't this really just an outplacement scheme8'0 8,the rough cost of someone going networking10 said ,phil ,judkins1 a ,rank ,xerox spokesman in ,london1 8is approximately three times the cost of their compensation if they were simply declared redundant by ,rank ,xerox40 ,more than a year into the program1 how were the volunteers doing8 8,extremely well10 said ,judkins--all of them4 ,he said two networkers seemed 8well on the way to one-million-dollar turnover companies40 ,and ,rank ,xerox1 needless to say1 didn't supply all that business4 ,along the way the corporation was benefiting from the useful business contacts that the new entrepreneurs were making outside the company4 ,sensibly1 it discounted its model #hbj microcomputer for the networkers4 ,they could not only do their normal work but help show off a company product4 ,runaway expenses1 though1 especially rent1 were the real spur behind the experiment4 ,the rent on ,rank ,xerox's international headquarters1 in ,london1 had doubled in just two years4 ,small wonder1 then1 that ,rank ,xerox wanted to trim every speck of gristle from its headquarters budget4 ,and by late #aihc the knife seemed to be slicing well4 ,the forty-three networkers were helping ,rank ,xerox save a third of a million dollars a year in office space4 ,judkins said3 8,we have rid our books of this sterile expense40 ,in the ,united ,states1 ,mike ,bell1 ,xerox real estate executive1 is busy toting up the advantages of another form of telecommuting--moving some corporate operations out of expensive downtown areas4 8,why should a company have row after row of workers taking up desk space in back rooms in large cities10 he says1 8when it could modernize its office machinery and farm them out to offices in the suburbs8 ,an average office worker and his desk take up #bjj square feet at #bj a foot in big cities4 ,that's #d1jjj a year just for rent4 ,suppose you could move him to a suburb with rent at #ab a square foot4 ,then rent would be only #b1djj a year40 ,if the employee was in a suburban office tied in to headquarters via a computer-telephone hook-up1 you might save as much as #c1jjj over five years--even if you counted expenses like equipment costs4#fg ,footnote #fg3 ,thanks to ,mike ,bell for helping me obtain figures comparing telecommuting costs to alternatives4 ,and the editor has simplified the numbers presented4 ,and you might save #h1bjj per employee over a five year period if the workers were at home4 ,the chart below assumes that 7#a7 each employee takes up #bjj square feet1 including corridor1 aisle1 and file space1 7#b7 the downtown rent is #bj a square foot1 which is perhaps half of some ,manhattan rents1 7#c7 the suburban rent is #ab a square foot1 7#d7 you pay home workers #d a square foot in rent1 7#e7 your investment in equipment for each telecommuter is #d1jjj1 7#f7 the effective tax rate is #ce percent1 7#g7 you'll receive a tax credit of ten percent of the computer gear's initial cost and 7#h7 depreciation is straight line over five years4 ,yes1 #d1jjj is more than the computers might each cost2 the inflated figure helps fudge for miscellaneous expenses like moving expenses and phone bills4 ,as for tax laws1 they can change4 ,but the credit--as distinguished from depreciation--accounts for only a tiny fraction of the money you're saving4 ,one last point3 the chart below doesn't consider interest on what you'd be saving in rent4 ,large companies1 of course1 could mix different forms of telecommuting and employment arrangements4 ,they might even let some workers shift back and forth4 ,some employees1 some of the time1 anyway1 would work at home1 while others might be at companies' regional or neighborhood telecommuting centers of one kind or another4 ,jack ,nilles's kind of neighborhood center--at least one of the kinds he's proposed--would be organized by corporate function4 ,one center would bring all the accountants together1 for instance1 ,a ,,comparison ,,of ,,office ,,expenses ,,per ,,worker ,,case #a3 ,,downtown ,,office ,years #j #a #b #c #d #e ,total ,rent #j #d1jjj #d1jjj #d1jjj #d1jjj #d1jjj #bj1jjj ,tax ,reduction at #j -#a1djj -#a1djj -#a1djj -#a1djj -#a1djj -#g1jjj #ce ,rate ,total ,expenses #j #b1fjj #b1fjj #b1fjj #b1fjj #b1fjj #ac1jjj ,,case #b3 ,,suburban ,,office ,years #j #a #b #c #d #e ,total ,rent #j #b1djj #b1djj #b1djj #b1djj #b1djj #ab1jjj ,tax ,reduction at #j -#hdj -#hdj -#hdj -#hdj -#hdj -#d1bjj #ce ,rate ,investment #d1jjj #j #j #j #j #j #d1jjj ,tax ,credit -#djj #j #j #j #j #j -#djj ,depreciation #j -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#a1djj ,credit ,total ,expenses #c1fjj #a1bhj #a1bhj #a1bhj #a1bhj #a1bhj #aj1jjj ,,case #c3 ,,home ,,office ,years #j #a #b #c #d #e ,total ,rent #j #hjj #hjj #hjj #hjj #hjj #d1jjj ,tax ,reduction at #j -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#a1djj #ce ,rate ,investment #d1jjj #j #j #j #j #j #d1jjj ,tax ,credit -#djj #j #j #j #j #j -#djj ,depreciation #j -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#bhj -#a1djj ,credit ,total ,expenses #c1fjj #bdj #bdj #bdj #bdj #bdj #d1hjj and another would house a company's public relations department4 ,this idea does have the important advantage of1 say1 letting accountants pore over their electronic ledgers in each other's company4 ,yet what about the unlucky ones who lived in suburbs across town8#fh ,footnote #fh3 ,nilles may have been the first to envision neighborhood centers for telecommuters4 ,they would prefer1 presumably1 the kind of center propounded by ,richard ,c4 ,harkness1 a former professor at the ,university of ,washington who later joined ,satellite ,business ,systems4 ,under the ,harkness plan1 an employee would go to the center closest to his home4 8,he might even walk there10 ,harkness says4 ,according to him1 a large company might have as many neighborhood centers as elementary schools--leasing offices for individual workers or small groups4 ,imagine a professional building with a real estate agency next to a stockbroker1 a doctor across the hall from a commodities trader4 ,well1 that's how it would be in a building housing neighborhood centers1 except a sign outside a suite might say 8,general ,motors0 rather than 8,dr4 ,pearlman40 ,of course a company might instead have fewer centers and lease whole floors4 ,stepping off the elevator1 you'd see the foot-high letters reminding you you were in ,,gm territory4 ,workers would benefit from the companionship of perhaps several dozen colleagues1 quick access to secretarial and copying services1 and similar support4 8,my way is more radical than locating people by jobs10 says ,harkness1 8since an accountant could be in one place and his boss in another40 ,computer networks would maintain entire organizations2 a whole new branch of management science would develop to hone procedures to manage telecommuters4 ,perhaps the day will come when ,,ibm will endow ,harvard ,business ,school with a telecommuting chair4 ,a third form of neighborhood center would be a munytel1 as ,i'll call it--a municipally or privately run center with terminals capable of linking up with many companies' equipment4 ,individual employees1 not companies1 might rent munytel offices4 ,munytels would not bolster employees' corporate loyalties2 but some companies wouldn't care1 favoring other ways4#fi ,footnote #fi3 ,the #aigg ,stanford study discusses the neighborhood-center concept in depth and describes a number of possibilities1 many of them overlapping with my 8munytel0 idea4 ,the term 8munytel0 is mine4 ,munytels1 moreover1 could be ideal for free-lance telecommuters who valued a clear line between home and office4 ,workers would be at these neighborhood centers all the time or whenever they preferred and space was available4 ,fed up temporarily with toiling alongside a sullen spouse at home8 ,then you'd flee to a munytel1 unless your free-lance work involved confidential company information2 in which case you might drive to a ,,gm or ,prudential suite with a spare terminal4 ,neighbors with similar or complementary skills might gather at munytels and pool resources to seek contracts from large companies4 ,why not use computerized lists to bring together people in the first place8 8,neighborhood work centers could themselves become employers1 selling clerical or professional services to other organizations10 said one of the consultants working with ,harkness on a landmark telecommuting study for the ,stanford ,research ,institute in the late #aigjs4 ,munytels1 in addition1 could be drop-off points for messengers from corporations' headquarters4 ,they would deliver printed material--books1 for instance--that companies couldn't flash across the screens of telecommuters at home and munytels4 ,also1 and perhaps just as important1 munytels could serve as informal neighborhood clubs4 ,they could offer food and drink and a chance to mix electronically transmitted gossip with the face-to-face kind4 8,meet me10 a stock suggestion might go1 8at the munytel40 ,moreover1 for telecommuters unable to handle their children and jobs simultaneously1 the munytels might provide child care4 ,and in poor neighborhoods1 the munytels could combine work facilities with training4 ,the prefiasco ,continental ,illinois ,bank in ,chicago1 despite its bad luck with 8problem loans10 did some enlightened work in this field4 ,it experimented with a word-processing center twenty-five miles away at a community college4 ,the bank used it for both training and actual bank work1 a logical combination2 the students have learned on equipment similar to what they would use on the job1 not simply the obsolete machinery that many schools must skimp along with4 ,corporations1 encouraged by tax breaks or government subsidies1 might together establish munytels in poorer neighborhoods4#gj ,they would provide the businesslike surroundings that some workers might prefer over home offices in slums or public housing projects4 ,footnote #gj3 ,elizabeth ,carlson of ,continental ,illinois said the community college had ended the experiment after buying its own equipment4 ,but the bank feels the arrangement was successful4 ,in fact1 it set up a satellite word-processing center in a shopping center near the college4 ,munytels would be one response to some thoughtful criticisms of telecommuting made by ,janice ,c4 ,blood1 #i to #e's information director4 8,if you're a secretary earning #aa1jjj a year10 she says1 8will your employer build you an addition for your computer room8 ,even a small ,apple wouldn't be too attractive an addition to my living room40 ,blood is also worried about the cost of the equipment itself1 asking1 8,should someone get a cut in salary just because her boss gets her a new typewriter80 ,more likely1 however1 clerical workers instead would receive some more money for turning out a lot more work4 ,whatever the case1 munytels could be a solution to the equipment issue--in addition to the obvious one of company-supplied computers in various cases4 ,but workers should still be free to use their own terminals4 ,remember ,hollis ,vail's preference for his printer8 ,he's right4 ,i could never stomach working all day on1 say1 one of the older ,apple ,i,is1 which some companies may still use as their universal microcomputer4 ,my ,kaypro's keyboard has a silkier feel4 ,the screen is more viewable than many ,apple monitors1 and ,i'm a confirmed ,word,star addict4 ,even if voice commands become the norm1 ,i may well be among the last of the keyboard diehards4 ,and yet1 were ,i telecommuting1 it wouldn't matter4 ,a corporate computer would care about the right series and speeds of bytes1 not how they originated4 ,so ,i might be able to keep using my electronic equivalent of a buggy whip4 ,just about anybody1 moreover1 will be able to afford a useful small computer before the end of the century--because sooner or later one will be cheaper than today's typical ,,tv sets4 ,flat screens and keyboards will sell for a pittance as mass production and robotics drive down costs4 ,so much for that one of ,blood's arguments4 ,as for her fear of an ,apple system cluttering up her living room--well1 the home computer of tomorrow will probably be smaller and better looking4 ,or it'll be part of your ,,tv4 ,if not8 ,you may hide your equipment in a handsome1 wooden cabinet that will convert to a genuinely ergonomic table of adjustable height4 ,no1 ,i don't know of a product like that now4 ,but already stores in trendy ,yuppie areas are springing up with names like 8,computer ,support10 and some of their offerings may be as fit for your living room as for your office4 ,less easily answered1 however1 is ,blood's worry of 8a ,mae ,west employment profile0--broad at the top1 narrow at the middle1 wide at the bottom4 ,that is1 there might be lush job opportunities near the top around the equivalent of ,mae's bust4 ,a few senior managers could electronically monitor the masses toiling at home--could count and time their keystrokes4 ,but between the top people and the ones entering the data1 companies would need many fewer run-of-the-mill supervisors4 ,and that would pinch off some promotion opportunities for the clerical workers4 ,in some ways1 however1 companies might make nonsupervisory work more palatable4 ,they might1 for instance1 pay clerks not by individuals' keystrokes but by those of small 8telegroups10 where peer pressure would keep every member productive4 ,also1 companies might follow the example of ,volvo1 the ,swedish automaker1 and rotate some workers' tasks4 ,some numbers crunchers might swap assignments with word-processing people4 ,indeed1 companies could pay extra for versatility4 ,word-processing work today is sometimes more complicated than regular typing2 but that might not always be so1 and corporations could relieve some of the boredom of repetitious jobs simply by letting employees exchange them4 ,still another legitimate worry is the distribution of the economic benefits of telecommuting4 ,what's to prevent employers from abuse of the piecework payment system if the government lets it become the norm8 ,could piecework be just a gimmick to help impersonally squeeze the last drop of blood from the clerical telecommuters8 ,is telecommuting a mean-spirited or enlightened response to the day-care problem8 ,i suspect some companies are mean spirited4 ,not all4 ,but some4 ,ideally1 however1 this won't deprive society of telecommuting's benefits4 ,munytels1 after all1 could help solve the child-care problem1 and changes in the labor laws could guarantee the fairness of the piecework system for all4 ,existing ones do cover clerks doing piecework4 ,they must1 for instance1 keep time records to show they're collecting the equivalent of the minimum wage4 ,in a related matter1 a controversy was swirling in #aihd around a #db-year-old federal ban on commercial home knitting--an issue of interest to companies considering telecommuting4 ,unions were fighting for the ban2 the ,reagan administration1 for courts to overturn it4#ga ,perhaps the ,reaganites would want no restrictions on corporate use of telecommuters1 which is unfortunate considering the opportunities for electronic sweatshops1 of which the sleazy will certainly want to avail themselves4 ,ideally1 either 7#a7 ,i'm wrong about the ,reaganites or 7#b7 future administrations will take a more enlightened attitude4 ,footnote #ga3 ,in ,november #aihd the ,labor ,department released a rule that allowed people to knit sweaters and hats at home for sale to manufacturers4 ,telecommuting also has energy implications--good ones4 ,with widespread telecommuting1 oil price increases would no longer be so scary if another energy crisis threatened the ,united ,states4 ,jack ,nilles once calculated that the typical computer terminal uses less than #abe watts1 and a phone line takes up no more than a watt4 ,then he matched those figures against a private automobile's typical energy use during commutes1 and he found that telecommuting would have a twenty-nine-to-one energy advantage4 ,compared to mass transit systems loaded to capacity--a rarity in most ,american cities--it would still enjoy two-to-one superiority4 ,with ten million telecommuters1 the country might save three-quarters of a billion gallons of gasoline a year4#gb ,footnote #gb3 ,nilles's three-quarters of a billion estimate is reported in ,info,world1 ,april #bc1 #aihd4 8,at least in the ,united ,states10 notes ,richard ,harkness1 8commuting accounts for #ce percent of all auto and truck fuel consumption40 ,much1 maybe even most1 of the thirty-five percent would be trips to jobs convertible to telecommuting4#gc ,footnote #gc3 ,harkness's remarks are from his speech to the ,seminar on ,communications1 ,brasilia1 ,brazil1 ,june #aihb4 ,ticking off statistics1 ,harkness illustrates the profligacy of ,american energy consumption4 8,the average ,u4,s4 worker commutes about twenty miles each day4 ,eighty-four percent of those commutes are by automobile1 #fe percent with only the driver4 ,two hundred and twenty million ,americans consume #ah million barrels of oil per day1 roughly #cj percent of the world's supply40 ,he also notes the cost of ,america maintaining forty thousand miles of superhighways and #d million miles of streets and roads4 8,it has been estimated10 says ,harkness1 8that #bdh1ejj ,u4,s4 bridges need major repairs at a cost of #dg billion40 ,and beyond the energy and financial prices1 what about the psychological ones8 ,even part-time telecommuters can greatly reduce the stress on their nerves and schedules1 perhaps lowering medical costs for society4 8,an employee who drives an hour to work would save sixteen hours in commuting time each month1 or the equivalent of two eight-hour workdays1 by working at home two days a week10 says ,frank ,w4 ,schiff1 a ,washington economist4#gd ,footnote #gd3 ,frank ,schiff1 ,washington ,post1 ,outlook ,section1 ,september #b1 #aigi1 p4 ,c#a4 ,even battle-scarred urbanites with short commutes might relish the chance to work at home two days out of five4 ,skyscrapers and their occupants keep hogging downtowns1 aggravating congestion and tension2 and a taxi trip of just a dozen blocks in ,new ,york ,city can take a half an hour at lunchtime4 ,in ,houston1 meanwhile1 some gun-toting commuters are literally murdering each other1 saying in effect3 8,your right of way or your life60 ,jon ,verboon1 a ,houston ,chronicle reporter who has worked the police beat1 told me1 8,it's not uncommon for shots to be exchanged between motorists who are hacked off at each other0--sometimes over right of ways4 ,an accident needn't have occurred4 ,motorists killed more conventionally on the way to work1 of course1 are a hefty percentage of the fifty thousand yearly highway fatalities4 ,but how could a telecommuter die8 ,electrocution8 ,cutting his wrists on a broken video tube8 ,forgetting about the rather unlikely radiation risks--which flat screens would reduce if these dangers existed--computers needn't be lethal like cars4 ,by converting to telecommuting1 then1 companies in the end might save employees' lives as well as energy and money4 ,firms making the transition would do well to consider what will be in the data base into which the telecommuters would tap4 ,the range of requirements is as wide as the range of business activities4 ,a good data base for telecommuters1 however1 isn't that different from the ones that some managers are already using by way of terminals on site4 ,here are the traits3 #a4 ,ease and speed of use4 ,you needn't be a computer expert or wrestle with inconveniences like dialing fifteen-digit numbers to reach the main computer4 ,the system explains itself on screen if you want it to1 though experienced users can switch off the menus when they're ready4 ,you ideally don't have to wade through an instruction manual4 ,the system tells you when you're tapping out wrong commands4 ,also1 it's fast4 ,you can start using it in a hurry1 and you don't have to wait more than a few seconds at the most for it to respond to your commands4 ,and you constantly feel in control4 ,you can easily search through the data base for the information you want4 #b4 ,friendliness4 ,a good system isn't just easy to use2 it's also boy scout polite1 sprinkling its prompts with 8,thanks yous0 and avoiding intimidating terms like 8illegal information request40 ,commit a careless mistake on some data bases and they'll throw back lawyerish words suggesting you're on the verge of a jury indictment4 #c4 ,reliability4 ,the system doesn't lose information4 #d4 ,confidentiality4 ,clerks aren't privy to the same information as the company president4 ,indeed1 basically1 the same traits would be ideal for some other kinds of software1 especially the kind governing the operation of networks4 ,that's the term for the hardware and software that lets machines talk to each other4 ,a network can be a local network1 linking machines within the same office1 or it can be national or even global4 ,someday1 if they haven't already1 ,bell and other companies may develop software especially meant for corporate networks of telecommuters4 ,while widespread telecommuting isn't yet a reality1 ,peter and ,trudy ,johnson-,lenz have come as close as anyone to realizing its full benefits4 ,they live in ,lake ,oswego1 ,oregon1 and as they're fond of pointing out1 8,we don't commute4 ,we telecommute40 ,they communicate routinely with business associates around the country and find electronic mail a boon to late risers on the ,west ,coast with contacts and friends back ,east4 ,by the time ,i reached them1 they felt liked caged animals inside a media zoo4 ,the papers had leaped at the opportunity to write about a certified electronic cottage4 ,peter and ,trudy had even ended up in a ,,bbc documentary on computers and the future--a vivid contrast to besuited1 tied scientists shown in antiseptic laboratories4 8,we're the hippie couple10 joked ,trudy4 8,peter's the one with the beard40 ,but they're hardly refugees from the old ,haight-,ashbury2 ,peter is a former statistical analyst1 and ,trudy helped run a rural education program after a few years as a high school teacher4 ,today they're hooked into the ,electronic ,information ,exchange ,system 7,,eies71 a national computer network set up by ,murray ,turoff1 one of the world's leading experts on networking4 ,through ,,eies they've done research on telecommuting for projects funded by the ,national ,science ,foundation4 ,they help colleges1 nonprofit organizations1 and others set up computer networks4 ,indeed1 8on line10 they even met partners in the business they started to refine and promote a new software system called ,,mist4 ,that stands for ,microcomputer ,information ,support ,tools4 ,one of ,,mist's many features can help your computer stay in touch with others--send electronic mail1 for instance1 or pick the brains of a micro with a big data base4 8,p ,t10 as they sign their computer messages1 had been on line since #aigg1 and it seemed right to ask them for advice on making small business contacts through networks4 ,peter couldn't talk that evening1 the victim of a temperamental printer1 but ,trudy offered these suggestions1 among others3 #a4 ,whatever network you're on1 see if there's a directory grouping subscribers by interest4 ,which match yours8 8,you can send a hello message saying1 #8,this is who ,i am4 ,now tell me something about you4'0 ,this electronic mail could simultaneously reach a number of selected subscribers4 ,then1 for instance1 two stockbrokers1 in ,new ,york and ,washington1 could exchange financial and regulatory gossip4 ,other small businessmen might simply discuss common problems4 ,the ,source and a rival network1 ,compu,serve1 each boast well over sixty thousand subscribers2 so1 obviously you do have a good chance of reaching the right people1 at least if they're professionals or well-off4 ,with customers typically earning #ej1jjj or more1 ,the ,source isn't the way to catch up with welfare mothers4 #b4 8,you must take risks10 ,trudy warns4 8,you must be able to ask strangers if they can help you4 ,there are different levels of getting to know people for business purposes40 ,if you're looking for a business partner for a major venture1 for instance1 don't rely just on electronic communications4 ,talk on the phone before you team up2 meet him4 ,but ,trudy says networks are fine for minor transactions4 8,we've written papers with people we've never met10 she says1 8and we worked with ,turoff for two years before we met him face to face40 #c4 ,tap out your messages knowing that people cannot see your expression or hear inflections in your voice4 8,you may even want to type #8,chuckle1'0 ,trudy says1 8if it's something where you're being sarcastic or ironic40 ,of course the written word has advantages4 8,you can ask people questions and say things without confronting them directly10 she says4 ,what better way to brainstorm wildly8 ,i'll add other advice3 try electronic bulletin boards4 ,they work1 believe me1 at least on computer-related topics4 ,jeremy ,hewes1 for instance1 reached me through ,the ,source1 which1 at my request1 had given me a demonstration account1 a blush1 electronic equivalent of a press junket4 8,hello10 she tapped out after seeing my note on a bulletin board for ,,ibm owners4 8,here are a few thoughts for your book on telecommuting and related matters40 ,we followed through by phone--but ,the ,source paved the way4 ,and we could just as well have been those two stockbrokers swapping gossip electronically4 ,it's a distinct possibility1 since half ,the ,source subscribers use the service in full- or part-time occupations4 ,don't1 incidentally1 give up making electronic business contacts just because you can't afford ,the ,source or other brand-name services4 ,discount1 no-frills networks will be springing up without1 say1 stockmarket reports4 ,check out prices4 ,experiment4 ,get on a service for a trial if the connect charges aren't formidable and see if you're meeting your kind of people4 ,a network1 in that sense1 is just like a bar4 ,also consider local boards for which you don't even have to pay long-distance charges4 ,john ,fuller phoned after ,i 8tacked up0 a notice on a board for ,heath owners around ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,rainer ,malitzke-,goes1 an employee with a large communications satellite company and an invaluable source of technical information1 reached me through another local board4 ,our computers1 however1 can also talk directly1 without a board or network1 so ,i'll check some technical details in this chapter by zipping it to him electronically4 ,besides helping you make business contacts1 your computer can ferret out facts in a hurry4 ,want to see if anyone else has started a dog kennel specializing in ,afghans8 ,well1 a magazine article or abstract1 stashed away in a computer two thousand miles away1 may tell you4 ,just dial up the right information service4 ,for a listing of data banks by subject1 consult ,information ,industry ,market ,place1 published by ,bowker1 #bje ,east #dbnd ,st41 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 #ajjag4 ,people living in small towns without good libraries will find electronic data bases especially useful4 ,a ,tennessee doctor1 ,frederick ,myers1 spent two and one-half hours on the road when he periodically went to a medical library sixty miles away4 ,now his microcomputers bring him ,medline4 ,it's one of the hundreds of data bases available through ,dialog1 the giant information service in ,palo ,alto1 ,california4 ,myers told ,personal ,computing that ,medline let him 8do in ten minutes what it would take me hours to do at the library going through the hardbound indexes40 ,his patients have benefited4 ,while a patient in the emergency room lay with stabbing wounds in his stomach1 ,myers ferreted out relevant abstracts via ,medline4 ,electronic data bases don't just save time4 ,with them you can pick up odds and ends of information that printed indexes might not bring out4 ,suppose you want to know which celebrities have endorsed electric toothbrushes on television and1 searching manually1 you don't find anything in the toothbrush articles4 ,what next8 ,well1 the data banks' indexes might cover even one-paragraph mentions of electric toothbrushes--little references in articles about advertising or about the ,,vip toothbrush endorsers4 ,but beware4 ,electronic information services and data bases can cost up to hundreds of dollars an hour to use4 ,you need to know what to tell the data bases to spew out the facts you need4 ,and that can take time4 ,luckily1 some companies have developed programs that let you map out your strategy off-line instead of giving commands while the ticker is running4 ,one1 called ,in-,search1 runs on ,,ibm-style micros1 and can save you thousands of dollars over the years if you're a heavy ,dialog user4 ,even at #cii ,in-,search would seem worth it4 ,i can appreciate this all too well1 having squandered #ce in a few minutes trying to tap ,dialog for my 8,jewels that ,blip0 chapter4 ,an experienced librarian at a public library operated a terminal for me there4 ,and yet at the time even she could find next to nothing on crimes against microcomputers4 ,in-,search might have saved much--and maybe even most--of the #ce4 ,under the circumstances1 in fact1 ,i would better have spent the #ce on long-distance calls to the right authorities1 which is what ,i did4 ,information services aren't panaceas4 ,most of this book comes from old-fashioned print and interviews4 ,my work habits will change1 however1 as more people tap into data bases and the costs decline2 ,i'll be very selfish and put in a good word for ,dialog and the rest1 hoping eventually to share these economies of scale6 ,of ,packets and ,freight ,trains ,packet switching lowers the cost of computer communications nets and information services1 making it possible for you to send #a1jjj words coast to coast for as little as #a4 ,the technique1 developed by the military1 lets many machines jabber away at once on the same phone line4 ,to tap into a packet-switching net1 you typically dial local numbers or #hjj ones reachable nationally4 ,giant networks like ,telenet and ,,mci ,mail use many different phone lines1 but that's still a fraction of what they'd need without packet switching4 ,just imagine each of the nets' phone lines as a rail line4 ,many trains 7packets specifying the starts and ends of extrabrief computer transmissions7 can zip over the tracks at once if you keep them from crashing into each other4 ,the trains carry freight 7bits and bytes of information74 ,electronic labels assure that the cargo reaches the right destinations 7the gizmos that forward the information over the phone line to the receiving computers74 ,naturally1 the use of common trains and rail lines 7a packet-switching network7 is more efficient than replicating the arrangement for each cargo recipient 7each computer74 ,this explanation1 though simplified1 sums up the technique according to ,vinton ,g4 ,cerf1 a top packet-switching expert4 ,incidentally1 packet-switching techniques can also increase the efficiency of networks connecting computers in the same office4 ,even now1 if you can pin down your topic by name1 you can pay next to nothing to use electronic data banks and similar services on occasion4 ,you needn't even cough up a fat subscription fee4 ,through ,,mci ,mail--#ah-;a-year basic charge--you can use the ,dow ,jones ,news_/,retrieval ,service4 ,it's one way to watch companies of interest4 ,regularly1 during the writing of this book1 ,i would ask ,dow what ,kaypro was up to4 ,i merely typed 84,,kpro0 and a carriage return1 and the computer spewed out the latest ,kaypro news2 even at #cjj baud the bulletins took less than a minute or so to reach me4 ,my cost8 ,maybe forty cents a shot4 ,just before ,ballantine wanted the final version of this manuscript1 ,i learned of stockholders suits against the ,kaypro--facts that ,i might not have known in time without the ,dow ,jones wire4 ,my experience illustrates the speed with which the information services can update their indexes and articles4 ,the ,new ,york ,times index at your local library1 for instance1 may be weeks out of date4 ,without a computerized search you'd better either read 8,all the ,news ,that's ,fit to ,print0 every day or be willing to flip through perhaps a month's worth of papers4 ,you can even read condensed articles daily from major papers on line--long before they thud against your door1 which they may never do if they're in cities a continent away4 ,compu,serve offers the ,washington ,post1 for instance1 among others1 plus the ,associated ,press1 the major ,american wire service4 ,the ,source flashes bulletins from ,united ,press ,international4 ,and there are electronic editions of specialized publications like the ,u4,s4 ,news ,washington ,letter4 8,buy stocks now10 the ,letter's first electronic edition said presciently in #aihb4 8,the very next day1 ,august #ag10 gloated a news release from ,the ,source1 8the stock market went through the roof40 ,not surprisingly1 big newspaper and magazine companies are tinkering with electronic information services4 ,often1 rather than home computers1 the services use ,teletext 7using cable television lines or broadcast ,,tv7 or ,videotex 7phone lines74 ,of course lines may fuzz between technologies4 ,television-based systems are growing cheaper2 and someday your portable ,,tv may have a built-in computer1 a socket for a keyboard1 and a flat1 high-resolution screen fit for word processing and electronic mail4 ,call it a ,vu-,write4 ,make it a first-class color television4 ,but also a computer suited for clerks and professionals alike4 ,give it a memory system less quirky than floppy disks4 ,develop idiot-proof software selected by simple switches4 ,mass-produce a ,selectric-style keyboard1 detachable1 or1 eventually1 a good voice recognizer4 ,throw in artificial speech1 too1 once it's perfected1 and include a built-in1 high-speed modem or the equivalent4 ,sell the ,vu-,write for #bjj at the local ,sears4 ,or perhaps to companies who can recruit clerical telecommuters by in effect offering free ,t,vs4 ,somewhere in ,silicon ,valley1 a savvy company may be at work on a ,vu-,write now2 and if it succeeds1 maybe mass telecommuting will be with us sooner than anyone thought4 ,no matter what1 ,vu-,write or not1 energy crisis or not1 think about telecommuting and related innovations before your competitors do4 ,one intelligent step would be the use of electronic mail where appropriate4 ,backups3 ,,xi1 ,the ,micro ,connection3 ,some ,critical ,explanations1 page #cdi4 ,,xii1 ,,modem#g3 ,an ,almost ,free and ,fairly ,easy ,way to ,talk to ,other ,computers1 page #ced4 ,,xiii1 ,why ,not an ,electronic ,peace ,corps81 page #cff4 #ab ,how ,i ,found 8,god10 on ,,mci 7and a ,few ,other ,odds and ,ends ,about ,electronic ,mail7#ge ,you won't find the ,devil listed on ,,mci's electronic mail network4 ,but you'll find 8,god10 ,william ,f4 ,buckley1 ,jr41 musician ,peter ,nero1 ,,ibm1 other ,fortune #ejj companies1 me1 and at least one hundred thousand more subscribers1 including a ,western ,union official who's keeping up with the competition4 ,footnote #ge3 ,some of the material in this chapter originally appeared in an article ,i did for ,,usa ,today4 ,i've also made use of facts from the ,wall ,street ,journal1 ,march #af1 #aihd1 p4 #bi4 8,god0 is a man in ,morgantown1 ,west ,virginia1 and his listing popped up when1 out of curiosity1 ,i typed 8,god0 after ,,mci's 8,to30 prompt4 ,i don't know if 8,god0 is a preacher or a businessman whose company has a distinctive name or initials4 ,i'm happy to see him registered with ,,mci1 however4 ,when ,i went looking for 8,god0 earlier on the net1 the computer said in its literal way1 8,god not found4 ,enter a postal address or ,,tlx 7,telex address740 ,i still can't scare up 8,satan10 at least electronically2 but ,,mci's reply to my last 8,god0 entry showed both the breadth and versatility that ,,mci and other systems may acquire if ,e-,mail boosters are right4 ,the devil actually may be on ,,mci any day now4 ,several hundred thousand ,americans are hooked up to one mail net or another1 and more than five million should be tapping out messages that way by the end of the decade4 ,in ,virginia a financial planner has used ,e-,mail's speed to save a #cjj1jjj deal threatened by a legal deadline4 ,with ,e-,mail you can3 ,send messages computer to computer within an office or around the world4 ,at their convenience recipients can flash messages across their screens or print them out4 ,use a computer to zip messages to special centers near recipients4 ,the centers print the messages1 then deliver them by courier or local mail4 ,that's how you can overcome one of the original drawbacks of electronic mail--the other person's lacking a computer on the same network4 ,send and receive messages via the ,telex network--which1 of course1 is why ,,mci ,mail politely asked for 8,god's0 ,telex number4 8,e-,mail can be nothing more than the computer equivalent of a telephone-answering box 444 storing messages for people to read when they have a chance10 says ,steve ,caswell1 a consultant who edits ,electronic ,mail ,micro ,systems1 a leading industry newsletter4 8,at its most complex level1 it's a very intelligent ultimate communications device40 ,electronic mail's roots are in the telegraph1 ,western ,union telegrams1 and ,telex machines4 ,computerized ,e-,mail has sprung up in the past two decades2 it grew in the military and academic communities and spread to government agencies and high-tech companies like ,texas ,instruments4 ,within the past few years1 thousands of home users and other businesses have jumped in4 ,competition is keen4 ,the ,western ,union man is on ,,mci because he wants to see how it stacks up against his company's own ,e-,mail operation1 ,easy,link4 ,,gte ,corporation and ,international ,telephone and ,telegraph offer ,e-,mail service4 ,so does ,the ,source1 which lets companies set up their own ,e-,mail networks without investing in giant computers4 ,instead1 they piggyback on ,the ,source's computer bank in the ,washington1 ,d4,c41 area4 ,users can dump messages into ,the ,source's computers over phone lines or log in to see what messages await them4 ,anchor ,financial ,services1 in ,phoenix1 ,arizona1 used ,the ,source to rig up a network it hoped would lead to well over #a million in annual commissions4 ,one hundred financial planners were on line1 and ,don ,de ,young1 senior marketing vice-president1 expected some fifteen hundred by #aihe4 ,they'd be able to place mutual-fund orders for clients1 conduct other transactions like placing insurance and annuity orders1 and pick the brains of ,anchor's financial experts4 ,one planner1 ,joe ,schopen of ,norfolk1 ,virginia1 already has used ,anchor's ,e-,mail to save a #cjj1jjj cable ,,tv-related deal4 ,ten investors wanted a tax break1 available only if a ,virginia agency approved their partnership documents before the end of the year4 ,at the last minute1 ,schopen learned of additions that would be required2 ,e-,mail gave him the speedy delivery that he needed for the investors to sign the legal papers in time4 8,without electronic mail10 he says1 8we very likely would have lost those sales4 8,i've heard we're getting a #aj percent increase in productivity because of our faster turnaround and because our clients can electronically learn when other people receive messages for them40 ,some other advantages of ,e-,mail are3 #a4 ,lower phone bills4 ,in a ,midwestern office of the ,h4 ,j4 ,heinz ,company1 a secretary says the ,compu,serve network had cut her phone time by #hj percent4 ,using electronic mail1 for instance1 ,sue ,clark can send a memo to dozens of offices at once4 #b4 ,elimination of telephone tag4 8,we can type a memo at the end of our workday and have a response from the ,west ,coast by the next morning10 says ,philip ,selden1 an ,ohio-based executive with ,owens-,illinois ,inc41 who is using ,western ,union's ,easy,link service4 #c4 ,an end to garbled messages4 ,errors and misunderstandings decline when people can write electronic messages4 #d4 ,more efficient sharing of ideas4 ,computer conferencing is an example4 ,a group of people with similar interests can keep a running record of their electronic conversations4 ,say you're an oil company with dozens or hundreds of offshore rigs4 ,how to share ideas on efficiency1 safety1 other related topics8 ,well1 via radio-telephone link in some cases1 your rig people might log onto an electronic network4 ,there they might read and add to the remarks left by other people in this ongoing conversation4#gf ,now let's say somebody wanted to 8speak0 to only one other person on the network4 ,he could do it4 ,likewise1 he might form a subgroup--say1 one of people interested in helicopter safety4 ,footnote #gf3 ,the example of computerized conferencing comes from ,participation ,systems1 ,inc41 a ,winchester1 ,massachusetts1 firm that provided the software for computer conferencing on ,the ,source4 ,e-,mail also is a boon to travelers using portable computers4 ,peter ,nero says that while on the road1 he often must reply quickly to proposals for concert appearances4 ,so he taps out letters in midflight on a lap-sized ,radio ,shack computer1 then zips them over hotel phone lines to his office4 ,in ,los ,angeles a machine prints them for his secretary to mail4 ,there are other virtues of ,e-,mail--,,mci can even arrange to print letters on your letterhead4 ,a ten-year-old drew his own ,bucky ,beaver logo for letters to ,grandma1 and a ,chicago bank follows up with laser-printed letters to impress the millionaires its sales reps call on4 ,e-,mail also can add new wrinkles to old friendships1 business and private4 ,two and one-half decades ago1 an elementary-school pal named ,geoff ,fobes moved to ,india with his parents1 and we started scrawling letters2 ,i even fooled myself into thinking ,i could learn ,hindi from a book he mailed4 ,not long ago ,i introduced ,geoff--by now in ,north ,carolina--to ,,mci ,mail4 8,well10 he typed1 8it seemed only karmically fitting to be writing you first4 ,many glorious surprises when your letter began to appear4 ,my father was dazed and said this was a historic moment4 ,seems melodramatic1 but then he is an old ,state ,department manual typewriter man40 ,electronic mail1 of course1 also has its negatives4 ,take ,nero4 ,he might have used direct phone hookups to his office computers many times1 or perhaps other networks2 but as of spring #aihd he was far from a regular on the ,,mci network4 ,months after ,i 8mailed0 a message to him1 ,i hadn't gotten an electronic receipt confirming that he had read my 8letter40 ,and ,i'm still waiting for 8,god0 to reply4 ,as of early #aihd1 ,,mci had picked up sixty-five thousand of its subscribers from the ,dow ,jones ,news ,retrieval ,service and the ,bibliographic ,retrieval ,service4 ,and many had not logged on even once4 ,some registrants--including 8,god08--didn't even know the ,e-,mail service existed4 ,so ,,mci was flooding subscribers' mailboxes--the paper kind--with brochures telling them of ,,ibm ,p,cs and other goodies awaiting people if they signed on electronically to enter drawings4 8,god0 theoretically might have won 8a luxury vacation in ,hawaii40 8,since the programs were announced10 said the ,wall ,street ,journal1 8weekly electronic volume has risen #bj percent40 ,,mci in late #aihd boasted #aej1jjj subscribers4 ,by now it may have another feature4 ,pay extra and a computer will ring you up and read you your message4 ,and eventually--maybe even right now--you'll be able to pay bills and see your bank balance via the network4 ,still1 fearing loss of privacy1 some people won't use ,,mci ,mail and similar services4 8,electronic mail10 said my literary agent1 ,berenice ,hoffman1 ever vigilant about her clients' privacy1 8is for letters addressed #8,occupant4#80 ,perhaps for this very reason1 ,,mci ,mail's bills don't list the recipients of messages unless you want4 ,in that limited sense ,,mci is more private than the telephone system4 ,you shouldn't use ,e-,mail for confidential correspondence1 however1 if you can't protect your message with electronic scrambling4 ,ian 78,captain ,zap07 ,murphy1 whom ,,mci ,mail lists under his real name1 really bought that point home4 8,any easy way to get into ,,mci's operating system80 he asked4 8,come on1 ,ian10 ,i said4 8,let's not court temptation4 ,that would be like giving an alcoholic a bottle of ,jack ,daniels40 ,we joked over it4 ,he said those days were behind him4 ,and yet ,i wondered whether1 even now1 hackers were unraveling the security of the ,,mci net4 ,e-,mail had and has other drawbacks4 ,high-tech intimidates some executives2 others see typing as a threat to the executive image4 ,then there are technical glitches4 ,gil ,gordon1 the telecommuting consultant1 gave up ,,mci ,mail in disgust because for some strange reason he had trouble getting his micro to show new lines on the screen properly when he was typing letters4 ,also1 even though ,,mci ballyhoos itself as a link between many kinds of machines1 you normally can't underline something on your ,xerox #hfj1 say1 and have it show up right on someone's ,,ibm running ,perfect ,writer4 ,,mci strips the special characters for underlining1 boldfacing1 and several other typographical trimmings4 7,among word processors1 there are no such standard codes for such features47 8,,mci's using us as guinea pigs10 complained ,peter ,ross ,range1 a ,washington writer whose double-spaced letters were turning single-spaced when ,,mci printed them4 ,that happened with ,word,star1 the popular word processor4 ,,mci put out a detailed explanation of how to avoid such problems1 and ,i passed on the basics to ,peter1 who said1 8,what's the point if it takes that long and ,i can just call a messenger from an express service80 ,peter also found that on some days ,,mci ,mail just wouldn't work at times2 ,i myself noticed that1 too4 ,and some people's #b ,,mci letters1 passed on to the ,u4,s4 ,postal ,service for delivery as 8hard copy10 were taking several days to arrive4 ,still other ,,mci messages1 hard copy or electronic1 never reached their destinations at any time4 ,service to ,new ,york seemed the worst but was better to medium-sized cities1 especially in the ,midwest4 ,those are all issues crucial to business4 ,,mci ,mail dates back only to late #aihc1 and by now maybe things are much better4 ,perhaps software makers and ,,mci and rivals will cooperate in a big way someday so that you routinely can get boldfacing and other 8luxuries0 if you stick the right command in your electronic file4 ,glitches and all1 ,,mci still works out for budget-minded writers and consultants4 ,a 8mailbox0 is just #ah a year1 and if you can dial up ,,mci locally as people in most large cities can1 you pay a mere #a to send #a1jjj words computer-to-computer in the ,u4,s4--including ,hawaii4 ,indeed1 ,jim ,fallows says he and some other ,atlantic ,monthly writers routinely use the service for trying articles out on each other4 ,in addition1 ,,mci offers some neat little wrinkles for heavy-duty corporate users4 ,companies with in-house systems can set up bridges between the ,,mci and their existing electronic mail nets4 ,as the ,,mci bragged in its on-line newsletter1 you can simultaneously 8send a company-wide memo electronically on your internal system2 copy your attorneys1 who subscribe to ,,mci ,mail2 copy your vendors with laser-printed1 first-class letters10 and 8deliver the boss's copy the same day at his conference in ,dallas40 ,if the boss is in ,london1 a letter written on your computer can reach him by courier after a machine prints it out4 ,what's more1 for a fraction of the cost of ,telexes1 you can directly reach business associates' computers in ,england or a number of other countries4 ,of course1 especially if you're a business1 do look at the other ,e-,mail networks1 too4 ,i've written much here about ,,mci simply because it is one of the largest networks and ,i'm most familiar with it4 ,all the ,e-,mail services1 at any rate1 offer the same advantages over conventional letters3 speed4 ,even skeptics see the potential4 ,peter ,ross ,range1 the man with the ,word,star-,,mci woes1 says1 8,i want the day to come soon when ,i won't have to lick another stamp40 ,some of the most useful electronic mail can go from person to another in the same building or complex--a capability made possible through local networking1 discussed in the next chapter4 #ac ,net ,gain ,back in #aihc a young ,,cpa named ,john ,madden came to work as information systems manager for ,carsonville ,metal ,products in rural ,michigan4 ,he found just two computers there--an ,,ibm mini and an ,apple ,,iii4 ,like most computers1 they were loners4 ,the ,,ibm1 used for accounting1 didn't pass its figures on to the ,apple to be put in reports or maybe spreadsheets4 ,the ,apple didn't talk back4 ,today1 though1 ,carsonville not only owns more machines2 they're more sociable4 ,its twenty-one ,kaypros speak to each other through a local area network4 ,that's gobbledygook for nearby computers swapping electronic files or programs--and sharing goodies like printers4 ,people1 too1 are communicating better4 ,they needn't swap floppy disks as often or fight their way through as much paperwork4 ,thanks to the computer network1 ,madden says1 ,carsonville may enjoy #a1jjj a year more in effective work time from each office staffer4 ,that's not all4 ,sales normally are around #ab million a year2 ,carsonville competes in the dog-eat-dog areas of defense and auto-parts contracts2 and the network may help win millions of dollars of new business4 ,with facts handier1 the executives can more easily submit low but realistic bids4 ,the secret is simple3 ,the ,,web network1 which in late #aihd was listing for several hundred dollars per computer4 ,the ,,web's price sounds outrageous4 ,it isn't4 ,had ,carsonville used ,ethernet or another of the much-touted networks1 it might have spent well over #a1jjj to wire in each computer--perhaps several thousand with all the trimmings included4 ,instead1 ,madden went by the philosophy of this book4 ,he shopped around for the least costly gizmos that could do the job well4 ,souping up the ,,ibm mini wasn't the answer4 ,it offered #fd megabytes of storage1 the equivalent of #cb1jjj double-spaced typewritten pages4 ,but ,madden worried if it could run programs fast enough with a number of people tugging at it simultaneously4 8,we had five terminals1 and we dropped it to four10 he said1 8because our mini slowed down horribly even with five40 ,going the mini route1 ,madden would also have had to spend perhaps #cj1jjj on at least twenty more terminals without the brains of a full-fledged computer4 ,in addition1 he'd have had to buy new software and other hardware1 so the final costs might have totaled up to #ajj1jjj4 ,besides1 ,madden cherished the notion of a 8democratic0 system4 ,machines at all locations should boast plenty of power2 then people would feel more in control1 and the whole system wouldn't fall apart if a ,big ,brother computer broke down4 ,madden might also have gone another route1 buying a multiuser-system micro--one computer and a number of dumb terminals1 somewhat like the mini arrangement4 ,that1 too1 however1 wouldn't have been 8democratic40 ,and with too many people piled on the supermicro1 it might have run programs at the pace of a crippled snail4 ,,unix1 the software system developed by ,bell ,laboratories1 was good for multiuser arrangements and allowed much more speed--but few computer and software companies had ,,unix offerings out yet4 ,madden1 anyway1 wanted his machines to run proven ,,cp_/,m programs like d,b,a,s,e ,,ii and ,word,star2 he felt they were powerful enough for the jobs he required2 he needn't mess with the more fashionable #af-;bit1 ,,ibm-style micros4 ,hard disks would help1 though4 8,i'd been a partner in a public accounting firm10 he said1 8and ,i'd picked up a hard disk for myself1 and it ran much faster than floppy disks1 and ,i didn't ever want to go back to floppies40 ,so he set his sights on ,kaypro #ajs--with hard disks built in--and began mapping out his networking scheme4 ,with twenty-one ,kaypros1 each offering around #aj megabytes of useful storage1 his company's computers could stash away over #bjj megabytes1 or more than three times the space on the ,,ibm mini4 8,i don't think people appreciate the power of micros in a network configuration10 he said4 ,but which network to buy8 8,we were just looking at the ability to share and update the files on our disks from any location10 ,madden said4 8,and we wanted the ability to share equipment like printers4 ,we didn't need an elaborate electronic mail or message system4 ,we already had intercoms4 ,and we also didn't need the ability to transmit graphics40 ,from the start ,madden knew he hadn't the slightest use for a deluxe network1 such as one called ,wangnet1 which could transmit voice and even ,,tv pictures but didn't come in a version working with the ,kaypro4 ,well1 how about ,xerox's ,ethernet8 ,xerox was hoping that ,ethernet would become an industry standard1 and some users loved it4 8,ethernet has been very good for us10 said a computer man with the ,kentucky state government1 a test user2 he told ,computerworld of 8excellent productivity gains40 ,ethernet1 though1 like ,wangnet1 didn't run with the ,kaypro at the time ,madden was shopping1 and it also had too much capacity for him4 ,what's more1 a version of it crashed during a demonstration when two people were trying at the same time to read an electronic file4 ,madden moved on4 ,reliability counted most4 ,speed mattered1 too1 and he tested ,the ,,web to see how fast it could move files from one ,kaypro #aj to another4 8,we set up machines ,a1 ,b1 and ,c10 said ,madden4 8,we had machine ,a giving the commands for a file to be copied from machine ,b to machine ,c4 ,at the same time1 we had ,c transfer a file from ,a to ,b1 and we had ,b transfer a file from ,a to ,c4 8,people at all three machines hit the return keys at the same time0--to give them commands--8and then we watched what would happen4 8,we found that the machines copied the files without errors in maybe one minute40 ,and the files were about #ajj,k long1 around fifty double-spaced typewritten pages4 ,madden also tried another test to see how much ,the ,,web would slow down the speed at which people could run programs4 ,he compared3 #a4 ,how long a ,kaypro took to sort d,b,a,s,e ,,ii files electronically while not hooked up to the network4 #b4 ,how long it took while connected to the network4 #c4 ,how long a second ,kaypro needed to sort the d,b,a,s,e files in the first machine via the network4 8,in each case10 said ,madden1 8there was an increase in time1 but it was still acceptable40 ,so ,carsonville bought ,the ,,web and saved a pile compared to doing it with an old or a new mini4 ,the ,kaypro #ajs cost #b1gej each1 which1 multiplied by #ba1 came to #ee1jjj1 and ,the ,,web in a test version was #bej per machine for the software and a circuit board4 ,that was just about everything but odds and ends such as #hj for #a1jjj feet of telephone-style wire4 ,total expenses8 ,much less than #gj1jjj4 ,and even with ,the ,,web's list price of #cej per machine1 ,carsonville's costs still were at least #cj1jjj less than those of souping up the mini system or buying a new one4 ,later1 ,madden discovered a glitch4 ,the ,,web let people flash short messages across each other's screens1 a feature called 8flash10 and it crashed d,b,a,s,e ,,ii4 ,he felt his people wouldn't need that wrinkle1 however1 and they could avoid the problem just by disabling 8flash40 ,ed ,bigelow1 president of ,adevco1 ,inc41 which made ,the ,,web1 said that if ,carsonville had wanted 8flash10 then ,madden could have had the network or d,b,a,s,e ,,ii modified to snuff out the glitch4#gg ,footnote #gg3 ,bigelow's company1 ,adevco1 ,inc41 #bade ,market ,st41 ,camp ,hill1 ,pennsylvania1 manufactures ,the ,,web equipment under a license from ,the ,,web's designers4 ,that's ,centram ,systems1 ,inc41 ,p4,o4 ,box #eaa1 ,camp ,hill1 ,pennsylvania1 which also sells to manufacturers to add to their computers4 ,a ,california company1 ,trantor ,systems1 likewise makes a network called ,,web3 this may or may not mean a name change for the ,centram technology4 ,at any rate1 ,adevco itself may abandon the ,,web name for other reasons4 8,we may drop the name and market the product with the same technology in a different version under a number of names10 said ,bigelow4 8,if we enhance the product enough1 ,i may want more ,adevco identification40 ,whatever the case1 the little d,b,a,s,e ,,ii problem showed the importance of prospective customers putting networks through their paces with various programs--ideally1 before buying4 ,here's a summary of questions to ask in setting up a network3 ,do ,you ,need ,one8 ,don't be expensively trendy4 ,you have just three other people in the office1 and the paperwork isn't piled that high8 ,then you might be much better off trading floppies4 ,but if you're a busy law office1 you might want to get a lot of standard1 boilerplate paragraphs from a hard disk shared via a network or multiuser system4 ,especially you might consider a network or multiuser system where more than one person is constantly dipping into the same data base4 ,suppose ,production wants to know five times a day how many widget parts ,inventory has left in fifteen categories4 ,then a network could help4 ,the ,sales ,department1 after all1 may want to use the same computer to find out how many finished products are in stock4 ,of course1 if there are five hundred people dipping into a data base1 a mini or mainframe would be the ticket4 ,also1 even ,bigelow warns against bringing networks into companies in which people won't be willing to keep their electronic files in order4 ,he recalls one office in which 8people had been using electronic typewriters and they'd switched to micros recently and were careless about where they put their disks4 ,they even left magnetized scissors and paper clips on them4 8,people didn't trust each other's diskettes--or diskette habits4 ,and on a network you can't be sloppy4 ,you could destroy everything if management hasn't set up the system well4 ,even on some good networks people can wreak havoc on each other's files by overcrowding disks with information4 ,there can even be network saboteurs4 8,you can't network unless people act as a team and care about their colleagues' records4 ,if a company's isn't like that1 it might be better off with a strong data-processing department to police everyone4 ,or they might just use micros not connected to each other--so that people will crash only their own disks4 8,they might network only after they've successfully run employees through a training program to promote good work habits40 ,in ,general1 ,do ,you ,know ,what ,you ,want ,to ,do--,with ,people and ,equipment8 ,you're really planning your office1 not just shopping for a connection between computers4 ,all kinds of questions pop up--for instance3 #a4 ,how extensive do you want your network's file-sharing capabilities to be8 ,translation3 8,how important is it for people to share their paperwork electronically80 #b4 ,who'll manage the network8 ,who'll determine who can see what electronic files8 ,who'll keep track of passwords8 ,who'll make sure that a careless but talented worker can't destroy irreplaceable information8 ,you don't1 by the way1 want your network manager to turn power hungry4 8,he shouldn't be the network police10 jokes ,bigelow4 8,he should be the network janitor--in the sense of keeping everything in place electronically4 ,you might also think of him as a network teacher4 ,he can help tell people the right way to do things40 ,bigelow1 in fact1 warns against one person holding sway over the others by being the only one familiar with network procedures4 #c4 ,do you want to assign special network-related duties to other people8 ,one employee1 for instance1 may be the custodian of an expensive laser printer and make sure that other people are using it most efficiently4 #d4 ,who will work at what node8 ,that's jargon for a location or work station4 #e4 ,will some people share work stations8 ,if so1 you'd better decide which tasks in your office are going to be done in what corners of the room4 #f4 ,which computers will store which electronic files8 #g4 ,how many printers and other gizmos will people share1 and where will they go8 ,presumably1 you don't want a printer five hundred feet from the people feeding their files into it4 ,you also should decide how many expensive1 letter-quality printers you need and how many cheapies like dot matrixes4 ,make up your mind--before your office wastes #d1jjj on a second laser printer when just one might do4 ,the same idea might apply to high-speed modems if your network allows computers to share them4 #h4 ,what kinds of computers are you planning to hook up8 ,the ,,web as of mid-#aihd was running only with ,kaypros4 ,but a version for ,i,b,ms was in the works4 ,one advantage of a big-name network1 however1 is that it may more easily get machines of different brands on speaking terms4 ,that could count if you're planning to trade in your old micros soon4 ,there's a caveat4 ,some networks may work with many machines but may not be as powerful as those dedicated to one brand4 ,so ,apples and ,i,b,ms might both share the same hard disk but might not be able to read each other's files without costly add-ons4 ,how ,fast ,do ,you ,want the ,network to ,transfer ,information8 ,it'll depend largely on the type of network--a topic covered later in this chapter4 ,wangnet will zip information over the wires many times faster than will ,the ,,web2 it's a boon for those who need that capability but a frill for those who don't4 ,mind you1 a network itself isn't necessarily the main determinant of the speed with which files zip back and forth between machines4 ,the speed of your computers' floppies in many cases will count more than the network's transmission rate1 and that's true to a lesser extent of ,winchester hard disks4 ,different networks1 of course1 may work faster or slower when teamed up with the same computer4 ,also1 some networks seem fast when you don't have many users4 ,but then1 with a large number1 rival networks are faster4 ,how ,much of a ,load ,do ,you ,want to ,put ,on ,your ,network--and ,can ,it ,handle ,it8 ,how many computers do you want hooked in8 ,and how much of a strain will they place on the network before it crashes or slows down to a bothersome extent8 ,if people are running data-base programs on colleagues' files1 a network might only work with a few users1 but if they're just occasionally swapping electronic files1 the same system may accommodate hundreds of computers4 ,that's especially true1 say1 if you're a publishing house with many writers but few editors4 ,the writers may not communicate much between themselves1 so that the handful of editors are the only ones really taxing the system4 ,and since they're not running other people's programs1 even the editors won't be that much of a burden4 ,the same principle might apply to an educational network in which one teacher is overseeing many students4 ,is the ,network ,reliable in ,other ,ways8 ,are the wires and connectors strong enough mechanically1 for instance8 ,how much does the network tolerate mistakes--how crashproof is it8 ,and what about the software8 ,suppose two people at once are calling up a directory to find out what's on a common disk4 ,will the director accurately list every file8 ,does the network perform well not only with the directory program but with other utility-style software in ,,cp_/,m1 ,,ms-,,dos1 or whatever operating system you're using8 ,how ,easy ,must the ,network be to ,use8 ,the ,,web is easy but not for the untrained novice4 ,using the ,kaypro version1 you need to know at least the basic ,,cp_/,m commands4 ,but once you do1 you're just about home free4 ,take the ,,pip command1 which1 among other things1 lets you transfer files from one disk to another on a machine by itself4 ,to switch a file named ,,test from drive ,a to drive ,b1 you'd load a ,,pip program into your computers temporary memory4 ,then you might type ,b3,a3,,test4 ,via ,the ,,web1 though1 how do you try to reach someone else's drive8 ,well1 you could issue a similar command4 ,only1 instead of saying you wanted to reach drive ,b1 you might ask for drive ,h--which is how the other person's drive might be electronically known around the office4 ,that's with ,the ,,web set up the simplest way4 ,even with ,the ,,web in a more complex form1 however1 the procedure wouldn't be much harder4 ,on the other hand1 ,the ,,web isn't the system for you if you're hoping just to press one or two buttons to send information on its way4 ,what ,special ,features ,do ,you ,need8 ,ask1 ask1 ask the sales reps about what's available4 ,remember1 some networks won't let you share printers or modems or even send files to another computer4 ,also1 will printing take longer to set up remotely than with all the equipment by your side8 ,how easy is it8 ,also1 does the network have queuing8 ,if user ,a and user ,b both send out files to be printed on the same machine1 will a disk hold user ,b's file until ,a is done8 ,if there's queuing1 have you given up something in return8 ,find out1 too1 if the network is interrupt driven8 ,let's say someone's getting information off one of your computer's disks while you're typing4 ,where should your computer concentrate its processing power8 ,on the network8 ,or on your screen and keyboard8 ,better make it the screen and keyboard1 since you want your machine to record all the keystrokes you're putting in4 ,and on an interrupt-driven system1 this can happen4 ,so there's less chance of 8,now is the time for all good men to 4440 coming out as 8,nwi thetme fr all good mn44440 ,is error checking in use8 ,will the computers ask if the others received the signal okay8 ,will they start again if they didn't8 ,also1 what about machine ,a using its software to work with the contents of machine ,b's disks8 ,and can you use your pet word-processing software to print an electronic file on someone else's printer without getting in the way of the program he's running at the time8 ,what about electronic mail and equivalents of ,the ,,web's 8flash0 command8 ,can you easily open your electronic mailbox to see what messages are awaiting you8 ,will your computer even tell you on screen when you have a 8letter08 ,will it beep at you8 ,if there's a flash-style arrangement for short messages to appear on screen1 can you turn it off8 ,not that ,e-,mail and 8flash0 are pure delights4 ,you may not be at the screen to receive your electronic message2 with a phone message or an intercom1 on the other hand1 the other person would know immediately that you weren't4 ,then again1 with ,e-,mail or a flash-type arrangement1 you can help soften the effects of telephone tag4#gh ,footnote #gh3 ,telephone tag occurs when person ,a returns ,b's call1 but now ,b isn't available4 ,with an ,e-,mail arrangement1 ,a and ,b could exchange messages without the other being available at the same time4 ,also1 how about file locking1 which keeps user ,a out of a file that user ,b is working on8 ,that's probably a 8must40 ,you can't have someone changing numbers at the same time you are and see the results add up wrong for both of you4 ,another question arises4 ,do you want people from field offices to be able to dial in via modems8 ,this dial-up experience--along with the general-network kind--might help you eventually make the transition to telecommuting4 ,obviously1 however1 modems may mean security problems4 ,local area networks1 of course1 just like multiuser systems1 have security risks even without modems4 ,you'll perhaps want to set up the network with passwords and user-privilege levels so that only you can get into every nook and cranny of the system--and no one can read every electronic file4 ,it's a question of management style4 ,in fact1 in respecting people's privacy1 you might even arrange for only them to be able to read some information stored on their hard disks4 ,at any rate1 do investigate the security capability of a system very carefully before buying4 ,don't let a network's technical failings complicate office politics4 ,needless to say1 too1 make sure that no one can find his way to the payroll data base to give himself an unofficial raise4 ,what ,kind of ,protocol ,does the ,network ,use8 8,protocol0 is just a set of rules telling how computerlike gizmos speak to each other4 ,by the way1 networks can share a protocol but still not be on speaking terms4 ,the ,,web uses ,ethernet's basic protocol but can't hook up to it1 since ,ethernet transmits information faster across the network4 ,wait4 ,there's one other complication4 ,different ,ethernet-style systems--from different manufacturers--speak different dialects4 8,assume nothing10 says ,bigelow on the issue of whether different networks or machines will work with each other4 8,nothing's obvious40 ,before buying1 insist if possible that the sales rep set up his hardware and show you the 8compatibility0 he's been claiming4 ,how ,easy ,is the ,network to ,install8 ,a ,,web-type network might be a nightmare for the lazy and sloppy4 ,it requires hooking printed circuit boards up to the right leads of chips in the ,kaypro4 ,and you must also solder the telephone-style sockets into which your computer's network cord plugs4#gi ,footnote #gi3 ,bigelow plans a more rugged version of ,the ,,web transmission line in the future to make installation less tricky4 ,but a good data-processing department shouldn't have any problems1 according to ,the ,,web's makers4 ,what about small businesses without data-processing people8 ,they might buy both their computers and the network from a systems house if possible--a company that will do more than the average computer store in getting various machines to work well together4 ,but you've already bought your computer8 ,and a good computer store or systems house isn't nearby8 ,and the network maker can't vouch for any technicians near you8 ,then you might avoid the networks that need soldering and other grubby work4 ,even if a well-regarded store or systems house does sell you the network1 see if the technicians will get it running before they set it up at your business and you officially take delivery4 ,better still1 see if they'll do that before you officially accept delivery4 ,how ,much ,support ,will the ,manufacturer ,give ,you8 ,often1 if software comes with a computer1 the software house will buck you back to the computer manufacturer if you have a question or problem4 ,and that may or may not be true with network systems4 ,if the network is built into the computer1 you might want to see if you can also get direct support from the company responsible for the networking system4 ,it works the other way1 too4 ,if you buy a network from an independent manufacturer1 is the firm familiar enough with your computer to make sure the system works well with it8 ,know exactly who will do the servicing and consider a service contract1 which usually costs #a-b percent of the hardware costs per month4 ,in shopping around1 you shouldn't worry about jargon so much as you do about the performance of the network as you perceive it4 ,below1 however1 are some necessary terms to master4 ,we'll begin with three kinds of topology--the word for the way a network is laid out3 ,a ,bus ,a cable hooks up a bus network's computers in parallel in the manner of lights on some ,christmas trees4 ,a bus network may offer advantages in office layouts4 ,you don't have to clutter things up with a whole series of wires running back to fancy equipment in a central location4 ,you just lay one main wire with sockets that the individual micros plug into4 ,other equipment needs may be simple4 ,the ,,web1 a bus network1 requires printed circuit boards for all computers1 installed in the machines themselves4 ,that's about it other than the software and the wire4 ,fancier systems using a bus--like most versions of ,ethernet and ,corvus ,systems' popular micro network called ,omninet--need a file server4 ,a file server can be a computer minus the keyboard and screen but with extra communications ports to help signals get in and out in a hurry4 ,it's connected to the hard disk1 which stores and relays the electronic files that people send it4 ,in some networks a file server can also be a regular computer simply assigned to the job4 ,with a server arrangement you're always sharing files with the server rather than directly with other members of the network4 ,the hard disk is between you and the machine you're trying to reach4 ,by the way1 if everyone must use software from the server1 that means a very1 very busy hard disk--and potentially slower running programs4 ,a ,star ,in star topology1 the individual computers are at the points of a starlike layout of cables radiating from a file server4 ,if the server conks out1 everyone in the network is out of luck4 ,but then that could also happen in rare cases if a printed circuit board in a bus network became mischievous in the worst way4 ,normally1 computers on a star network can't be more than perhaps #bjj feet apart1 and perhaps much less4 ,corvus's ,constellation network uses the star4 ,most multiuser systems--which ,i won't call true networks--use the star arrangement to hook up the dumb terminals to their central brain4 ,a ,ring ,messages zip along a circle in one direction until they reach the right computer4 ,if the ring's broken1 the network crashes4 ,also1 distance may be limited to less than a few hundred feet without costly repeaters4 ,with the right equipment and enough money1 however1 you can go much farther4 ,one beauty of a ring arrangement is that in small networks the speeds can be very fast4 ,larger networks slow it down4 ,a ring network often uses token passing4 ,think of the children's game where1 when you're caught with a ball or other object1 you're 8it40 ,the kids try not to be4#hj ,footnote #hj3 ,thanks to ,ed ,bigelow for the children's game metaphor for the ring network4 ,the kids try not to be4 ,in token passing1 though1 the computers don't mind being 8it0 at all4 ,getting the 8ball0 means they have the okay to send to another machine through the ring4 ,if you as a computer get the ball1 you get the privilege of replacing it with the message you want to send4 ,you 8hold0 the ball until the message you've sent comes back to you through the ring4 ,then you send the ball on its way to the next computer4 ,the whole process1 of course1 is almost instantaneous4 ,some people say it may be easier to design software for a ring1 since the token passing means there's no chance of signals colliding4 ,radio ,shack's ,arcnet uses token passing4 ,you also may end up grappling with different wiring styles4 ,telephone ,style ,,web-style networks mostly use a cable somewhat like the kind between the outside of your house and your phone jack4 ,this cable has four conductors--individual wires within it4 ,commonly1 two 8hot0 conductors carry computer signals4 ,between them1 often1 are two ground wires attached to the computers4 ,you need good1 solid ground connections for the networks to work right4 ,twisted ,pair ,a twisted-pair network is what it sounds like--one normally using a pair of wires that twist around each other to form a long spiral4 ,the twisting makes the cable less sensitive to electrical interference from radio transmitters1 air conditioners1 or other appliances4 ,shielded ,wire ,you could also guard the twisted wires from electrical interference by enclosing it in woven copper or metal shielding4 ,coaxial cable is a common form of shielded wire4 ,it's costly--it may sell for more than #a a foot4 ,coaxial cable could be four times or more the cost of a twisted pair4 ,it consists of one or more thin wires buried in plastic-type insulation under the shielding4 8,coax10 as the pros say for short1 is the kind that's normally black outside and looks like a thin snake that stretches on forever4 7,the pronunciation is 8co-ax407 ,not that the color's important4 8,we use powder blue10 says a man with one network company4 ,ethernet and ,wangnet both use coax2 so do cable-,,tv installations4 ,in fact1 some cable companies have transmitted computer signals4 ,a ,,tv cable doesn't care if you use it for carrying a gangster movie or a bank payroll4 ,but just because ,ethernet uses coax doesn't mean it's normally good enough to carry most ,,tv-like signals4 ,it is just baseband in capacity4 ,you'd normally use ,ethernet simply for computerlike messages or maybe some telephone2 it's like a single1 high-speed highway4 ,wangnet1 however1 is broadband and can carry ,,tv4 ,it resembles a whole transportation network--a highway1 air corridors1 and a river4 ,you have many well-separated channels4 ,in fact1 ,wangnet is piping along signals at radio and ,,tv frequencies4 ,and the right gadgetry can separate them just as easily as a good television does4 ,you can go for miles with ,wangnet--much farther than with ,ethernet1 which may need signal boosters after several thousand feet4 ,people at ,wang1 ,xerox1 and the others can get truculent and maybe even paranoid about their pet networks versus their rivals'4 8,there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet10 said a friend of mine who's a systems analyst4 8,everyone is looking over everyone else's shoulder to see what they're doing40 ,and it isn't just the computer industry4 ,the ,,pbx#ha makers1 the switchboard manufacturers1 want their shares of the action1 too4 ,this works the other way1 too4 ,,ibm in #aihd said it would make ,rolm--a major ,,pbx maker--part of the ,big ,blue empire4 ,footnote #ha3 ,,pbx stands for private branch exchange4 ,room exists1 of course1 for many styles of networks--even in the same companies in some cases4 ,bigelow aptly likens networks to word processors4 ,we don't all use ,word,star2 why should we all be on ,ethernet8 ,with the right hardware1 in fact1 a twisted pair or maybe even a bus network might merge with the baseband and broadband ones4 ,networked second- or even third- or fourth-hand micros might speak to mainframes4 ,the state of ,west ,virginia in #aihd planned to buy hundreds of ,,ibm computers4 ,many reportedly would be on ,omninets4 ,as of mid-#aihd an ,omninet could have only sixty-three micros on it--but why not link many ,omninets to big-time networks8 ,a man at ,corvus assured me that's exactly what his company was working on for customers like ,west ,virginia4 ,,at,t may have had the right idea4 ,it planned a network to work with ,ethernet and ,corvus1 plus the ,,rs-#bcb-style arrangement that you already use to hook up computers with printers and modems4 ,that could be just the solution for some large companies that feel they're just innocent civilians in the network wars4 ,meanwhile1 if you're with a small company like ,carsonville ,metal ,products1 home in on your immediate needs4 ,again1 don't worry about high-powered networks designed for the ,fortune #ejj crowd4 ,maybe all computers someday will work with ,ethernet1 say1 and perhaps it'll be just as cheap for you as a ,,web-style net1 but it isn't now4 ,meanwhile1 if an ,ethernet-equipped firm wants to talk to your computers today1 there's already a network in place with fairly common technical standards3 the telephone system4 ,everything still sound scary8 ,well1 just forget the jargon and simply pin down the sales reps to make sure that the network will do what you want4 ,hire a consultant if need be4 ,and follow the normal rule of computer shopping and check with existing customers to see if they're happy4 ,wise network shopping1 as indicated earlier1 can pay off4 ,in mid-#aihd1 ,madden1 taking advantage of ,the ,,web1 was putting the finishing touches on some software modifications4 ,with them1 whenever ,carsonville made new sales or bought new supplies1 he could instantly see the results on the companies' general ledger2 and just as important1 he and his colleagues could easily keep up with the costs of their existing contracts4 ,they could compile a historical record1 too1 a big help in planning new bids4 ,now that ,carsonville's computers were talking1 the humans might be talking more--about the new business that the sociable machines could help bring their way4 #ad ,as ,the ,jungle ,thickens 7,,aka the ,great ,modeming7 ,this was to be my future chapter1 the one about microcomputers in the year #bjja4 ,i at first wanted it short4 ,so often the micro future prematurely becomes the micro past2 and why devote too much space to making a fool of myself8 ,and why not spread the risks8 ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke seemed a better prophet4#hb ,footnote #hb3 ,for some of ,clarke's own writing on the future1 readers might turn to #aihd3 ,spring--,a ,choice of ,futures1 published by ,ballantine ,books1 ,new ,york1 #aihd4 ,several months earlier1 in fact1 he'd agreed to an interview via modems and the satellite links between ,colombo1 ,sri ,lanka1 and ,alexandria1 ,virginia4 ,so now ,i'd show that my little ,kaypro1 with a free software program and a #aej modem1 could talk almost instantly to a stranger's computer on the other side of the planet for perhaps a fraction of the cost of a telex4 ,it seemed fitting4 ,clarke1 after all1 had written #bjaj with ,word,star and decades ago had practically invented the idea of communications satellites4 ,and if ,i failed to catch up with ,clarke by computer8 ,well1 ,i supposed it would be like a train journey to ,outer ,mongolia2 ,i at least could write of the experience of trying to get there and of the people ,i met along the way4 ,i'd cop out in one more respect4 ,rather than ask ,clarke the usual reporterish questions1 ,i would turn the job over to others4 ,the first was ,eric ,meyer1 twelve years old1 who was learning assembly language1 a feat at any age1 and who planned to start a software company called ,new ,technologies4#hc ,the second was a ,fortune #ejj man named ,jerry ter,horst1 head of ,ford ,motor's public affairs office in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 and former press secretary to ,gerald ,ford4 ,the third was ,margaret ,phanes1 assistant to ,david ,kay1 vice-president of the company that had made my computer2 the fourth1 ,seymour ,rubinstein1 a science-fiction fan and the developer of ,word,star4 ,the fifth was ,rob ,barnaby1 the ,word,star writer4 ,the sixth was ,james ,watt1 co-owner of the ,haunted ,book ,shop in ,annapolis1 ,maryland1 and a descendant of the eighteenth-century ,scottish inventor4 ,the seventh1 ,lynn ,wilson1 a former railroad telegrapher1 had taught me some amateur radio theory when ,i was twelve4 ,footnote #hc3 ,eric later decided to change the name of his company to ,e,m,co4 ,computer ,consulting4 ,eric himself had just passed his novice examination for an amateur license1 and over the phone1 with a push button1 ,i tapped out my idea in international ,morse code4 8,how10 ,i inquired1 8would you like to ask ,arthur ,clarke some questions80 8,who's ,arthur ,clarke80 ,eric replied by voice4 ,it was a pardonable response4 ,clarke's #bjja--the book and movie for which he's most famous--had come out several years before ,eric's birth4 ,and yet as much as anything1 ,eric's reply showed where we were headed in this age of specialization4 ,he might someday be programming the future equivalents of ,,hal1 developing new forms of artificial intelligence1 and yet he apparently had not heard of ,,hal's creator4 ,i told ,eric who ,clarke was4 8,no1 thanks10 ,eric tapped4 8,but he's the most famous science-fiction writer in the world10 ,i said1 and explained the kind of issues that he might ask about4 ,eric1 however1 still wasn't completely impressed4 8,does he understand technical things80 ,i assured ,eric that ,arthur ,clarke was technical enough to be worth his time4 8,we're going to do this by computers over the phone lines10 ,i said4 8,in fact1 ,i'd like you to send your questions to me by computer4 ,then ,i'll store them inside mine4 ,and then ,i'll shoot them by computer to ,arthur ,clarke there in ,sri ,lanka4 ,you'll be communicating machine to machine1 sort of40 8,where's ,sri ,lanka80 8,it's an island in the ,indian ,ocean40 8,would you use my communications program80 ,eric asked4 ,eric wasn't talking about software he'd bought4 ,it was what he had written4 8,no10 ,i said4 8,i'm going to use ,,modem#g1 because ,i'm familiar with it40 8,couldn't you say you used a communications program written by ,eric ,meyer1 age twelve80 he asked4 ,it wasn't the worst twist in the world--good for the book1 good for ,eric1 who1 as a reporter's son1 showed a precocious public relations sense4 8,i won't use it to reach ,clarke10 ,i said1 8but you can use it to send your file to me40 8,all right40 8,read #bjja10 ,i said4 ,eric readily agreed4 8,i remember the title10 he said later1 8but ,i was out when one of the kids in my class gave a report on it40 8,i'll want your reaction40 8,okay40 ,we also attended to another matter4 ,eric didn't own an amateur radio rig yet1 and ,i offered to lend him my ,heathkit1 a little five-watt transmitter-receiver stashed away in the closet of my efficiency apartment4 8,is it digital80 ,eric asked4 ,did it have1 in other words1 a 8non-dial0 like those newfangled watches8 8,no40 8,i was hoping it was40 8,it's transistorized40 ,that was good enough for me4 ,who needed a radio without a dial8 ,eric took me up on my offer1 which included the gift of some old chassis and capacitors and other parts1 forgotten until now in the crawl space of my parents' home4 ,and ,i was pleased that ,eric accepted1 for ,i liked the symmetry of it all4 ,two decades earlier ,lynn ,wilson had given me some of the very equipment ,i'd be passing on to ,eric4 ,and so ,i visited my parents' basement that weekend and reentered the past1 not only my own but also that of electronics1 including computers in a sense2 for perhaps this is how the micro age had truly begun--hobbyists swapping parts back and forth until someone accumulated enough to build a system that actually worked4#hd ,footnote #hd3 ,the actual beginnings of the micro age1 less romantically1 go back to the invention of the microprocessor--a central processing unit on one chip--in #aigj4 ,it happened at ,intel1 an electronics company in ,santa ,clara1 ,california1 and was the idea of a young ,stanford ,university grad named ,ted ,hoff4 ,lynn ,wilson was all over the crawl space4 ,i picked up a #fadf transmitter tube on which he had playfully magic markered1 8,for ,david1 ,k#d;,,dig1 ,,dx ,king40 ,,dx was the amateur radio jargon for long-distance communications4 ,i lingered in that basement1 thinking that somehow1 examining the past1 ,i might better understand the future4 ,there were no new clues1 however1 nothing but bulky transformers and spaghettilike wires and resistors and capacitors and the other odds and ends of my youth4 ,but what a record my junk pile was of the ,american electronics industry4 ,half gutted1 near the #fadf1 reposed a silvery ,,arc-#e1 a war-surplus receiver4 ,had it flown8 ,,arc-#es were what ,american bombers carried during the ,second ,world ,war4 ,had a ,b-#ag crew kept in touch with ,england with my ,,arc-#e while pummeling the ,third ,reich8 ,had my receiver seen action over ,tokyo8 ,scrapping it1 had ,i inadvertently defiled ,history8 ,near the ,,arc-#e ,i saw a giant condenser for a transmitter4 ,with row after row of plates on a metal shaft1 it looked like an electronic potato slicer4 ,i thought of fingernail-sized chips in computers today2 the big potato slicer might as well be an artifact from another species4 ,there in the crawl space the #aiejs showed up in little vacuum tubes the size of pill bottles4 ,they were a reminder of the short-sightedness of the ,u4,s4 electronics executives who had stayed years too long with vacuum-tube technology4 ,just what did this mean to ,american computer makers facing similar challenges8 ,there was an object lesson here4 ,many portable computers from ,u4,s4 companies had flat screens1 for example1 but most of the display designs came from the laboratories of ,japan4 ,although ,,ibm would prosper--even if half of the innards of its ,p,cs came from the ,orient--many of the smaller ,american manufacturers might die4 ,and even the larger domestic companies could suffer in the price ranges where computers were mere commodities2 with flat displays and better memory chips1 ,nippon might again make us relive the transistor fiasco4 ,i groped1 poked1 and wandered some more4 ,and there in a dim corner ,i found the #aifjs1 too--in the form of a ,nuvistor1 another pygmy vacuum tube1 another refinement of the obsolete4 ,by the #aigjs ,heathkit was finally offering transistorized ham transmitters like the one ,i'd lend ,eric4 ,heath still sold quite a few updated versions of the little ,,hw-#g4 ,but now the amateur radio magazines seemed half filled by ads for solid-state equipment from ,japan4 ,how long until computer magazines looked the same8 ,i went upstairs4 ,my parents1 who for years had been patiently awaiting the removal of the clutter from the crawl space1 had second thoughts4 ,what if ,i injured my back dragging the equipment to my car8 ,why couldn't ,eric and his father come for the tubes and chassis8 ,a passage from a novel--the name escaped me--came to mind4 ,it was almost as if1 by removing my old childhood toys1 ,i were aging both myself and my parents4 ,i left the equipment at ,eric's after a meeting of the ,kaypro writers group to which he and his father belonged4 ,they lived in a white house in a greeny neighborhood high above most of ,washington3 a good location for an antenna1 a great 8,,qth10 as ,lynn ,wilson would have put it in ham talk4 ,the ,meyers had filled the house with the paraphernalia of their obsessions4 ,downstairs ,rima ,meyer was at her spinning wheel2 a huge loom dominated what normally would have been the dining room2 and upstairs was the book-packed den where ,gene1 a ,washington ,post staffer1 had been working on a long history of ,maryland4#he ,no one spoke of the odd juxtaposition--a ,kaypro used to write of hogsheads and sailing ships4 ,footnote #he3 ,gene's book should appear under the title ,maryland ,lost and ,found3 ,people and ,places from ,chesapeake to ,appalachia4 ,the publisher is ,johns ,hopkins ,university ,press4 ,eric1 a small1 curly-haired boy1 helped lug the radio gear into his bedroom nearby4 ,then we soldered up the ,heathkit's connectors and began hearing international ,morse code and ,spanish babble on the #ae-meter band4 ,he was amazed4 ,i could make sense of the dots and dashes at twenty words per minute2 he could copy at only a quarter of that speed4 8,hey1 don't worry4 ,you'll learn it much faster than ,i did10 ,i said4 8,you learned ,,basic4 ,i haven't the mind for it4 ,anyone who can program will be a whiz at code40 ,and how much more useful computer skills would be4 ,take communications2 #bj words per minute was one-thirtieth the speed of my dot-matrix printer4 ,and yet ,i was dismayed to hear ,eric speaking so enthusiastically of the day when he could transmit in voice4 ,to ,lynn ,wilson and me1 ham radio didn't exist without code4 ,we were like the old man at my newspaper back in ,ohio who couldn't stand a city room bereft of typewriters4 ,computers1 in fact1 had even violated the sanctity of code4 ,a micro's video display could flash out the letters summing up the holy dots and dashes--the ones ,i'd so painfully learned in my youth4 ,i felt like a sailboater tipped over by the wake of a motorized yacht4 ,i snapped off the ,heathkit4 ,eric and ,i went downstairs where ,rima1 a tiny woman named after the bird-girl in ,green ,mansions1 was still at her spinning wheel4 ,she dreamily looked up at us and proclaimed herself an anachronism4 ,children like ,eric1 she said1 would be different from those before them--would think more abstractly in this video-game era4 ,she wrote poetry2 she heard voices2 would the computer children do the same8 ,i thought of ,rob ,barnaby1 the ,word,star writer1 who had said he heard 8a voice from the back of my head02 it wasn't the same back-of-the-head voice as a poet's1 but it was there1 anyhow4 ,someday ,eric might be another ,barnaby4 ,later that evening ,i demonstrated ,word,star for the ,meyers4 ,father and son agreed3 ,word,star moved words around faster than did ,select1 the word processor with which our ,kaypros had originally come4 ,i turned to ,rima4 8,computers are supposed to be very good for poets10 ,i said4 8,you can consider the possibilities4 ,you can learn what words look like before you commit yourself to paper40 ,rima listened politely1 but ,i thought ,i might as well be showing off an electric guitar to a mandolin player4 ,gene and ,i discussed the ,arthur ,clarke connection4 ,it was iffy4 ,the telephone lines might not work2 ,clarke might be away on a business trip4 ,gene wouldn't ghostwrite ,eric's questions for ,clarke1 but he did have one he hoped would make the list4 8,at the writer's group10 ,gene said1 8this businessman was telling me how he fired his secretary when he got his computer40 ,how did ,clarke feel about such situations8 ,it was a common but acceptable question1 ,i felt--one just as reasonable as any that science-fiction writers and philosophers might raise about the origin of the universe4 ,two weeks later ,i rang ,clarke1 around eleven in the morning1 ,virginia time4 ,a little sleepily1 he answered4 ,he was tired after a trip promoting the #bjaj novel in the ,united ,states1 and right now he could not recall me4 8,remember10 ,i said1 8we talked several months ago1 and you said we could get together on the modem40 ,clarke had phoned late one evening after ,i'd written him questions about ,word,star1 and in a sense we were now even2 for my mind had drawn an absolute blank when this stranger had begun in a ,british accent1 8,david1 you'll never guess who this is40 ,well1 ,i asked now1 could we still get together on the modem8 ,we'd run a test to be ready for the questions from ,eric and others a few days later4 8,call my computer store10 ,clarke said4 ,he was using ,,bstam1 alas1 a communications program that didn't work with my ,,modem#g software4 ,imagine my disappointment4 ,i'd been hoping for quick computer-to-computer contact1 over #h1ijj miles1 with the inventor of the communications satellite2 and now a mundane problem confronted us--a simple lack of software compatibility4 ,,bstam in some ways was a ,rolls of a communications program1 excellent for transmitting large blocks of data over long distances4 ,in fact1 ,clarke had used it to send his ,new ,york publisher some changes in #bjaj4 ,and yet1 for communicating with me1 his ,,bstam disk was nothing but a worthless piece of plastic1 because it snubbed ,,modem#g-style programs--perhaps the most common among micro users4 ,it was as if ,clarke were a lonely billionaire in a chauffeured ,rolls4 ,his ride might be velvety1 but he would never meet the commoners in the ,chevy in the next lane4 ,after calling around the country1 ,i finally located a review copy of ,,bstam4 ,eric helped me test it out over the phone4 8,may ,i come over and watch you talk to ,clarke80 he asked4 ,i hesitated4 ,hadn't ,eric already modemed his questions to me8 ,his being in my apartment seemed redundant4 ,then1 however1 ,i remembered my youth1 when ,lynn ,wilson would invite me to his attic for ,,dx sessions4 ,it was like angling4 ,lynn might not snag those stations in ,new ,zealand or ,morocco1 but it was still the electronic equivalent of treating a boy to a morning of trout fishing in a mountain stream4 ,now ,arthur ,clarke would be the new ,,dx4 ,of course1 the ,rothman-,wilson analogy didn't absolutely hold1 for ,eric knew more about computers than ,i did4 8,sure1 ,eric10 ,i said at last1 8sure you can come40 ,with ,eric and his mother watching a few days later1 ,i punched the 8#j0 and confidently said ,i wanted such-and-such number in ,colombo1 ,sri ,lanka4 ,a tape-recorded voice soon came on with a ,new ,yawkish accent1 announcing that all circuits to ,sri ,lanka were busy4 ,well1 what did ,i expect8 ,sri ,lanka wasn't one of the great centers of global communications4 ,and yet it still seemed vaguely bizarre4 ,why shouldn't ,sri ,lanka enjoy instant contact all the time with the whole world8 ,why not8 ,arthur ,clarke lived there4 ,perhaps on my tenth try ,i finally heard the musical tone of ,clarke's number ringing4 8,eureka60 ,i yelled4 ,once more ,clarke himself answered4 ,he warned me that he was rushing through a movie project and some books and was months behind in his correspondence2 the most ,i could hope for in reply to the questions would be a series of 8,yeses10 8,nos10 and 8,maybes40 ,that irked me4 ,for my enterprise ,i deserved a response ahead of the other letter writers2 in fact1 you might say ,i wasn't even a letter writer--,i was a modemer4 ,i glanced at ,eric4 ,he could tell the general direction of the conversation1 and he looked just as downcast as ,i must have4 ,eric was even hoping--quite unrealistically1 ,i believed--that ,clarke might call him at home4 8,i am starting my own computer software company 7,r ,d710 ,eric had said in a preface to his questions1 8and ,i hope to profit in this venture4 ,i am enjoying your book #bjja and want to get #bjaj4 ,i am also a novice-class #8,ham4' ,if you ever need any software or just want to chat1 my home and work number is4444 ,i also have interests in ,,robotics and ,,computer ,,hardware1 and ,,electronics 7etc4740 ,i'd reminded ,eric that the technology might fail in my quest for answers to his questions2 ,i hadn't been so emphatic in warning that ,clarke himself might fail us4 8,i'm going to need to test the modem1 anyway10 ,clarke said after a pause1 however4 ,he wanted to exchange ideas with an ,,mgm_/,,ua director for the movie sequel to #bjja4 ,he gave me the number of his telephone with a modem hooked up1 and then1 several times1 ,i again suffered the vagaries of global phone communications before a line finally opened up and ,i heard the familiar tone of a modem4 ,i reached for my own modem1 a slim blue box1 and switched over from 8,,talk0 to 8,,data40 ,then ,i hit the return key on my ,kaypro1 firing up the ,,bstam program4 ,my screen flashed word that the connection was in progress1 and ,i was about to slap ,eric on the back1 but ,i waited1 and quite rightly1 for as the seconds wore on1 the connection was still progressing4 ,something was amiss4 ,by voice ,clarke said my transmission hadn't registered in his computer memory--not even the mere existence of my electronic file4 ,i called ,michael ,scott1 a technician at ,business ,computing ,international1 ,clarke's ,new ,york computer store4 ,he sent a ,telex to ,clarke4 ,was ,clarke using the normal #cjj-;baud modem speed matching mine8 ,i learned a day or so later that he was4 8,well10 ,i asked ,michael1 8how long has it been since ,clarke last communicated with you the store through the modem80 8,months40 8,okay10 ,i said1 8maybe he needs a refresher on how to set up the modem program40 ,patiently1 ,michael ran through the procedures4 ,half an hour later ,i again was braving surly operators and busy signals to place another call to ,sri ,lanka4 8,what you want to do10 ,i told ,clarke1 8is type ,,rxn ,b3,,odycorr4,,txt1 then a carriage return1 then select ,,answer when you see the prompt40 ,clarke1 however1 hadn't been doing it that way4 ,we tried again1 and for the next ten minutes my screen kept flashing dozens of confirmations of the connection4 ,then our computer link broke4 ,i called ,clarke back4 ,surely at least the start of the electronic file had shown up on the ,b disk1 the one on which he was to store my questions4 8,no10 he said1 8,i don't see it40 ,clarke1 it seems1 had forgotten to put a floppy disk in his ,b drive4 ,it was a very excusable mistake--this whole modeming procedure was still a novelty to him--and we failed yet another time even with ,scott's instructions followed exactly4#hf ,footnote #hf3 ,clarke's forgetting to insert the disk in the ,b drive should underscore a truism3 all computer users can commit idiocies4 ,once ,i owned a printer that ,i couldn't use without unplugging my modem4 ,things worked the other way around1 too--as some people discovered when they tried to communicate with me over the phone but couldn't because ,i'd forgotten to yank out the printer cable and put in the modem's4 ,so a few days later ,i settled on another tack3 getting ,clarke a free ,kaypro ,,ii4 ,why not8 ,kaypro itself had once suggested that to me4 ,it could do worse than to be able to say that ,clarke and an ,,mgm_/,,ua director had used ,kaypros to communicate during the creation of the #bjaj film4 ,i1 in turn1 might reach ,clarke more easily if he was tapping away on a machine like mine4 ,besides1 he eventually could give his ,kaypro to the new ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke ,centre for ,modern ,technologies4 ,the center was to promote high tech in the ,third ,world1 and ,joseph ,pelton1 who was rounding up ,u4,s4 backers for the organization1 liked the ,kaypro idea4 ,so did ,clarke4 ,and so did ,peter ,hyams at ,,mgm_/,,ua4 ,hyams wasn't just a well-known director with such credits as ,capricorn ,one and ,the ,star ,chamber4 ,he was the kind of person for whom ,i was writing this book--he had a problem open to possible solution by computer4 ,the problem was the need to consult closely with ,clarke during the adaptation of the #bjaj novel2 how to overcome the time difference between ,colombo1 ,sri ,lanka1 and ,culver ,city1 ,california8 8,some things work brilliantly when read but aren't well suited to the screen10 ,hyams said1 and as a conscientious scriptwriter he didn't want to make arbitrary changes to ,clarke's story4 8,i was interested in finding out what the author was thinking when he wrote certain things4 ,and secondly ,i thought it was very1 very important that ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke be made to feel an important part of the making of this movie40 ,with rapport might come a greater understanding of the man and his books4 ,hearing of ,hyams's proposal to work together via computer1 however1 ,clarke was skeptical4 ,i could imagine why4 ,hyams would need a dependable link1 not just the capability to exchange occasional messages4 ,it might be #aihc1 satellites might be old hat by now1 but the quality of the phone transmissions didn't belie the fact that ,clarke was on an island in the ,indian ,ocean4 ,could computers deal reliably with the electronic echoes1 with the delays from the signal traveling more than #de1jjj miles on earth and in space8 ,what about ,sri ,lanka's primitive phone system8 ,and yet ,clarke's location--some #i1cej miles from ,culver ,city--also helped the struggle seem all the more worthwhile4 8,because he's twelve or thirteen hours away in time1 it almost makes normal conversation impossible10 ,hyams said4 8,someone is always going to be speaking at a very inconvenient hour for them4 ,and there are some times when you don't want to talk1 and sometimes when you're asking somebody for something1 you want to think about something4 ,it requires more than a quick answer40 ,letters1 though1 just wouldn't do3 8,i've gotten mail from him that's almost a month old40 ,hyams might have used telex or a similar system1 but the costs would still be greater than a direct computer-to-computer link4 ,ideally1 he could tap out memos on a computer1 then whisk them to ,clarke without a secretary taking the time to type them into another machine4 ,hyams was already comfortable with a ,xerox #hfj word processor4 ,like me1 however1 he realized that the link had more chance of succeeding with the two ends using the same computer systems--,kaypros in this case4 ,two hardworking ,kaypro employees1 ,margaret ,phanes and ,clifford ,odendhal1 pushed through the project at their company4 ,within a week or so a ,kaypro ,,ii was on the way to ,clarke1 and the company installed another in ,hyams's office2 at long last1 the ,great ,modeming seemed at hand4 ,then1 however1 rioting broke out in ,sri ,lanka3 fighting between two ethnic groups1 the ,singhalese and the minority ,tamils1 who were seeking a separate state4 ,somehow ,clarke's ,kaypro reached the airport4 ,but he couldn't pick it up because of the rioting1 during which an arsonist burned down the house of one of his technical assistants4 8,they're swinging the jawbone again10 said an acquaintance of mine1 alluding to a scene in #bjja where a man-ape kills another with the high tech of his era4 ,it was not a slur on ,sri ,lanka--just general disgust over violence of any kind4 ,news stories appeared1 then stories about the island trying to censor reporters so there wouldn't be any more stories4 ,just when every circumstance seemed to be conspiring against me1 ,i enjoyed a miraculous fluke4 ,arthur ,clarke's neighbor ,susan ,hayes1 the wife of an ,american official in ,colombo1 was visiting ,washington and would return to ,sri ,lanka soon2 and through a member of the ,kaypro writers group1 ,marcia ,tyson1 ,i passed on to her the written questions for ,clarke to answer by phone if need be4 ,i wasn't cheating4 ,it was perfectly in line with both the ,marco ,polo tradition and the spirit of this book2 don't ever shy away from paper backups4 ,i also supplied ,clarke a disk of ,,modem#g1 the public-domain program that ,i used--so that we needn't worry about software differences if my program didn't work with the one that ,kaypro gave him4 ,kaypro1 in fact1 did provide ,clarke with ,,modem#g-;compatible software--a company program--but it wouldn't run acceptably on ,peter ,hyams's computer4 ,so both men instead received a commercial program called ,,mite4 ,there was a problem1 though1 as ,peter and ,i prepared for the ,great ,modeming--,i couldn't be ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke4 ,my ,,modem#g could talk to ,peter's ,,mite1 but it wasn't really the same4 ,with ,,modem#g you couldn't leave your computer unattended and have a machine thousands of miles away call you up and choose from dozens of electronic files on your disk4 ,with ,,mite you could4#hg ,and ,peter1 true to the perfectionism of a top director1 wanted his rehearsals to be as realistic as possible4 8,i'd like to be ,arthur ,clarke10 ,i told a kindly software dealer1 who gave me a review copy4 ,,mite1 however1 locked up on my machine4 ,on the screen it stubbornly kept saying ,i was receiving signals from another computer--even before ,i turned on the modem4 ,footnote #hg3 ,,mite's auto-answer feature won't work without an appropriate modem4 ,my own modem was manually activated1 meaning that ,i couldn't take advantage of this wrinkle4 ,i could1 however1 switch on the modem when ,peter called4 ,and for him1 that would realistically duplicate the experience of reaching ,clarke's computer4 ,so ,i visited a hacker ,i'd heard of4 ,he was a little technobully1 who1 bare chested in the ,august heat1 worked sullenly on my software1 making rude noises whenever ,i asked a question4 ,,mite seemingly succumbed to his efforts4 ,he berated me for not using the right number of data bits1 the right stop bit1 the right everything else in computerese4 ,chastened1 ,i returned home1 only to find that the program still wasn't working reliably4 ,i took my ,kaypro and software to a friend1 a systems analyst1 an intelligent1 learned man fond of aphorisms like 8,even kings must obey the rules of mathematics40 ,unfairly1 cruelly1 ,,mite still wasn't running after five hours of his toil4 ,my friend played by the rules2 he'd based his whole career on following instruction manuals2 he was the perfect man to help run the computer system of a hospital or bank4 ,i was just the opposite4 ,when it came to the laws of math or computer manuals1 ,i was willing to turn criminal4 ,in fact1 that's how ,i undeservedly succeeded at last--by flouting ,,mite's instructions on connecting my computer and modem4 ,it was the first time in years that ,i'd used a soldering iron4 ,i didn't own a vise1 even1 so ,i placed the ,,rs-#bcb connectors on an aluminum pie plate on the wooden floor of my apartment and breathed lead-poisoned fumes4 ,the work was hot4 ,it was also murder on my eyes1 hardly the joy ,i recalled from amateur radio--a task fit for robots1 not people4 ,squinting away1 ,i hoped that beneficent ,h,a,ls would soon multiply in the world's factories4 ,then ,i remembered my friend ,lynn ,wilson1 a telephone-company retiree who had soldered for decades1 who loved it1 and who had lost his service job to computers4 ,with ,,mite running at last--and with me as a more ,clarke-like imitator--,i began another series of rehearsals with ,peter ,hyams4 ,the program was excellent2 the instructions were bewildering in places4 ,peter called a ,,mite distributor and traded insults4 ,it was outrageous4 ,we were not ordinary end users4 ,peter was a movie director trying to communicate with a famous novelist-scientist2 and ,i1 if an obscurity1 was at least around to chronicle whatever abuse ,peter suffered4 ,what would average computer users have done8 ,without other ,,mite owners to share their problems1 they would have been up the creek4 ,the whole ordeal was a potent argument for user groups2 in fact1 you might say that ,clarke1 ,peter1 and ,i were a three-member one4 ,clarke1 meanwhile1 was reportedly suffering a disk-drive problem4 ,he may have enjoyed sympathy1 however1 from another user--nearby2 an ,american in ,sri ,lanka owned a ,kaypro4 ,of course1 the ordeal was still another argument for easier-to-master software4 ,finally1 it happened3 the ,great ,modeming--more than six months after ,clarke had first phoned me from ,sri ,lanka4 ,hyams and ,clarke started typing messages to each other1 and ,i knew my own ,great ,modeming would succeed4 ,but a problem lingered even now4 ,colombo and ,culver ,city couldn't send already-typed material to each other's unattended machines4 ,so one of ,clarke's first messages to the ,,mgm_/,,ua ,kaypro wasn't exactly 8,what hath ,god wrought80 ,it was something in the spirit of 8,tell 99999999 to fix that software or ,i'm going to throw the computer in a river4 ,and tell 99999999 that ,sri ,lanka has many rivers40 ,a furious ,hyams and ,rothman phoned ,odendhal1 who promptly contacted the distributor4 ,contrite1 the ,,mite man apologized and gave ,hyams the guidance he needed4 ,the ,clarke-,hyams link was now in place4 ,it hadn't been easy4 ,the two men were each using a #a1eie computer1 a modem selling for several hundred dollars1 and a communications program listing for more than #age1 and ,peter's new printer cost several hundred2 and those expenses normally would have been only the beginning4 ,kaypro had set up the software and offered other consultant-style services2 ,clarke used his own technician4 ,if ,average ,company1 ,inc41 had duplicated the computer link on both sides of the ,pacific1 the project might have exceeded #e1jjj4 ,and yet clearly the technical hurdles seemed surmountable and the rewards worthwhile4 ,two weeks into the link ,hyams had only one complaint--the difficulty of reaching an international operator at times to place calls4 ,and in future years that problem would lessen as special computer links let ,telenet spread into the world's poorer countries4 ,an attachment to make the ,sri ,lankan phone system compatible would cost the government several thousand dollars4 ,and the expense to ,clarke and ,hyams would be perhaps #fj an hour--no great barrier1 considering that they could transmit #a1jjj-word computer files in a fraction of that cost using #cjj-;baud modems4 ,with faster modems they might end up spending still less4 ,more important to ,hyams right now1 however1 was the friendship he was building with ,clarke--so important to the success of the film4 8,i think we're kind of linked in a strange way10 ,peter said4 8,he's written some lovely and sweet things4 ,it's strangely intimate4 ,you're just getting daily mail4 ,it has some really wonderful advantages that letters have over telephone conversations4 8,the kinds of questions that ,i'm asking him and the kinds of things ,i'm saying are things you don't really say off the top of your head4 ,you know1 #8,what do you think about so-and-so8' and you sit down and compose the answer and you write it back4 ,some of the stuff is purely personal4 ,some of it is not4 ,i want him to experience the making of this movie4 ,there are a lot of logistical details4 ,i've spoken to some people that ,arthur's recommended ,i speak to4 ,there are things to do with everything1 from marketing to plans ,i have1 to changes ,i want to make1 to ,what does he think of certain things8 to technical areas of the film that he can be enormous help with40#hh ,footnote #hh3 ,a ,ballantine paperback titled ,the ,odyssey ,file1 records much of the computer dialogue between ,clarke and ,hyams4 ,very briefly ,clarke also writes of the link in ,ascent to ,orbit3 ,the ,technical ,writings of ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke1 released by ,john ,wiley ,sons1 ,new ,york1 in #aihd4 ,clarke1 using ,british spelling1 modemed to me that the 8connextion0 with ,peter ,hyams was 8invaluable4 ,we are on exactly the other side of the clock1 so ,i leave my machine on ,,answer with a file for him when ,i go to bed1 which is about the time he goes to ,,mgm1 and when ,i get down to breakfast1 there's his answer on the disk40 ,if ,peter worked late at night1 the two men might save their 8conversation0 on computer disk so 8there will be a complete record of our collaboration4 ,it's truly fantastic1 like ,word,star4 ,i just can't imagine how ,i ever managed without it4 ,my big worry is that as more and more of my friends get plugged in1 ,i'll never be able to get away from the keyboard40 ,a few days before ,clarke sent his written answers for ,eric ,meyer and the others1 he phoned him just as ,eric had hoped4 8,i wouldn't want to disappoint the boy10 ,clarke said later4 ,the ,clarke-,meyer conversation was brief--words to the effect that ,clarke would be in ,washington in #aihd and he wished ,eric luck in the future--but it served its purpose4 8,it's the first time ,i've ever had an international call10 ,eric said4 8,my first phone ,,dx60 ,my computer ,,dx reached me one ,saturday morning at nine1 an uneventful occurrence except for a broken telephone connection when ,i dialed ,clarke back to start the modeming4 ,our two ,kaypros clicked the next try4 ,i received a prepared file from ,clarke of about one thousand words1 and afterwards we tapped out some #bej words3 ,q4 ,when will you be coming to ,washington so ,i can tell ,eric1 who naturally will want to attend your speech8 ,a4 ,i am afraid it will be a very private affair1 as it takes place in the ,white ,house6 ,but ,i expect to be in ,washington in late ,april4#hi ,q4 ,i am planning to call my ergonomics chapter 8,the ,hal ,syndrome10 and if you've used that phrase before1 ,i'd like to give you credit4 ,a4 ,i don't recall ever using the term1 but it's a good idea1 and you're welcome1 anyway4 ,footnote #hi3 ,president ,reagan's campaign schedule and trip to ,china forced him to cancel his ,april #aihd meeting with ,clarke4 ,that's part of the conversation with the typos cleaned up--on-line typing isn't for the vain4 ,clarke was brisk at the keyboard4 ,there wasn't any doubt ,i was 8talking0 to a professional author4 ,hyams was fast1 too1 reaching maybe eighty or ninety per minute on good days2 and yet as ,peter pointed out1 typing speed didn't matter that much1 since you normally would compose at leisure1 then squirt out your prepared file4#ij ,footnote #ij3 ,in the postscript of ,ascent to ,orbit1 ,clarke described himself and ,hyams as 8lousy typists40 ,they may be in terms of accuracy but not speed--and1 of course1 with a computer1 you can correct mistakes so easily that accuracy becomes secondary to speed4 ,the ,clarke-,rothman connection ran just fourteen minutes and cost #be4aa on my phone bill--a good case for the economy of global computer communications4 ,i didn't know what ,clarke's rates might be4 ,but if ,i'd given a thousand words to a ,telex service in ,washington1 ,d4,c41 a one-way message to ,sri ,lanka would have totaled some #abe4 ,and if ,i could have afforded my own ,telex machine8 ,well1 the connect charges alone still would have exceeded #fj4 ,moreover1 my #be4aa charge was for a #cjj-;baud connection1 a slowpoke one by some business computer standards4 ,with a #a1bjj-;baud link--a strong possibility since the connection had proved so reliable for ,clarke and ,hyams at #cjj baud--my phone bill might have been well under #ae even on a weekday4 ,and with everything sent already typed1 it might have been between #e and #aj4 ,imagine the thousands of dollars a company could save using micros instead of ,telex for regular communications with faraway offices4 ,in one of the questions sent there ,marco ,polo fashion1 ,eric asked if computers someday would replace secretaries who took dictation4 ,could the machines display the words on their screens and electronically police spelling and grammar8 8,we will certainly get computers that can take dictation10 ,clarke replied by modem1 8and this may lead to two desirable results--better elocution and rationalisation of spelling40 ,yes1 yes4 ,maybe someday ,american and ,british computers could even spell alike4 ,although ,eric's question was a very good one1 it was pass in many technical circles1 as he himself must have known4 ,articles were already appearing in micro magazines about low-cost computers that could recognize simple commands like ,,save 7to preserve material on a disk74 ,one of the big problems with speech recognition was usability with different voices4 ,but ,i had no doubt that practical machines with a vocabulary fit for the business world would be taking dictation by #bjja4 ,the keyboard would remain1 however4 ,not everyone would want to dictate2 ,i suspected even two decades from now ,i'd still prefer the pleasure of letting my fingers linger over the keys4 ,then again1 how did ,i know8 ,just a few years ago ,i could have seen myself at only a typewriter keyboard4 ,as for spelling checkers--well1 there again the basic technology was already around4 ,i myself would be proofing this chapter with ,the ,,word ,plus1 a #de1jjj-word electronic dictionary that would flag the places where my spellings contradicted it4 ,not that ,the ,,word ,plus would ever replace proofreaders at ,the ,new ,yorker4 ,it would let you use 8his0 when you meant 8this02 it was absolutely incapable of considering spellings in context4 ,even by #bjja the checkers might lack that capability4 ,but eventually they would respond perfectly to context1 as would grammar checkers4 ,that might require artificial intelligence1 the ability of computers to reason independently without their humans laying out the machines' tasks in detail4 ,but the day would come4 ,of course even the best prophets could err4 ,in his #aide article entitled 8,extra-,terrestrial ,relays3 ,can ,rocket ,stations ,give ,worldwide ,radio ,coverage80 ,clarke predicted communications satellites but missed by a mile in another area4 8,it seems unlikely that we will have to wait as much as twenty years10 he said then1 8before atomic-powered rockets are developed44440 ,still1 ,i appreciated ,clarke's general philosophy of prediction3 ,experts are more often wrong in saying something can't be done than in saying that it can4 8,do you think there will ever be a ,,hal80 ,eric asked ,clarke4 8,yes10 ,clarke said1 8,,hal will arrive--but not by #bjja60 ,i agreed4 ,but confusingly1 ,,hal wouldn't necessarily be a pure-bred silicon creation2 ,i could see him as a hybrid of silicon chips and biochips1 or maybe just the latter4 ,created by an organic process1 the biochips might have complexity and power far beyond those of old-fashioned machines with silicon4#ia ,footnote #ia3 ,in the early #aifjs ,clarke himself wrote in ,profiles of the ,future that 8the first genuine thinking machines may be grown rather than constructed2 already some crude but very stimulating experiments have been carried out along these lines4 ,several artificial organisms have been built that are capable of rewiring themselves to adapt to changing circumstances40 ,what's more1 instead of a machine acting like a man1 scientists might help join men with machines1 with everyone receiving brain implants at birth4 ,men might turn into ,hal before ,hal became a man4 ,for years science-fiction writers had been predicting cyborgs1 man-machine unions4 ,in some ways1 humans might forever defy emulation4 8,even with computers' vast memories1 ,i'm skeptical as to whether a machine could give judgments based on ethics10 said another of the questioners1 ,jerry ter,horst4 8,how can executives live with this limitation8 ,might computers have a way of taking the sharp edge off ethical questions8 ,quite often you can put things in a machine or say things to a machine1 but maybe--because of the way it operates--you must conform to its system4 ,you can't very well couch an ethical question for the machine1 because ,i don't think a computer can weigh it ethically4 ,it can certainly weigh it procedurally1 but whether it can weigh it ethically is another question4 ,i'm wondering whether computers might get in the way of having to make some of the ethical decisions that businesses are always required to make40 ,clarke replied1 8,it will certainly be some time before computers understand ethics 7not too many humans do1 for that matter71 but in the long run it is impossible to rule out any aspect of human activity which cannot be reproduced or at least imitated by computer to any desired degree of precision4 ,of course1 some things will be too complicated to be worth doing40 ,elsewhere in the response ,clarke did say3 8,i know nothing about corporate or any other form of management1 but obviously in principle computers can assist decision making greatly4 ,however--,,gigo60 ,garbage in1 garbage out6 ,already electronic decision programs were available for businessmen1 helping them consider financial factors--but in most cases1 not very much more4 ,besides1 the people who most needed guidance from 8ethical0 software would be the least likely to use it4 ,imagine ,richard ,nixon booting up a disk to ponder if he should cover up ,watergate4 ,all this wasn't an abstraction for ter,horst4 ,he himself had resigned as press secretary in a disagreement with ,gerald ,ford over the ,nixon pardon4 ,now he worked as ,washington public-affairs director for another ,ford1 the car company4 ,it undoubtedly had banks of computers1 and like any other automakers'1 they must be toting up the costs of adding various safety precautions to cars4 ,critics of the auto industry charged that manufacturers considered only their ledgers--the cost of the precautions versus that of lawsuits4 ,would software someday weigh the ethical issues along with the numbers1 and should it8 ,that was hardly a question just for the auto industry4 ,what about a construction company evaluating building materials of different strengths8 ,or a book publisher weighing its profitability against the menace to public health that would result from publication of a fad diet book4 ,i was reactionary enough to consider those final decisions forever beyond the realm of even computers as sophisticated as ,,hal4 ,in the future1 though1 how many executives would feel that way8 ,jerry ter,horst's ethics question was easily my favorite4 ,he also asked1 8,what about the general issue of trust among people communicating by computer8 ,can people make policy1 sign contracts1 settle multimillion questions without shaking hands8 ,you can have two people with computers in different locations calling up the same statistics from the same memory bank4 ,yet isn't it possible that the necessary trust may not occur until the two get together in person80 8,your point that people must meet to establish trust is one theme of my novel ,imperial ,earth10 ,clarke replied4 8,after that1 they can work together through telecommunications4 8,i had unexpected confirmation of this idea from a visiting reader who happened to be the ,russian ambassador-at-large in charge of the ,indian ,ocean4 ,he said1 #8,you're quite right4 ,you have to look into the other fellow's eyes before you can negotiate4'0 ,in ,imperial ,earth a man from a moon of ,saturn visits ,washington in #bbgf to celebrate the ,u4,s4 quincentennial and cultivate his family's terrestrial political contacts4 ,wreckers have razed the original ,watergate complex--over the objections of the ,democrats1 who wanted it saved as a national monument--but in many ways politicians and statesmen are the same as in the darkest twentieth century4 ,they seek personal contact with each other4 8,only after that contact1 with its inevitable character evaluation1 had been made1 and the subtle links of mutual understanding and common interest established10 writes ,clarke1 8could one do business by long-distance communication with any degree of confidence40 ,a booster of telecommuting might nod4 ,he'd insisted that we meet face-to-face1 and ,i suspected ,i could have enjoyed slightly better cooperation from a few other interviewees for this book if we had been in the same rooms4 ,wires and satellites could never eliminate travel4 ,granted1 some researchers might say the next year that people tended to use stronger words in computer conferences1 perhaps to make up for the lack of body language and other visual clues4 ,reportedly1 the decisions from such conferences tended to be more radical--involving much more risk or not enough--than those made face-to-face4 ,just the same1 computer 8meetings0 could greatly reduce travel once the people at the various ends had established the basic trust4 ,clarke had written two decades ago1 8,the business lunch of the future could be conducted perfectly well with the two halves of the table ten thousand miles apart2 all that would be missing would be the handshakes and exchange of cigars40#ib ,footnote #ib3 ,clarke's conjecture about the business lunch of the future appears in ,profiles of the ,future1 ,harper ,row1 ,new ,york1 #aifb1 p4 #aid4 ,that might or not be with television contact4 ,the absence of it1 however1 wouldn't be the ultimate disaster4 ,in concentrating on the other person's message1 you might be less vulnerable to misleading clues from facial expression1 body movement1 or clothing4 ,clarke himself enjoyed creating different personae for different audiences2 once his sarong had shaken up an ,,ibm convention4 ,a ,washington reporter described him at another time as 8a paunchy fellow0 with thinning hair1 8math-teacher glasses1 discreet hearing aid 444 red velvet slippers and unbelted pants0 who looked 8like some kind of ,,gs-#ab from the ,bureau of ,poultry ,audits4 ,and he wants you to see his ,kermit the ,frog doll40#ic ,yet this same man could don dark suits for book jackets and deliver august speeches to statesmen4 ,footnote #ic3 ,the 8,bureau of ,poultry0 description of ,clarke comes from ,curt ,suplee's ,washington ,post article of ,november #af1 #aihb4 ,suplee also saw ,clarke in nonbureaucratic attire--the sarong4 ,beyond reducing the opportunity for visual distractions1 long-distance contact by phone or computer offered another advantage in my opinion4 ,you could reach more people in a given time to confirm their facts2 you weren't twiddling your thumbs in cabs and airport lobbies or wearily working the horn locally from a hotel room with a bed fit for a steel-spined dwarf4 ,that still left the question of what kind of office you would talk to the world from4 ,margaret ,phanes of ,kaypro wanted to know4 ,the week ,margaret asked about the office of #bjja1 she said she was in the middle of reading ,clarke's novel ,rendezvous with ,rama4 ,in her opinion1 ,clarke brought about 8synchronicity40 ,he himself1 in fact1 had once told of 8preposterous0 coincidences in his own life1 and he'd peopled ,imperial ,earth with characters like 8,george ,washington10 a twenty-third-century ,virginian who lived on a museum's plantation named ,mt4 ,vernon4 ,if 8synchronicity0 or other coincidences had worked for ,dickens1 then why not ,clarke and ,phanes8 ,or ,rothman8 ,trying to puzzle out some technical details of my computer-to-computer link with ,clarke1 ,i'd run into two noncelebrities who had met him4 ,and what about his neighbor--visiting ,washington--through whom ,i'd passed the questions from ,margaret and the others8 ,coincidence needn't be mystical4 ,i was happy enough for it simply to be useful4 ,replying to ,margaret's questions about what the office would be like in #bjja1 ,clarke had a problem4 ,for decades he had been working at home4 8,my #8office1' if you can call it that--it looks like a snake-pit with all the cables on the floor--is just ten feet from my bedroom4 ,i can appreciate your questions are very important1 but they're outside my frame of reference40 ,clarke may have replied in a limited way to ,phanes1 however1 when he answered a question from ,seymour ,rubinstein4 ,he'd asked ,clarke about the possibility of briefcase computer tapping into worldwide networks to do complicated processing of information4 ,just how would that affect people8 ,years ago ,clarke had said a business eventually wouldn't even need 8an address or a central office--only the equivalent of a telephone number4 ,for its files and records will be space rented in the memory units of computers that could be located anywhere on earth4 ,the information stored in them could read off on high-speed printers whenever any of the firm's offices needed it40#id ,and now ,clarke was predicting little portables capable of using the giant networks and memory banks4 8,it seems to me that as computers become more and more portable and networks more universal 7and systems standardised--a ,,must67 there may no longer be any question of #8micros in the office4' ,the office will be in the micro--and that will be in an attach case40 ,rubinstein himself already knew that ,epson was about to market its little lap-size machine with ,word,star built into the read-only memory4 ,footnote #id3 ,clarke's prediction of a business having 8only the equivalent of a telephone number0 is from ,profiles of the ,future1 p4 #aid4 ,rob ,barnaby1 the ,word,star programmer1 asked a slightly overlapping question covered by the same answer4 ,there was something else for them from ,clarke1 however--his thanks4 8,i am happy to greet the geniuses who made me a born-again writer10 he said4 8,having announced my retirement in #aigh1 ,i now have six books in the works and two portables--all through ,word,star40#ie ,footnote #ie3 ,discussing ,word,star1 ,clarke was careful to point out that he had 8never used or even seen any other word-processing system0 and had 8no frame of reference10 but found 8only a few small nits to pick with my version4 7,release #c of #aiha1 ,,wu#fddbge;,c740 ,among other things he repeated a complaint ,i myself have against ,word,star #c4j4 8,i do wish one could see the printed instructions actually operating on the screen text10 ,clarke said1 8so it wasn't messed up by those ugly control characters4 ,that would also have the enormous benefit of preventing the sort of boob ,i made for the first few weeks--not closing the print instruction1 with horrid results1 e4g41 underlining to the end of the manuscript660 ,james ,watt1 the descendant of the ,scottish inventor1 also figured to an extent in ,clarke's work1 in the sense that the ,haunted ,book ,shop sold it4 8,a computer disk the size of a phonograph record can hold about #ed1jjj frames of pictures10 ,watt observed in his questions1 8enough for a large encyclopedia4 ,does that mean we'll see the end of going into a bookstore and buying a best-seller8 ,are we going to lose the printed word as we know it today8 ,will #8book' buying become a computerized activity8 ,will ,i call up ,,xyz computer firm and then peruse disks at my leisure80 8,nothing will ever replace books10 ,clarke reassured him4 8,they can't be matched for convenience1 random access1 nonvolatile memory 7unless dropped in the bath71 low power consumption1 portability1 etc4 8,but information networks will supplement them and replace whole categories1 e4g41 encyclopedias and telephone directories 7as is being planned in ,france740 ,clarke was more sanguine about ,watts's fear that computerized shopping might 8dehumanize us0 and clerks might vanish4 ,he said1 8,i believe personal service will become more and more important and hopefully more and more available as older occupations disappear4 ,we'll #8window-shop' through home terminals but will still discuss important products with salesmen1 even if they're hundreds of kilometers away60 ,the seventh questioner1 ,lynn ,wilson1 had worked several decades for the ,chesapeake and ,potomac ,telephone ,company1 only to see computers do away with the rotary switches he had so lovingly attended4 8,they've sent all my equipment to the smelter's to reclaim the metal10 he said4 8,i don't know if anyone's still in the building4 ,maybe a few times a week someone goes by4 ,the equipment tests itself twenty-four hours a day and flashes a red light for the serviceman next time he's there40 ,just a few boxes had replaced the long rows of devices that connected the dial phones in the area of ,alexandria1 ,virginia4 ,but ,lynn didn't feel any futility4 ,the telephone and teletype themselves had superseded another invention he used--the ,morse ,code telegraph4 ,he'd pounded out messages at up to forty words per minute for the ,wheeling and ,lake ,erie ,railroad1 and he still recalled an old saying reflecting his pride in his craft3 8,if a telegram takes more than twenty-four hours to be delivered1 it has whiskers40 ,my friend had a feel for the scraps of history4 ,for years he'd kept a ,teletype message announcing the ,third ,reich's surrender1 and ,i asked about the ,,arc-#e receiver that he'd given me3 could it really have flown over ,germany8 8,go to the ,air and ,space ,museum in ,washington10 ,lynn said1 8and you'll see a cockpit with an ,,arc-#e4 ,i've even seen an ,,arc-#e with a 4#ej-;caliber bullet hole right through it40 ,lynn was hardly a foe of every piece of post-,,arc-#e technology4 ,in late #aihc he hoped to be among the hams talking on the two-meter wavelength to an astronaut aboard the space shuttle4#if ,just the same1 ,lynn feared the years ahead--not so much his own fate as other people's4 ,footnote #if3 ,alas1 ,lynn tried but did not successfully make radio contact with the space shuttle4 8,aren't computers turning people into useless objects against their will80 ,lynn asked ,clarke4 ,gene ,meyer1 ,eric's father1 of course had wanted ,eric to ask a somewhat similar question4 ,but it meant more coming from ,lynn4 8,computers eliminate people1 who take vacations1 sick leave1 and retirement10 he said4 8,i myself haven't suffered4 ,i took voluntary retirement at full pension at sixty-two4 ,but computers were why ,i left then instead of sixty-five4 ,i would have had to go to school for three years1 and by then ,i would have been ready for regular retirement4 ,so it didn't make sense for me to stay4 ,but not everyone can retire at full pension when the new technology takes over4 ,what do you do about the people being forced out8 ,what's the answer80 8,anyone who can be turned into a useless object against his_/her will is one60 ,clarke said4 8,you obviously weren't40 ,that was too pat an answer for me4 ,the other day ,i'd talked to my old state editor1 who'd visited ,lorain1 ,ohio1 west of ,cleveland on ,lake ,erie4 ,he feared that ,lorain might become a husk of a town4 ,a decade ago1 when ,i'd been a reporter there1 more than eight thousand had worked at the ,u4,s4 ,steel mills1 and ,dick worried that the company might pull out of ,lorain except for a bare-bones plant employing just a few hundred4 ,downtown1 he'd seen dozens of shattered store windows4 ,oddly1 however1 the newspaper enjoyed some new subscribers--,dick said some of his friends could afford to do little more than watch television and read4 ,were ,dick's friends to be shrugged off as 8useless objects08 ,in ,imperial ,earth ,clarke had told of stringent population control1 of an ,american ,midwest replanted with forests1 of steel mills neatly preserved as museums2 but three centuries earlier1 ,lorain untidily abounded with angry1 idle men4 ,cheap steel imports were one threat to them4 ,so1 perhaps1 was the eagerness of many steel-company officers to pour their capital into more profitable industries4 ,but computers and other high tech also had helped deprive ,lorain of some steel jobs4 ,in the future1 however1 couldn't even a factory technician telecommute--overseeing robots from home and using them to turn out custom-crafted products requiring a human 8touch08 ,ideally1 ,america in #bjja would be producing something besides 8information10 ,big ,macs1 and look-alike toasters4 ,and ideally1 too1 average workers could afford to enjoy the cornucopia4 ,in fact1 widespread genetic enhancement of ,i,qs might eventually make everyone capable of appreciating high tech at a high level1 so that 8workers0 in the old sense disappeared4 ,huxley's ,brave ,new ,world hierarchy might never exist1 and in the twenty-second century we might all be ,alphas smarter than any of today's computer wizards4 ,robots would be our real ,epsilons4 ,meanwhile1 regardless of the traumas of society at large1 some of the most unlikely people could befriend new machines4 ,jack ,la,vriha--the cigar-chomping newspaperman in ,chapter #h who dated back almost to the ,front ,page days--had done fine in the ,lorain ,journal's electronic city room4 ,even ,rima ,meyer1 the weaver1 had made peace with the family ,kaypro4 ,just a few months ago ,eric's mother had given me the impression that she wouldn't use the computer for a long time if at all4 ,but now ,gene had nearly finished his ,maryland book--freeing up the ,kaypro for her to practice on4 8,i use it for personal correspondence and for the fliers for the weaving classes ,i teach--anything that requires good1 clean copy10 she said4 ,the ,meyers1 in fact1 didn't even have a working typewriter in the house4 ,well1 ,i thought1 so much for all my blather about mandolin players and electric guitars4 ,to be sure1 computerization would rarely be as worry-free and blissful as the advertisements depicted it4 ,there would be computer crime1 disk crashes1 all the other high-tech woes4 ,few people would take to computers as naturally as had ,charlie ,bowie1 with his playful1 ,hawkeye-,pierce attitude toward his little ,zenith4 ,and how many could save their companies #bjj1jjj a year like ,alan ,scharf8 ,or experience the exhilaration of ,peter ,hyams when ,arthur ,clarke's letters flashed across his green screen8 ,or the satisfaction that ,rob ,barnaby received by writing a software classic like ,word,star8 ,but if computer users not only chose their machines and software well but used them well1 if they formed users groups rather than trust peripatetic sales reps1 if they avoided technobullies and hired consultants carefully1 if they trained employees in a nonintimidating way1 if they computerized humanely as well as efficiently1 if they safeguarded their data security1 if they prepared for the future through telecommuting when appropriate1 if they showed persistence and sense1 enough rewards were there1 and they'd find the ,silicon ,jungle to be not only survivable but friendly4 ,afterword ,it's ,november #aihd now1 and ,i've sold my ,kaypro4 ,business computers are production tools1 not family heirlooms2 when ,i found that the ,kaypro's screen and storage capacity were becoming inadequate for my needs1 ,i unsentimentally ran want ads4 ,the new owner--a church magazine using the ,kaypro for lighter-duty work such as letter writing--couldn't be happier4 ,the ,kaypro's replacement was a sleek ,victor #ijjj4 ,i was growing accustomed to it when a writer friend1 ,stephen ,banker1 called with news of an auction at a shut-down computer store a few miles from my apartment4 ,a year and one-half ago the store's managers and ,i had argued about the ,kaypro's merits versus the ,osborne's4 ,they'd gambled on the wrong machine1 the ,osborne4 ,micro sales in general were growing1 but this business had perished in the ,silicon ,jungle4 ,now ,i returned to the store and saw the debris of the micro revolution4 ,spread out haphazardly on long tables1 treated like dead fish1 were the computers that ,i'd seen glamorized on the covers of the micro magazines just months before4 ,the auction had begun on a ,thursday and would last over the ,labor ,day weekend through ,monday4 ,the first day the prices were reduced #cj percent1 and they would keep declining1 until on ,monday you could buy most of the machines for #hj percent off4 ,it was now ,friday4 ,the machine ,i wanted1 a hard-disk version of my ,victor #ijjj1 would be #b1djj ,sunday--#dj percent of the original list price of #f1jjj4 8,don't buy it ,sunday10 said ,steve4 8,if ,god intends you to have a hard disk1 ,he'll let you get it for #a1bjj ,monday40 ,there were two hard-disk ,victors1 one new1 one used1 both selling for the same4 ,so far only one other person seemed to be showing the amount of interest that ,i did1 a husky1 gray-haired man in a ,t-shirt4 ,he was trying the used machine4 ,i wondered if he'd seen the new one and was trying to distract me from it4 ,this could be the stuff of nightmares3 ,a whistle blows that ,monday4 ,t-shirt pushes a frail young auction staffer aside and races toward the new ,victor4 ,i overtake him1 however4 ,just as ,i'm about to lay hands on the machine1 ,t-shirt throws a punch toward me4 ,i duck4 ,t-shirt grabs the ,victor monitor4 8,listen10 ,i say1 8that computer isn't yours unless you get the main part4 ,the monitor won't do40 ,an auction staffer nods4 ,i unplug the main machine from an ,,ac extension cord4 ,t-shirt1 however1 sets the monitor down and moves closer1 as if to grab the part with the disk drives and the central processing unit4 8,look10 ,i tell the auction staffer1 8it's my machine40 8,first come1 first serve10 he says4 8,first to the counter gets the computer40 ,t-shirt flexes his biceps4 8,you and me got some fighting to do40 8,hell1 no10 ,i say4 8,i already have my computer40 8,my computer10 ,t-shirt growls4 ,i hug the ,victor more tightly4 ,my back is aching4 ,t-shirt laughs at my discomfort4 8,my computer10 he repeats4 8,gimme60 ,the auction staffer watches calmly4 ,i don't4 ,that's #f1jjj worth of machinery we're fighting over4 ,suppose ,i drop-- ,t-shirt rushes in4 ,the computer's plastic case smacks against the floor and shatters4 ,simultaneously1 one of us brushes against the monitor4 ,it1 too1 falls2 and the ,,crt makes a horrible sound as the air rushes into the vacuum4 ,the ,victor1 however well built1 isn't a machine to be fought over1 barroom-brawl fashion4 ,on the floor ,i see tiny computer chips and spaghettilike clumps of wire4 ,god knows how1 but the hard disk has spilled out of the ,victor and is rolling down the aisle of the store4 ,the auction staffer makes clucking noises4 ,i glare at ,t-shirt4 8,you saw it all10 ,i tell the staffer4 8,he's the one who's going to have to make good40 8,hey1 boss10 the staffer yells toward the counter1 8we got ourselves a little accident here40 ,the chief auctioneer rushes over and looks over the ,victor's remains4 8,he smashed it10 ,i say1 frowning again at ,t-shirt4 8,but you let it drop10 ,t-shirt snaps4 8,the price was only #a1bjj on the last day10 ,i remind everyone4 ,a lump is forming in my throat4 ,inflation notwithstanding1 ,i'll never feel right putting 8only0 in front of 8#a1bjj40 8,well1 it was still worth six thou10 says the head auctioneer4 8,see you both in court40 8,both80 ,t-shirt and ,i ask at the same time4 8,both10 says the auctioneer1 8unless you want to pay now4 ,that'll be #c1jjj each4 ,cash or certified check80 ,hoping that ,t-shirt wouldn't notice me1 ,i put the new ,victor through its paces as much as ,i could4 ,it wasn't set up to run ,word,star1 the program ,i wanted to test it with4 ,i'd be taking a chance4 ,still1 if ,i bought the ,victor for #a1bjj1 ,i'd have enough money left over for even massive repairs--assuming someone didn't beat me to the machine4 8,maybe ,i'll buy it myself10 said a sales rep1 out of either cruelty or a desire to increase my interest still more1 assuming that was possible4 8,maybe ,i'll sell it for scrap40 ,he himself was a good six foot four inches1 perhaps three hundred pounds1 but some ,victor enthusiasts might have thrown a few punches1 anyway1 at the source of such sacrilege4 ,the ,victor1 unlike most of the other micros there1 wasn't the computer equivalent of a dead fish4 ,with the built-in hard disk ,i could keep every syllable of ,the ,silicon ,jungle ready for editing without jockeying around the floppies4 ,i silently thanked 8,big ,blue0 ,,ibm for the bargain that might await me4 ,through its normal marketing muscle1 including a massive ad campaign featuring a ,charlie ,chaplin look-alike1 ,,ibm had overwhelmed the competition4 ,people shunned 8obscure0 brands1 especially if they couldn't use ,,ibm ,,pc-,,dos ,,ibm software4 ,the ,victor didn't have ,charlie on its side4 ,some bozos at the company even charged dealers for promotional literature4#ig ,but what a micro6 ,the ,victor was a #af-;bit1 ,,ms-,,dos machine and ran ,word,star #c4c and the ,cross,talk communications program1 the software ,i used in my work4 ,the screen was noticeably sharper than the ,,ibm's2 the keyboard was closer to a ,selectric's2 the light brown plastic cabinet was sleeker1 and it didn't take up as much desk space as an ,,ibm ,,pc would4 ,and the floppies could store an amazing #a4b megabytes of information or three times as much space as the usual ,,ibm disk4 ,how lamentable that ,,ibm rather than ,victor had set the standard for the personal computer industry4 ,victor had gone into chapter #aa1 but subject to court approval1 would be bought by a ,swedish company--and even if the sale doesn't go through1 there would be #ajj1jjj ,victor owners1 enough to guarantee a market for replacement-part manufacturers4 ,,ibm might have the brand name4 ,but the ,victor right now was best for my needs4 ,footnote #ig3 ,a former ,victor employee tells me that charging dealers for promotional material isn't that uncommon a practice4 ,i realize that some dealers may waste literature1 but ,i still think the practice is dumb4 8,when's a safe time to get here before anyone else gets the ,victor80 ,i asked the sales rep4 8,we open at nine o'clock10 he said4 8,won't do me any good to come several hours earlier80 ,i asked out of curiosity--,i'd show up regardless of the answer4 ,he shook his head4 ,that night ,i called ,steve1 just to overcome last-minute doubts4 ,the better the bargain1 the more suspicious ,i should be4 8,you think ,i should go ahead80 8,why not8 ,the biggest problem you'll have is selling your present ,victor40 ,i'd paid #a1gej for it new1 through the mail4 ,it1 too1 had been a risk4 ,i'd taken out a maintenance agreement with a local company in case the new arrival turned out to be a lemon4 ,it hadn't been4 ,but could ,i recover the money selling a supposedly 8has-been0 machine8 ,monday1 ,i arose at five in the morning4 ,if the ,victor was still there and if ,i got to it before anyone else did1 ,i'd save more than #d1jjj off the normal price4 ,for four hours of waiting8 ,i'd have to be a regular on all the best-seller lists for my time to be worth #a1jjj an hour4 ,when ,i pulled into the shopping center1 ,i saw no one else there except for a police car passing through4 ,an old van wheezed into the parking lot a few minutes later4 ,a bearded man and a boy of perhaps ten got out and set up a canvas chair2 veteran auction goers8 ,they'd have advice on the best way to fight the crowd and claim my prize4 ,the man1 however1 just gestured and grunted4 ,the boy couldn't speak1 either4 ,they were apparently deaf mutes4 ,i pulled out pen and paper and learned they were after ,atari-games software4 ,maybe an hour later a few others straggled in1 one of them a psychologist1 with whom ,i began discussing the great issues of the day4 8,you're not interested in the ,victor1 are you80 ,i asked4 8,i'm looking for ,osborne software10 said the psychologist4 8,what about detachable keyboards and monitors80 ,i asked1 remembering my nightmare over the criteria for laying claim to a machine4 ,we decided that proper auction etiquette required you to defer to the person who carried away the main part of the computer to the counter2 an auctioneer later agreed4 ,miraculously1 a small1 orderly line was forming even now1 with fifty people in front of the store by eight4 ,over the next hour a mob came1 some in old jalopies like the van1 others in ,cadillacs and ,b,m,ws4 ,there was both excitement and desperation4 ,many people1 like me1 simply would forego buying a new computer if someone else beat them to a suitably priced machine4 ,should ,i lose out on the ,victor1 ,i'd just spend another year or so juggling floppy disks around4 ,others1 however1 might have been hoping to be able to afford a serious business computer1 period4 ,no1 it wasn't like the ,depression1 but ,i couldn't help thinking of the dance marathons of the #aicjs where the hardiest carried off the prizes4 ,i was the first in line--of all the hundreds of people--but ,i certainly didn't boast the strongest back4 ,just a few feet down the line ,i saw 444 ,t-shirt4 ,an auction staffer picked up a bullhorn4 ,he said only fifty people could come into the store at once4 ,i heard sighs4 ,relatively few people1 however1 left that line4 ,maybe1 just maybe1 the others wouldn't appreciate the merits of the bargain machines that they themselves wanted4 ,i hoped that to most in the crowd the new ,victor would be just another dead fish of a micro4 ,finally1 it was nine4 ,the salespeople--as if at a fire--urged the crowd to stay calm4 ,if the mob lost discipline1 the other early comers and ,i might be crushed against the glass4 ,as the doors opened1 ,i glanced back at ,t-shirt4 ,if he was worried about me1 he wasn't letting on4 ,at a pace between a jog and a sprint ,i entered the store2 ,i tried momentarily to excise the image of ,t-shirt from my mind4 ,oh1 look6 ,a friendly sales assistant4 ,i'd offered him advice on electronic mail and-- 8,do you think you could help me with the ,victor80 ,i asked4 ,suppose he couldn't4 ,his job might be at stake if he did even a small favor in this every-man-for-himself struggle4 8,sure10 he said4 ,and ,i'd like to think this was another demonstration of the value of befriending others in ,the ,jungle and sharing knowledge1 user to user4 ,with the sales assistant watching guard over the main machine1 ,i picked up the monitor and pushed through the crowd to the counter4 ,i still couldn't believe the ,victor would soon be mine4 ,what if the sales assistant had suddenly developed a fondness for ,victors and had himself decided to claim the main machine8 ,t-shirt all this time may have been in the other part of the room2 perhaps he was a gracious1 mannerly fellow who1 having seen me first in line1 was decent enough to relinquish the new ,victor to me4 ,i don't know how ,t-shirt fared at the auction but hope that his own patience was rewarded through the acquisition of the used ,victor4 ,within half an hour after taking the new ,victor home1 ,i had ,word,star running on it4 ,there was some tinkering to do with the software so the computer would start up without my having to stick a floppy disk in it1 but otherwise it was a perfect machine1 save for a little crack in the front of the case1 which ,i discovered after ,i peeled away the price tape4 ,for #dj or so ,i could buy a replacement front4 ,the hard disk1 at any rate1 has been just as handy as ,i expected for editing this book4 ,my old ,victor is in the hands of ,gabriel ,heilig1 an aspiring screenwriter1 who saw my want ad and bought the machine for #a1gej1 exactly what ,i'd paid4 ,gabe is no dummy2 indeed1 he used to sell cars--,mercedes--and he insisted that his purchase price include plenty of advice and several hours of instruction in ,word,star1 my favorite word processor4 ,and then what does ,gabe do8 ,he goes out and buys a copy of ,word ,perfect1 a new program that he swears is easier to use4 ,i say1 8,great if it helps you do your work40 ,it must4 ,gabe tells me that the ,victor helps him revise five times as fast as he can on his electronic typewriter4 8,you constantly have a fresh copy in front of you10 he says1 8whereas if you're using a typewriter1 you must retype the whole page even if you change just once sentence40 ,a producer is interested in a proposal for a ,,tv series1 and ,gabe says3 8,i did it in three days--it would have taken two weeks with a typewriter40 ,having sold the old ,victor to ,gabe for #eej more than the price tag on the hard-disk one1 ,i invested #bcj in a #a1bjj-;baud modem4 ,i remain a computer communications junky4 ,a draft of this afterword1 in fact1 reached my technical editor up in ,new ,york via the phone lines4 ,my afterword could cover a number of topics1 but ,i'll resist4 ,still1 you might be interested to learn that the ,great ,modeming continues between the ,united ,states and ,sri ,lanka4 ,because of problems with the ,sri ,lankan phone service1 the link over the past year hasn't been #ajj percent reliable--monsoons can wreak havoc on cables between ,arthur ,clarke and the satellite station4 ,but ,steve ,jongeward1 who is now an assistant both to ,clarke and ,peter ,hyams1 the #bjaj director-writer1 reports that the struggles have been worthwhile4 ,the movie will be out in ,december #aihd 7remember3 ,i'm writing this in ,november #aihd71 and if a reporter has questions for ,clarke in ,sri ,lanka1 ,steve will just type them out on the ,kaypro in ,california1 and the novelist will typically respond within a day or so4 ,sometimes the reporters even visit the office with the ,kaypro and interview ,clarke via modem and get instant replies4 ,the ,great ,modeming has produced a wonderful outgrowth3 an attempt to start an ,electronic ,peace ,corps 7,,epc7 to pipe ,u4,s4 technical savvy into the ,third ,world via computers links4 7,see ,backup ,,xiii1 8,why ,not ,an ,electronic ,peace ,corps807 ,the idea--in the form of an agency working within or alongside the existing ,peace ,corps--has won support from people ranging from ,clarke to ,william ,f4 ,buckley1 ,jr41 and ,chicago ,sun-,times editorial writers4 ,two established foreign-aid groups1 ,partnership for ,productivity and ,volunteers in ,technical ,assistance 7,,vita71 hope to develop an informal ,,epc-style project with the ,sri ,lankans4#ih ,if successful1 it could complement an existing ,,vita plan for an earth satellite to relay electronic mail to and from the ,third ,world4 ,ideally1 a permanent ,,epc would develop4 ,then it could recruit volunteers1 help fund projects like the satellite and the ,clarke ,centre1 and otherwise encourage computer communications in vital fields such as public health and agriculture4 --,alexandria1 ,va4 ,nov4 #ae1 #aihd ,footnote #ih3 ,kaypro has donated five machines for the project and expects to send five more4 ,special thanks here to ,david ,kay and ,tom ,peifer1 a ,kaypro staffer in charge of the company's ,third ,world donations program4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,backup3 ,more ,tips and ,tales from the ,jungle ,,backup ,i ,twenty-,six ,questions to ,ask at 7and ,about7 the ,computer ,store ,the very worst computer stores are like amusement-park arcades4 ,expect to be clipped4 ,just aim for the bull's-eye and keep your losses low4 ,better still1 go to the good stores4 ,reading my list of twenty-six before-you-buy questions1 please remember that the quality of computer stores can vary tremendously4 ,the proportion of lemons to good ones is higher than in the case of ordinary retailers4 ,that's because of the complexity of the product4 ,in fact1 there's an old joke about the difference between a car salesman and a computer one3 the former knows when he's lying4#ii ,footnote #ii3 ,the salesman joke is from ,info,world1 ,october #bb1 #aihd1 p4 #bg4 ,one of the main tricks of the crooked computer hustlers is nothing more than the retail-store version of leaving town ahead of the sheriff4 8,the average computer salesman has a half-life of two months10 said my friend the systems analyst4 8,then he loses his credibility with his supposed #8clients' and goes back to selling shoes or automobiles4 ,if you're relying on any salesman for expert knowledge1 you might be in for a rude awakening4 ,that's why users groups formed4 ,people got ticked off with this world of hucksterism and created their own little world40 ,one of the problems is that many good1 honest sales reps will soon leave for more lucrative work as consultants or for manufacturers or others4 ,of course1 the customer himself may be as impossible as some of the sales reps4 ,he might expect a quick1 accurate1 lucid answer to his question from a rep working for little more than a department-store clerk's earnings4 ,computer stores can be full of ignorance on both sides of the counter4 ,moreover1 even if the sales rep knows his subject forward and backward1 many computer problems just defy easy answers4 ,imagine the frustration of a sales rep working on commission4 ,he can ill afford time to educate complete novices4 ,so do your homework or at least make an appointment when the sales rep isn't going to be jammed up with lunchtime traffic4 ,that's the nature of the ,silicon ,jungle1 not simply a series of ripoffs4 ,cherish the good sales reps4 ,perhaps the ultimate bad customer is a middle-aged ,missouri man accused of the first-degree murder of a computer-store owner with whom he disputed a #ahj bill4 ,neither men nor machines 8interfaced0 well here4 ,although the customer had bought a printer elsewhere1 he was under the impression that no one would charge him for making it compatible with a computer purchased from the store4 ,the owner wouldn't yield4 ,allegedly--,i didn't know the verdict at the time of this writing--the man then fired two 4#ch-;caliber slugs4#ajj ,footnote #ajj3 ,info,world1 ,june #bj1 #aihc1 p4 #a1 reported the shooting incident4 ,short of killing the store owner1 how do you protect yourself8 ,start by realizing that even at honest stores1 your interests and the firms' won't be the same4 ,i know of a ,washington store that planned to drop the ,kaypro4 ,despite the computer's generally good technical reputation1 the store seems to have been stuck with more than its share of lemons with disk-drive problems4 ,but that wasn't the real reason1 apparently4 8,we're moving out of the lower-priced equipment into systems where we can make a bigger profit10 explained a store employee4 8,we're not in this for charity4 ,we've got to make a living40 ,understandable4 ,but don't count on a store like that to sell you the least expensive machine for your needs4 ,you can also protect yourself by considering the right questions--some of which appear below3 ,,one ,do you need a computer8 ,are you prepared to fire the humans the machine might replace8 ,remember1 a computer can't make coffee or lie about your whereabouts when you may face an angry customer4 ,of course1 your business may be expanding so that this isn't an issue4 ,,two ,do you have the temperament for the device8 ,a willingness to struggle with mechanical and human frailty--including your own8 ,,three ,are you prepared to do your homework8 ,you can't avoid some preparation4 ,it's dangerous to dump the whole chore in the lap of a consultant who1 however good1 doesn't know your business as well as you do4 ,use a consultant if need be4 ,but help him and yourself by knowing what's going on4 ,if you don't have time1 at least be certain that a trusted employee does--ideally1 someone on whom you can bestow a fat raise if computerization goes smoothly4 ,,four ,what magazines and reading material should you buy at the computer store and elsewhere8 ,the ,silicon ,jungle is just a start4 ,neither it nor other books can keep you informed about new products as quickly as a weekly magazine like ,info,world can4 ,i've written for ,info,world and may be prejudiced1 but ,i think it covers the industry well4 ,some micro magazines1 especially those oriented toward specific brands1 are namby-pamby in their coverage of the industry or their pet machines4 ,a good general book is fine for acquiring broad perspective2 but now move on to a guide focused on computers for your kind of business4 ,shop for magazines and books as carefully as you would for the machines4 ,see if the magazines' articles are as up to date as their ads2 ,i know of one that reviewed the ,osborne more than a year after its introduction4 ,timeliness isn't as important with books if they discuss principles as well as specific products4 ,whatever you read1 make sure it's in ,english1 not gibberish4 ,,five ,how do you want to buy your computer and the trimmings8 ,at a store or through the mail8 ,unless you have a consultant or otherwise enjoy plenty of technical backup1 you should buy your entire system locally1 at one store4 ,many manufacturers discourage mail-order sales4 ,that's partly because of price cutting but also because they need local stores to guide customers who are new to computers4 ,but if advice is available to you from a consultant or friend8 ,then mail-order software might be a terrific buy1 especially since most computer stores can't supply much software expertise1 anyway4 ,,six ,do you want an independent store or a chain store8 ,my own preference is an independent that has been in business several years4 ,computer sales reps may come and go4 ,the owner1 however1 should still be in the store and in town when your warranty expires6 ,if you insist on buying from a chain1 well1 fine4 ,but learn how long the manager has been around--and how long he intends to stay4 ,he may lie through his teeth4 ,but at least you're trying4 ,also1 ask the manager how long his predecessors lasted8 ,how fast does the revolving door spin8 ,,seven ,are the sales reps knowledgeable and understandable8 ,one of the best ways to find out is for them to demonstrate a program of the kind that you want4 ,ideally1 sales reps or consultants won't just know a lot about computers4 ,they'll also know--or learn--something about your business4 ,above all1 the sales rep should give you accurate information in language you understand4 ,if you're a businessman shopping for a word-processing computer1 a good salesman can tell you how many double-spaced pages each of your floppy disks will be able to hold4 ,of course1 ideally1 you'll walk into the store knowing the basics of computers4 ,but there are bound to be gaps in your knowledge somewhere along the line2 even writers for computer magazines argue with each other over some supposedly clear-cut technical matters4 ,,eight ,can anyone go with you to the store1 especially on the day when you want to firm up the purchase8 ,you may at least enjoy a psychological advantage over the sales rep if there are two of you asking well-coordinated questions4 ,who should accompany you8 ,perhaps the person in your office who would use the machine the most2 what better source of questions for the sales rep8 ,obviously1 too1 it's good labor relations4 ,employees who helped choose a machine will be less likely to complain about screens or keyboards4 ,,nine ,what programs will do the jobs you need done8 ,don't just consider costs of the programs2 consider their costs versus the cost of not owning particular ones4 ,i don't regret spending #bej for a word-processing program to replace the cumbersome software with which my machine came4 ,with the 8free0 program it would have taken perhaps #dj percent longer to write this book4 ,,ten ,how easy are the programs to learn8 ,how easy are they to use8 ,some of the easiest to learn are the hardest to use4 ,,eleven ,do the programs include good instruction manuals8 ,you still may want them if they don't--as long as you can buy readable books about them4 ,,twelve ,what machines will run those programs8 ,and how well will they run them8 ,take ,word,star4 ,many machines can run this popular word-processing program2 but not all will let you use the cursor keys--the arrowlike ones--to move from place to place on your screen4 ,with some computers you must simultaneously tap on two keys1 not just one1 to move the arrow4 ,you could have ,word,star customized for your machine2 but why not instead buy a computer that works well with it from the start8 ,you also want to consider the operating system that a machine uses4 ,by now1 the most widely used operating system is ,,ms-,,dos1 which has become a de facto standard because of ,,ibm's endorsement of it4 ,it has supplanted ,,cp_/,m4 ,rival machines may not run every program that the ,,ibm computers can4 ,some1 like the ,compaq portable1 come close4 ,but if a computer exactly duplicated all the ,,ibm's functions1 ,big ,blue's legal staff would crush the maker4 ,the widely used ,apples have their own operating systems--one for the ,apple ,,ii series and another for the ,macintosh4 ,there's also ,,unix4 ,ma ,bell developed it originally1 ,,at,t ,information ,systems now supports it1 and ,microsoft sells a microcomputer version called ,,xenix4 ,the gurus say ,,unix could be the operation system of the future4 ,with it programmers can more easily write software for machines of different brands and sizes and 8port0 their programs from one computer to another4 ,,unix may also be good for micros with many people using them at once4 ,the negative is that the nonexperts sometimes have more trouble using ,,unix than they do good ole ,,cp_/,m and ,,ms-,,dos4 ,so much for the mainstream and soon-to-be-mainstream formats4 ,what1 however1 if the program you need comes only in an oddball one8 ,think hard4 ,do you need this software--hence1 this computer--immediately8 ,or can you wait until the wonderful program or an equivalent is available for other machines8 ,by the way1 the word 8format0 doesn't refer just to the general style like ,,cp_/,m or ,,ms-,,dos4 ,it can also mean specific machines within ,,cp_/,m and so on4 ,different makes of ,,cp_/,m-style computers1 for instance1 may not read each other's disks because their exact formats are different4 ,,thirteen ,is the machine #h bits or #af bits2 and how big is the random-access memory8 ,remember1 #h bits may be fine for word processing and light-duty accounting1 but #af bits might be better for complicated spreadsheets and is a definite advantage in data-base applications4 ,at the very least in the business world1 you want #fd,k of ,,ram for word processing and #bef,k or even more for intimidating calculations4 ,you may find that a micro just isn't powerful enough to handle a mailing list in the tens of thousands or process the payroll of ,exxon4 ,they'd be uses fit for a mainframe or at least a mini4 ,,fourteen ,what about mass storage--in other words1 devices like disk drives8 ,can they hold enough information for your business8 ,if you need to juggle around great masses of material in a hurry1 you may want a hard disk1 which is more expensive than the floppies4 ,remember--one character equals one byte and you can squeeze most numbers into one or two bytes4 ,estimate your needs by calculating how many pages by how many bytes per page1 etc41 then double your result to allow for growth and the unforeseen4 ,don't just consider storage capacity4 ,think about the ease of making electronic copies of information you squeeze into your computer4 ,a hard disk capable of holding the equivalent of five thousand typewriter pages is nice4 ,but you still must contend with floppies for backup if the hard disk fails4 ,you must either make backup copies as you go along or else1 every so often1 hold a long1 tedious copying session4 ,fortunately1 the price of hard disks is dropping quickly enough that in the future you might be able to afford a second hard disk to back up the one in the machine4 ,some micros can back up on a standard videocassette recorder--a good four-hour tape will hold #ajj megabytes4 ,besides1 there'll eventually be cheap1 reliable1 roomy memories without any moving parts4 ,even then1 however1 you'll still want copies of some kind1 especially if failures would zap thousands of pages of hard-won information4 ,,fifteen ,must your computer system accommodate more than one user8 ,will it work well with people tapping into it from different terminals--those machines with the keyboard and screens but little or no computing power of their own8 ,computer makers ballyhoo many micro systems as being 8multiuser10 but often there are hitches4 ,these machines may let one person do accounting and the other do word processing at once but might not allow two people to run the accounting program simultaneously4 ,and what about data bases and electronic file cabinets8 ,can more than one person simultaneously update inventory records1 for instance8 ,and will the computer slow down much if too many people use it at once8 ,still1 properly chosen1 a multiuser system is a great way to share information with many people and not have to jockey floppy disks around all the time4 ,then there's the cost4 ,a multiuser system for twenty or thirty persons may cost less than half of what individual desktop computers might4 ,instead of a multiuser system1 however1 you might still go with full-blown computers--but network them4 ,networking is basically what it sounds3 tying together machines to help them share letters1 reports1 data bases1 and other electronic files4 7,see ,chapter #ac1 8,net ,gain10 for a fuller explanation47 ,,sixteen ,can you expand your computer system without difficulty1 adding more storage1 for instance1 or devices like a modem to help you communicate over the phone lines8 ,,seventeen ,will the sales rep show you that the computer will work well with the printer or other accessories you have in mind8 ,he or she might not be able to demonstrate this compatibility1 simply because he doesn't have the peripherals in stock2 but you should at least obtain a clear written promise saying that everything will work well together4 ,be sure that his obligation to make it work is clear before you sign the check4 ,the same idea naturally applies to software4 ,,eighteen ,how clear is the computer's instruction manual8 ,in computerese1 you want 8good documentation0--something that's 8user friendly40 ,if the manual doesn't include it1 then does a book from an outside publisher8 ,ideally1 the book won't focus just on the machine but also on the software that comes with it4 ,,nineteen ,how long has the manufacturer been in business8 ,how prosperous is the company8 ,buy from a new company if the technology looks far enough ahead of the pack4 ,but be careful4 ,you don't want to buy from a computer maker likely to perish soon in the silicon jungle--not when you'll need spare parts and technical assistance4 ,,twenty ,are any users groups around--organizations of people owning the machine8 ,ask your dealer or call the manufacturer for the name of the group near you4 ,if there isn't such a group1 that's a blow against the machine then and there4 ,you still might buy it1 but you'll have less technical advice than you might otherwise get4 ,another beauty of good user groups is that they work closely with dealers and manufacturers without compromising their own independence4 ,with fellow owners just a quick phone call away1 you'll be less at the mercy of know-nothing hucksters4 ,obviously1 too1 before buying the machine1 you'll find that the user groups can be just the ticket for learning the quirks of the dealers and the machines4 ,ask discreet questions after the meetings4 ,which machines and dealers are winners8 ,which are gobblers8 ,don't forget1 of course1 that the owners would like to think of themselves as having spent their thousands of dollars the right way4 ,i try to remember that when a computer shopper at a ,kaypro meeting asks me about my machine1,i say ,i like it4 ,then ,i go out of my way to tick off the ,kaypro's flaws so ,i won't have it on my conscience that ,i offered a bum steer4 ,,twenty-,,one ,what about maintenance8 ,you can solve many of your repair problems ahead of time by buying a computer easy to service4 ,that's one reason ,i got the ,kaypro rather than the ,osborne4 ,you also want to find out how often the machines break down4 ,try--whether it's a computer or a printer--to get an ,,mtbf figure4 ,that stands for 8mean time between failures40 ,failures8 ,that sounds fatalistic4 ,but face it4 ,neither people nor machines go on forever4 ,,mtbf figures are like political polls and deodorant-commercial statistics--subject to gross manipulation4 ,but they're a start4 ,also1 consider if you want to pay for regular maintenance1 which1 in one year1 might cost more than a tenth the price of the computer8 ,or should you gamble without a maintenance contract8 ,here's a rule of thumb4 ,don't gamble if 7a7 your system is large and complicated or 7b7 you'll be up the creek without a paddle if the computer is out of service too long4 ,the second condition is particularly true if one or more of these conditions prevail3 a4 ,if you own just one machine4 b4 ,if it's an oddball machine--not a commodity like an ,,ibm or ,kaypro4 c4 ,if your business grinds to a halt without it4 ,i gambled for a while and seemed to be losing4 ,during the first year ,i spent perhaps #aej on replacing a printed circuit board in the ,kaypro and #cjj on printer repairs4 ,considering the ,kaypro's dramatic effect on my output1 ,i won't gripe too loudly4 ,nevertheless1 ,i appreciated the need for a service contract for even a well-made computer in constant use4 ,and within a few weeks it paid off4 ,a disk drive failed1 and the computer shop didn't charge me a cent for several hundred dollars in repairs4 ,the man worked while ,i waited at the public library down the street4 ,the shop had promised1 before ,i forked over my #bej yearly payment1 that it would at least try to fix up my machine within twenty-four hours4 ,if possible1 negotiate for financial penalties if repairmen don't do their job--at your location or theirs--within a certain amount of time4 ,the contract might be with anyone from a national service organization to a good1 honest man operating out of a garage who's been in business a while and has convincing references--and substitutes for the times he's on vacation4 7,see ,chapter #h1 8,people10 for rules to consider in avoiding turkeys47 ,count on spending #a-a percent per month of the hardware costs if you're dealing with a national service organization4 ,of course you might be better off without a service contract4 ,just make sure you can limp along briefly without a computer1 which1 alas1 ,i can't4 ,if you do try to wing it without a maintenance contract1 you'd better be prepared to know as soon as possible if you've bought a lemon4 ,that's not such a bad idea even with a contract4 ,theoretically1 you should smell the juice within the first few months before the warranty expires4 ,but that's not how it always works--or doesn't work4 ,as a novice1 you may not be putting the machine through all its paces4 ,so why not invite a more advanced computer owner or a consultant--someone you trust--to tinker around with the computer in ways that you'll eventually be doing8 ,the sooner the 8test drive10 the better4 ,your tester should do basics like copying disks1 transferring electronic files from one disk to another1 erasing files1 and renaming files4 ,see if there's a program available to test the disk drives and related circuitry4 ,often those parts are the ones that fail first1 since 7a7 the drives are mechanical as well as electronic and 7b7 they get some of the heaviest workouts during the computer's operation4 ,as soon as you get your machine1 you might leave it running twenty-four hours a day for a week or two4 ,any component that will fail from heat buildup1 for instance1 will probably quit then--while your warranty is still fresh4 ,power consumption is typically no more than a light bulb's4 ,whether you have a maintenance contract or not1 remember a basic rule3 ,it isn't the shop's diagnostic tests that count4 ,it's how your newly repaired machine will run your programs4 ,after ,i took my computer into a shop for disk-drive work1 the repairman said the drives just needed a little cleaning and were now testing fine4 ,the computer1 however1 flubbed when ,i tried one of my regular programs4 ,result3 ,i forced the repairman to install the new disk drive that my machine needed4 ,moral3 always keep on hand some good backup copies of important programs that you can take with you to the repair shop to make certain that the people there have done the job right4 ,rothman's ,law of ,computer ,trouble-,shooting 7,cribbed ,from an ,old ,rule for ,fliers7 #a4 ,if your computer messes up1 remember the very last thing you did1 whether in hardware or software4 #b4 ,see if that isn't the answer to your problem4 ,,twenty-,,two ,when will the new machine be available8 ,be especially wary in buying recently introduced computers--even from giants like ,xerox4 ,maybe you should go ahead because they deliver more value2 but don't commit yourself even to a partial payment if you can't pin the store down to a delivery date4 ,why not negotiate the right to withdraw your money any time you want before you formally accept the computer8 ,,twenty-,,three ,will the store deliver your computer system and install it8 ,for a small portable1 obviously1 that matters less than it would with a major office system4 ,remember1 too1 that you probably want your software all set to go4 ,even popular programs like ,word,star may be too scary for you to install yourself4 ,the word 8install0 in this case refers to tinkering with software so it runs right on your machine for your use4 ,,twenty-,,four ,if the store or other supplier is supplying the equipment over a period of time1 can you break the contract into segments8 ,that way1 if the store or systems house doesn't perform in the early stages1 you've retained some leverage4 ,,twenty-,,five ,what references can the store provide before you purchase a major system8 ,buying a computer isn't that different from hiring a consultant or any other professional4 ,since you probably can't fully understand the product1 you at least have a right to know the reputation of the people offering it4 ,in at least one case1 in fact1 a court ruled that the computer dealer in effect was functioning as a consultant and had more responsibilities to the buyer than he would have had if he had been selling a less complicated product4 ,it's an interesting ruling4 ,and that's it4 ,don't count on it to protect you4 ,,twenty-,,six ,will the store owner himself sign the contract8 ,remember1 your trusty sales rep may be on his way out of town4 ,rules for ,buying a ,used ,computer #a4 ,know your prices4 ,study the want ads of the local papers4 ,there's even a ,computer ,classified ,bluebook that rates micros for value in various areas 7such as dependability7 and offers possible prices4 ,it's available from ,computer ,classified1 ,p4,o4 ,box #ccie1 ,reno1 ,nevada #hieje 7#cj a single copy74 ,micro prices can change faster than a guide can keep up with them1 but the ,computer ,classified ,bluebook might be a good start if the local newspaper doesn't carry many want ads for your particular machine4 ,obviously1 too1 you'll want to ask around user groups and read the classified sections of their newsletters4 #b4 ,pay attention to the machine's physical condition4 ,a banged-up case--or a chipped one--might suggest that the innards have been roughed around1 too4 #c4 ,find out how your pet programs run4 ,if you don't have any available that work on the machine you're considering1 see if you can borrow some from a friend and have him or her accompany you4 ,make sure your friend has backup copies in case the programs are damaged by a sloppy drive in machine you're considering4 ,remember that in the secondhand market the buyer normally doesn't have much recourse if later he finds that the merchandise is defective4 #d4 ,as with a car1 ask why the seller is selling4 #e4 ,find out what generation of equipment it is4 ,does it include all the wrinkles of new models advertised4 #f4 ,learn where you stand legally if you're buying software with the used machine4 ,some companies may require you to register yourself as the new owner2 software manuals or accompanying literature may have this information4 ,if you're on good terms with the software company1 there's more of a chance its people will answer questions4 ,the company may require you to give the serial number of your disk before it will respond4 #g4 ,call up commercial auctioneers and find out if they're holding any auctions offering the equipment you're interested in4 ,don't buy equipment at an auction unless you've been around the computer for a while or have a friend who can watch out for you4 ,very possibly you won't get a chance to give a machine a good test4 ,don't buy unless the price is low enough so you'll still be okay even if you must spend #be percent of the auction price on repairs4 #h4 ,obviously you'll want to consider a maintenance agreement with a local dealer or repair shop if you need the machine for your work4 ,you may1 of course1 have to pay for an inspection4 ,,backup ,,ii ,a ,few ,grouchy ,words on ,printers ,i sold my daisy wheel--a printer that prints like a high-priced electric typewriter--and replaced it with a plebeian dot matrix machine4 ,why8 ,because all printers1 especially my #aige-vintage daisy1 are a series of lousy trade-offs4 ,and one of the trade-offs was about to be my solvency4 ,the old daisy wheel cost a mere #fej used--quite a bargain for a machine whose latest models go for several thousand dollars--and ,anderson ,jacobson didn't charge for minor adjustments if ,i lugged in the bulky printer myself4 ,,aj1 however1 kept after me to get a #dej-;a-year service contract4 ,then1 one day1 a printed circuit board conked out1 and the replacement board and some other work came to #cjj4 8,you've got to be kidding10 ,i told the crew at ,anderson ,jacobson4 8,three hundred dollars for a printer that cost me #fge originally80 ,no1 ,anderson ,jacobson wasn't out to gyp me4 ,quite honestly1 the people there had intended to make their money off me through the service contract2 and that would have been fine for a company that needed a heavy-duty1 industrial-quality printer to pound away1 day after day1 around the clock1 without stopping4 ,but for a lone free-lance writer8 ,however fast ,i typed1 ,i could never give them the amount of business for which its makers had designed it4 ,so like destitute parents searching for the right foster home for their children1 ,i looked for better1 more affluent surroundings for my printer4 ,i asked for1 and got1 #fej for the printer with a tractor feed thrown in for free--it lets you use big stacks of perforated computer paper without stuffing in new sheets when you reach the end of the page4 ,the new owner1 a ,washington consultant1 understood4 ,he wasn't just buying a printer2 he was buying his right to an ,anderson ,jacobson service contract4 ,my ,,aj's successor was the ,microprism ,model #dhj1 a sleek1 plastic-covered machine that took up less space on my tabletop than some typewriters4 ,in a dot-matrix printer like the #dhj1 little pins hit the ribbon1 making impressions on the paper4 ,an 8,a0 is one series of pins1 a 8,b0 another1 and so on4 ,the quality normally isn't any match for the daisy wheel's1 even though the price may be much lower than a daisy going the same speed4 8,prints like a daisy1 costs like a matrix60 ,integral ,data ,systems touted the ,model #dhj4 ,that was stretching matters4 ,the letters from my next printer1 a ,panasonic ,,kx-,p#ajib1 could almost pass for a typewriter's4 ,it sold discounted at a local store for #dhi1 just a few dollars more than ,anderson ,jacobson wanted for its one-year maintenance contract4 ,here's what else ,i could have chosen--rightly or not3 #a4 ,another daisy wheel machine4 ,the daisy wheel is plastic or metal and looks vaguely like some flowers1 with many strokes radiating from the center4 ,the spokes contain letters and numbers1 and your computer tells what spoke the printer should strike--which it does with a little hammer4 ,run a noisy daisy wheel at one in the morning in a thin-walled apartment with an early-rising neighbor on the other side and you may get a not-so-friendly visit from the police or zoning department4 #b4 ,a laser printer4 ,typically1 it works a bit like some copying machines1 with your computer controlling the printed image rather than a document you put in front of a mirror4 ,this wasn't the choice for me2 laser printers at the time went for several thousand dollars up4 ,by now1 however1 the price may be much lower4 ,political fund-raisers love the nice quality that lasers can add to slick letters saying how badly they need your money4 #c4 ,a thermal-transfer printer4 ,this uses patterns of heat to arrange the images on special paper2 it's quiet4 ,normally1 the paper can be expensive1 and the printing quality is poor2 so thermal printers were also out of the running for me4 ,later1 however1 ,,ibm introduced its ,quietwriter printer1 which prints beautifully on ordinary paper4 #d4 ,an ink-jet printer4 ,this kind literally squirts ink against the paper in patterns forming letters and numbers2 and the noise level is low1 maybe #ej decibels1 compared to #fe or more that a daisy wheel might inflict4 ,what a boon to apartment dwellers and people in already-noisy offices4 ,while ,i was shopping for the ,anderson ,jacobson's replacement1 ,i didn't take ink jets very seriously because of the broken-up letters that came from them4 ,a year later1 however1 ,i talked to ,richard ,sugden1 a ,wyoming ,m4,d41 the owner of a ,,pt-#hh ink-jet from ,siemens1 selling in the #ijj range1 who may have had a limited solution4 ,he used the #hh with a special printing program called ,fancy ,font and high-quality paper that soaked up the ink neatly4 ,the program slowed his printer down to a fraction of the usual #afj characters per second but greatly improved his print even if it still couldn't pass for a daisy wheel's4 ,you can also team up ,fancy ,font with some dot-matrix machines1 especially those from ,epson4 ,then you can print in a number of sizes and styles1 including 8olde ,english40 ,don't overdo4 8,fancy10 as its makers joke in a printing sample1 8may either kill or cure40 ,in printer shopping for myself1 ,i used these criteria3 ,,speed ,yes1 actually ,i could have afforded a new daisy--one of those #dej-a1jjj models4 ,the problem was that most crept along at less than #bj characters per second4 ,that sounds fast1 maybe #bjj words a minute2 it isn't4 ,you must redo an entire page if you want perfect typing but wish to make one change in material already printed2 you can't just white out the wrong word and stick in the correct one as you can with a typewriter4 ,often1 after completing a supposedly final version1 ,i see many changes ,i should have made on-screen4 ,somehow my editing eyes are sharper with paper4 ,people less fallible than ,i can make do with #bj characters per second4 ,they get everything printed right the first time4 ,then again1 if their printing volume is too high1 a snaillike printer still will bog them down4 ,and if they're using their computer system to store and print notes or records1 a faster machine is a must4 ,that's especially true if you're churning out nothing but long rows of numbers4 ,if best impressions don't count1 you might consider a high-speed dot matrix capable of more than #aej characters per second--or even #bjj or greater4 ,my ,panasonic dot matrix was somewhat of a compromise1 with a draft speed advertised at #ahj characters per second and a near-letter-quality one of around #cc cps4 ,,warning3 ,please note that advertised speeds may be one-third or more higher than the actual speeds4 ,the advertised speeds may not consider factors such as the time it takes the printer to go from one line to another4 ,this is particularly true the case of unidirectional printers1 which print only from left to right rather than in both directions1 as do bidirectional printers4 ,the only real way to judge a printer speed in your application is to try it with your own sample material4 ,,print ,,quality ,here's the hierarchy of printer quality3 #a4 ,draft quality4 ,the letters are too dotty for anything but drafts and correspondence with enemies whose eyes you want to torture4 #b4 ,correspondence quality4 ,it'll do for a letter to a forgiving friend or business associate4 #c4 ,near-letter quality4 ,you can get away with it for book manuscripts1 especially if you already have a contract4 #d4 ,letter quality4 ,that's typewriter quality4 ,a friend described my ,microprism's supposed 8near-letter quality0 as looking like 8an upscale grocery store receipt40 ,it was a long way from a daisy wheel4 ,still1 ,judith ,axler ,turner1 a nationally syndicated computer columnist1 says dot matrix might actually help her at times2 she can print the letters larger than regular typewritten characters4 ,her manuscripts command more attention4 ,a ,washington lawyer fared worse using a dot-matrix machine without near-letter quality4 ,a judge threw out his brief4 ,we dot-matrix plebeians1 before buying1 should test the print quality on a number of people1 especially colleagues or clients4 ,are they happy with the shapes1 sizes1 and quality of the characters8 ,do they feel that our dots blend smoothly into each other8 ,usually1 the more pins a dot-matrix printer has1 the better will be the printing4 ,many dot-matrix printers in late #aihd had a matrix of seven-by-nine wires4 ,in #aihd ,epson was selling the #a1ejj ,,lq-#aejj with twice that density and 8letter-quality characters to rival fine office typewriters40 ,i looked one over4 ,the typewriters were still winning4 ,sales reps will bill the ,,lq-#aejj and many other dot matrixes as being capable of both 7a7 lightning speeds with draft-print quality and 7b7 slower speeds with good quality4 ,is it 8good0 enough for you8 ,if not1 consider buying a speedy dot matrix or ink jet for routine work and a daisy wheel for the times you want the best impression4 ,the combined cost may be lower than that of a super-duper dot matrix4 ,if you're doing serious work with graphics1 look for a printer capable of reproducing details as well as a good computer monitor does4 ,daisy wheels won't suffice because of the tremendous number of strikes2 doing one dot at a time is incredibly slow1 and their preformed characters don't include the variety of patterns that good graphics require4 ,you really need an ink jet1 dot matrix1 or other alternative4 ,,cost ,with printer technology advancing so rapidly1 ,i didn't want to sink much into a machine--hence1 the #dhi ,panasonic4 ,sometime in the #aihjs ,i'll forsake my cheapie dot matrix for a good ink-jet1 thermal-transfer1 or laser printer when the price is down4 ,when pondering costs1 don't just look at a printer's price tag4 ,what about ribbons8 ,how many pages will they print8 ,and how much do they sell for8 ,my ,,ids ribbons listed for around #ab apiece1 but luckily ,i could get around that by 7#a7 buying at a discount place and 7#b7 eventually purchasing a little machine called a ,mac,inker1 which1 for less than a dime1 let me reink a ribbon4 ,it's messy4 ,don't inflict a ,mac,inker on a ,fortune #ejj secretary1 or any secretary1 but think about one1 maybe1 as a way of being frugal at home4 ,the ,mac,inker is available from ,computer ,friends1 #fdae ,,sw ,canyon ,court1 ,suite #aj1 ,portland1 ,oregon #igbba4 ,the telephone number is #a-hjj_/edg-ccjc1 or #ejc_/big-bcba4 ,the gadget as of mid-#aihd was selling for around #fj if you included ink and shipping charges4 ,,printing ,,volume ,i wanted to be able to churn out a book manuscript in one weekend without overwhelming the printer4 ,before you buy a printer1 ask the manufacturer if it can handle not only your typical workload but also your peak one4 ,cheaper printers may overheat--just when you most need them4 ,a ,,decent ,,repair ,,record ,a printer is an electromechanical device4 ,that's a fancy way of saying it may break down a lot4 ,an electromechanical device1 after all1 is partly mechanical--which makes it less reliable than the gizmos in your computer system that are purely electronic4 ,if you can afford backup machines1 naturally the repair record won't be as crucial1 but no matter what1 do compare statistics on the mean time between failures4 ,remember1 they're like ,,epa ratings for automobiles4 ,they're wrong1 frequently1 and may not apply to the printer you end up with4 ,but don't shrug them off entirely4 ,,quiet 7,,or ,,relative ,,quiet7 ,my daisy--with the little hammer pounding away--was too noisy for the late hours4 ,older dot matrixes also can be offenders2 they can almost shriek with high-pitched sounds4 ,some of the newer ones may be better behaved4 ,sharing an office-apartment or working from an ordinary office1 however1 you might buy a sound-muffling box and wrestle with pulling paper in and out of it4 ,when good1 cheap ink jets and laser printers hit the market1 these noise hassles will end4 ,,special ,,features 8,will it underline80 ,i asked4 ,and would it offer boldface1 the dark1 heavy print that books often use for emphasis4 ,and what about other special features8 ,how about proportional spacing1 for instance1 which prints the 8,m0 wider than a 8j0--making the type look more like a book's4 ,that could make the print more readable4 ,another question is1 8,does the printer offer justification80 ,it's really a software issue4 ,but we'll group it here with the other special features4 ,justification evens out the spacing of both the right and left margins1 though that's a mixed blessing4 ,justified margins look more impressive4 ,but ragged right margins1 the normal typewriter kind1 guide the eye more easily and may be better for long reports as opposed to short letters4 ,i did not justify this manuscript4 ,but justification is just the ticket for correspondence with the status conscious4 ,in the case of all these special features1 keep remembering to ask3 #a4 ,does the printer offer them no matter what computer or program you use8 #b4 ,if not1 will your hardware and software let you use the features8 #c4 ,for free1 will the store modify your computer system to make the features available to you8 #d4 ,will your desired combinations of features work simultaneously8 ,unfortunately1 with my software1 anyway1 the ,microprism #dhj couldn't use boldface and proportional spacing at once4 ,,overall ,,compatibility ,,with ,,your ,,computer #a4 ,can you use a standard cable to connect the printer and the computer8 #b4 ,if not1 can the store make one up for you8 ,at what cost8 ,remember1 it isn't enough for the cables to plug in4 ,you also want the right wires going to the right pins and for the computer and printer to be on speaking terms electronically4 ,to connect up with a printer physically and electronically1 a computer uses a port--nothing more than 7a7 a plug or socket and 7b7 the gizmos that let your machine exchange bits and bytes with the outside world4 8,the outside world0 may be a modem1 which connects up with a phone1 or it may be simply your printer4 ,two common styles of ports are serial and parallel4 ,data passes through serial ports a bit at a time2 through parallel ports1 it passes eight bits or more at once4 ,serial ports commonly use an industry standard1 the ,,rs-#bcb1 which is a kind of socket together with the related electronics4 ,as with 8,,ibm compatibility10 this 8industry standard0 often can be elusive4 ,one brand's ,,rs-#bcb may differ from another's4 ,the ,kaypro has both a serial and parallel port1 and with the ,anderson ,jacobson1 ,i had to wrestle with plugs whenever ,i used the modem1 since it and the ,anderson ,jacobson both required the serial port4 ,in between printing one of the last drafts of this manuscript today1 ,i'm adding another criterion--whether a printer has a buffer4 ,a buffer in this case is just some memory1 in the printer1 that lets your computer pump a letter or report into the machine in a fairly short time4 ,then you can return to other computer work while the printer runs4 ,you can of course buy a buffer if your machine lacks one and you're sadistic enough to deprive your secretary of a good excuse for a coffee break4 ,wait4 ,come to think of it1 your secretary herself might appreciate a buffer if she's trying to keep a nine to five job nine to five4 ,you needn't have buffering by way of your printer4 ,some programs1 such as ,word ,perfect1 even let you 8schedule0 several printing jobs from different documents on your disk while you're still writing4 ,big ,blue's ,quiet ,one ,do you need a quiet printer that will turn out typewriter-like work but won't cost as much as a laser-style machine8 ,then you might consider the ,,ibm ,quietwriter printer or the inevitable clones that will follow4 ,it uses a new kind of thermal-transfer process--heating the ink so it goes on the paper without the ribbon actually touching4 ,the ,quietwriter doesn't need special paper4 ,its sound is a polite swish4 ,and its print looks typewriter-sharp4 ,,ibm introduced the ,quietwriter at around #a1djj--less than half of what the cheapest laser printers were selling for in late #aihd 7not that they aren't coming down in price too74 ,granted1 drawbacks exist ,the ,quietwriter's speed isn't as fast as a laser printer's--effectively a mere #be characters per second if you use ,pica-sized type4 ,also1 the ,quietwriter's ink doesn't sink into the paper as with some typewriters or daisywheels2 your work might lack the feel of a traditionally typed document4 ,and because the ink is erasable1 you shouldn't use a ,quietwriter for legal papers4 ,it won't make carbons4 ,moreover1 the technology is unproven--at least to me as ,i write this4 ,ask me again when the machine's been out long enough for the lemon-owners to fire off blurred letters of complaint to ,info,world4 ,just the same1 ,quietwriter-style machines are well worth investigating4 ,hats off to ,big ,blue on this one4 ,,backup ,,iii ,the ,lucky #ac3 ,what to ,look for in ,choosing ,software ,a friend warned me3 ,don't water down your software advice with 8,in my opinion0-type phrases and other hedges4 8,that's how it seems to me1 anyway10 he joked4 ,well1 ,rick1 ,i'm sorry4 ,just as a critic once called ,citizen ,kane 8a shallow masterpiece10 ,i'll qualify my enthusiasm for ,word,star4 ,i'll be a responsible zealot4 ,anyway1 ,i like ,word,star enough to use it to help explain the ,lucky #ac--my general criteria for judging software4 ,,absence ,,of ,,bugs ,programs are like people4 8,mature0 software is more reliable4 ,it's more like a tried-and-tested salesman or secretary1 less risky1 say1 than a green employee hired off the street4 ,a complex creation like ,word,star1 with its thousands of lines of instructions for your computer1 won't ever be #ajj-percent glitchless4 ,but it's close4 ,micro,pro1 the company selling it1 normally tests its programs well before unleashing them on the market1 and ,word,star has been around since the late #aigjs1 giving others the pleasure of suffering bugs before you have a chance4 ,why should you pay for a software maker's education8 ,not that you should always buy 8mature0 programs4 ,sometimes a newer one looks so promising that you might want to gamble4 ,,general ,,ease ,,of ,,use ,word,star's easy for many people--not all but many--to learn and use4 ,arthur ,clarke picked up the ,a,b,cs of ,word,star in days4 ,a public relations woman at ,micro,pro ,international says she was doing serious work with ,word,star the first day she used it4 ,i believe her4 ,my friend ,michael ,canyes explained the basics to me on the phone2 but my main training was just hanging around computer stores and trying out ,osbornes1 which included ,word,star as part of the standard package4 ,word,star exercise books exist1 the computer version of typing ones1 but for me they would have been a waste of time4 ,i was too eager to get to work with my new software4 ,a millionaire swears by ,word,star2 he has four secretaries deftly running it on ,kaypros4 ,a fifteen-year-old ,i know--smart1 though not a prodigy--does his homework on ,word,star1 and the son of ,micro,pro's founder learned it at age ten4 ,yes1 ,i've heard ,word,star horror stories4 ,you're not dim-witted if ,word,star doesn't come as easily to you as to me4 ,oddly1 ,i found ,select--ballyhooed as a beginner's word processor--to be more of a puzzle4 ,oh1 well4 ,one person's dream software may be another's kludge4 ,keep in mind1 however1 that you must often suffer trade-offs between easiness1 speed1 power1 and versatility4 ,although ,word,star might not give you instant gratification1 its speed and power may justify the struggle4 ,ditto for some of the best spreadsheets and other software categories4 ,the big question is1 ,how much word processing or spreadsheeting1 or whatever1 do you do8 ,not much8 ,then place ease of learning ahead of speed4 ,ideally1 though1 a program will give you both4 ,micro,pro has tried especially hard to do this with ,word,star #bjjj1 an improvement over ,word,star in learnability4 ,like nearly any powerful program1 however1 #bjjj still takes practice to get up to full speed on4 ,whether you're buying a word-processing program or an accounting one1 look for software with logical commands4 ,word,star1 in this way1 triumphs4 ,consider the famous ,,sexd diamond that you use with the ,control key4 ,s is the diamond's leftmost key2 it will move your cursor over one space in that direction4 ,e is the uppermost key and indeed moves you up4 ,x1 the diamond's lower point1 takes you a space down4 ,rob ,barnaby1 in short1 has done a superb job of letting me get from place to place on the screen4 ,you may disagree violently4 ,fine4 ,software is personal4 ,you're letting a stranger--the writer of the program you use--influence your working habits4 ,ideally1 however1 the writer's logic and yours will be the same1 so that1 in the end1 the stranger becomes a friend4 ,he might be thousands of miles away4 ,he might even be dead4 ,or you might loathe him if you meet him in person rather than on your disk4 ,but in running his program1 you still get the feeling ,holden ,caulfield got in ,catcher in the ,rye3 you want to call up the author after he's done such a fine job4 ,holden was talking about novelists4 ,i'm talking about programmers4 ,ideally1 they'll touch your brain the way ,holden's literary heroes touched his heart4 ,,good ,,documentation ,people say ,word,star's manual nowadays is better than the past ones1 which ,personal ,software likened to 8the ,russian-language version of ,war and ,peace40 ,don't memorize even the improved manual1 however4 ,home in on ,micro,pro's simple list of ,word,star commands1 a sheet smaller than a restaurant menu with which ,i learned the basics4 ,my ,word,star version also included a spiral-bound book with exercises similar to a typing guide1 but ,i didn't get lost in them4 ,i was too eager to get on with my real work with ,word,star4 ,there's one other resource nowadays--a tutorial disk1 which1 because it came only in an ,,ibm-style version1 ,i hadn't tried as of this writing4 ,normally1 however1 ,i absorb new wisdom better the old-fashioned way3 via bound paper4 ,more than twenty books on ,word,star exist--maybe because of the old manuals' failings--and one of the better guides is ,arthur ,naiman's ,introduction to ,word,star4 ,published by ,sybex ,computer ,books1 ,berkeley1 ,california1 it's generally as intelligent and helpful as the program itself4#aja ,footnote #aja3 ,ironically1 ,naiman wrote ,introduction to ,word,star with another program1 ,,write1 the creation of a friend of his1 and ,word,star itself is far from his favorite word processor4 ,he compares it to a big ,cadillac or camper loaded with too many features4 ,my thinking is different2 ,i want to have many to choose from2 ,i'll gladly ignore the others4 ,remember the basic criteria for evaluating manuals of any kind1 factory supplied or not3 #a4 ,the general logic of the manual4 ,the author should have written it from your viewpoint1 not his--from the viewpoint of what you do with the program1 not how the programmer coded it4 ,ideally1 you'll find descriptions of related commands in the same chapter4 #b4 ,the quality of the index4 ,i'll charitably assume it's there to begin with4 ,it should list even the most obscure commands--telling on what pages you'll find them4 #c4 ,simplicity of vocabulary and sentence structure4 ,a manual shouldn't impress2 it should teach4 ,,usefulness ,,to ,,old ,,pros ,,and ,,beginners ,,alike ,word,star adjusts to different levels of skill4 ,you have some menus to guide you1 to help you decide1 say1 whether you want to print or see material you've already written4 ,but most of the time you won't need menus during composition4 ,not after you're experienced1 anyway4 ,some rival word-processing programs have menus that bog everyone down1 beginners and old pros4 ,but not ,word,star4 ,it has four 8,help0 levels1 including one that keeps messages constantly on the screen to guide you4 ,but you can zap all this once you're a ,word,star pro4 ,word,star is only as 8friendly0 to you as you want it to be4 ,it isn't like a puppy leaping up on you and licking your face at the wrong time4 ,,speed ,word,star lets you do your job in a hurry4 ,well1 basically4 ,if you're just turning out short business letters1 for instance1 and don't want to store them on your disk1 try something else4 ,word,star makes you electronically save your words there before you can print anything4 ,and that takes time4 ,for swapping words around1 however1 for additions or deletions1 few programs could surpass this one4 ,were ,i writing long sales pamphlets or annual reports1 ,word,star would be my choice4 ,now1 ,i'll qualify my 8speedy0 verdict4 ,word,star will slow you down when your computer has to reach instructions that the program hasn't already sent on to the ,,ram--the temporary memory4 ,that means a time-consuming electronic trip to your floppy disk4 ,also1 if you type in a certain amount of material1 ,word,star will automatically lock some of it on a disk if the ,,ram is running out of room4 ,word,star is a disk-based rather than a ,,ram-based word processor4 ,that has its virtues1 however1 since1 by farming out the runover to a floppy1 ,word,star lets you work with longer files4 ,some ,,ram-based programs may limit each document to only #ae or #bj pages in many computers unless you electronically splice them together4 ,altogether1 ,i'd say that ,word,star1 evaluated as a disk-based1 fully featured word processor1 is fast4 ,and new wrinkles like hard disks will make it run still faster1 even without the speed improvements that very likely will come4 ,micro,pro1 in fact1 recommends hard disks for users of ,word,star #bjjj1 even if it will run with two floppies4 ,very soon most office micros will contain hard disks4 ,,power ,word,star is powerful4 ,you can1 for instance1 type 80 instead of a long name used commonly in your work4 ,then1 when you're ready1 you can plug the name in where the 80 appears4 ,this search-and-replace feature is common to every advanced word-processing program2 but ,word,star implements it better than many rivals4 ,you can also use it with an accessory program1 ,mail,merge1 so you can type a list of names and addresses just once1 then automatically plug them into the right spaces in a form letter4 ,only1 it's individually typed1 so people needn't know they're getting a form letter4 ,of course1 8power0 isn't a virtue just in word processing4 ,the best electronic filing cabinets1 for instance1 boast clever wrinkles to make it easier for you to enter new categories of information or to change individual records4 ,consider this story1 which is true1 about a reporter whom an editor was on the verge of firing4 ,the severance pay was ready4 ,the editor changed his mind at the last minute1 however1 and the final check stayed in his desk4 ,then1 not long after1 the paper's auditor stormed into the city room4 8,why didn't you fire the son of a bitch80 he asked4 8,now we'll have to spend all this time straightening out the records40 ,had the paper had a good1 powerful electronic filing system1 the nonfiring would have been a little less traumatic to the auditor4 ,,fewer ,,chances ,,for ,,botch-,,ups ,word,star limits the chances for careless errors in the first place4 ,while you're working on a file1 for instance1 you can use the ,control-,,kj command to delete everything but the document you're in the middle of4 ,granted1 ,word,star isn't perfect4 ,arthur ,clarke1 for instance1 complains mildly of the underlining procedure4 ,if he turns on the underlining1 he'll occasionally forget to turn it off1 meaning that1 unwittingly1 he'll underline everything that follows4 ,word,star #bjjj corrects this problem by showing you true underlines on the screen1 not just symbols at the beginning and ends of the underlining4 ,in record-keeping programs1 especially1 the anti-botch-up features can be real lifesavers4 ,one technique is to limit the range of numbers entered4 ,an elementary school1 for example1 might guard against typing errors in new files showing pupils' birth dates4 ,the computer might then flash its skepticism if a clerk said a first grader was born more than six years ago4 ,,the ,,jewish-,,uncle ,,effect ,without bogging you down1 ,word,star lets you reconsider some drastic actions4 ,suppose you're about to erase an entire file2 that is1 a whole document that you've worked on3 say1 a letter or a sales report4 ,if you press the control key and the letters 8,k0 and 8,j10 ,word,star won't act immediately4 ,instead1 it will ask1 8,name of ,file to ,delete80 ,you can even get out of most commands before they're executed4 ,it's simple4 ,just hit the 8,control0 and 8,u0 buttons1 then the 8,escape0 one4 ,word,star1 in short1 is good for the hotheaded4 ,you feel as if ,seymour ,rubinstein--the ,micro,pro founder--is watching over you like some kindly1 protective ,jewish uncle4 ,a good record-keeping program would react similarly if you were about to erase #h million names4 ,a payroll program might inquire more than once if you wanted to register the firing of five hundred people4 ,a spreadsheet program could ask if you really wanted to wipe out dozens of numbers that you'd entered4 ,a graphics package1 ideally1 would do likewise if you were about to erase an electronic equivalent of the ,mona ,lisa4 ,some programs1 in addition to saying you're messing up1 will offer you alternative courses of action4 ,the older ,word,star isn't as advanced as some other programs in this respect4 ,but normally the error messages are self-explanatory and the corrections obvious4 ,,damage ,,limitation ,word,star limits the damage if you or your machine goofs in a big way4 ,it rarely sends you back to the operating system of your computer4 ,what's more frustrating than getting1 say1 an ,a prompt--the computer equivalent of1 8,buddy1 you're back at square one08 ,then you'll have to reenter your work4 ,word,star #bjjj corrects one feature missing from the original program4 ,plain old ,word,star doesn't let you delete a paragraph1 then restore it without zapping other changes you made since you last saved your work on your disk4 ,that is1 there's no yank-back feature to undo erasures or other recent modifications4 ,but even the older ,word,star makes an electronic equivalent of a carbon copy1 a backup file--meaning that you're probably still in business if a glitch destroys the original4 ,uncle ,seymour makes you think twice1 literally1 before you erase whole files4 ,the old saw of the computer trade1 however1 will always apply1 no matter what the program3 8,garbage in1 garbage out0--8,,gigo40 ,berenice ,hoffman1 my literary agent1 really rubbed that in4 ,i'm the type whose letters and checks take a little time to adjust to a new year4 8,for your records1 if you keep carbons10 ,berenice replied to one note1 8you might want to change the date to #aihc--;didn't the computer tell you80 ,the best programs in the world can't detect such mistakes4 ,but wait2 ,i just remembered4 ,the fancier computers have electronic clocks that potentially could warn you if the wrong date appeared when you were working with a correspondence format4 ,,after-,,the-,,goof ,,feedback ,word,star also provides another service--offering error messages telling you what went wrong4 ,it isn't perfect4 ,sometimes you may see combinations of letters and numbers1 meaningless to someone without a manual4 ,but normally ,word,star is helpful4 ,say you want to use two markers--one at the start and one at the end--to designate material to be moved to another part of the document4 ,word,star will tell you if you forget to type out either one4 ,ideally1 programs not only will offer you a diagnosis after the goof but also a solution4 ,although ,word,star isn't as advanced as some programs in this respect1 it's very adequate for the experienced user4 ,,ability ,,to ,,customize ,i adapted my ,word,star to the requirements of a writer4 ,editors normally don't like hyphenated copy1 so now ,word,star's 8hyphen help10 which suggests possible hyphen breaks1 is an optional feature instead of a normal one4 ,no longer need ,i turn it off with special commands4 ,word,star provides a menu in the installation program that makes it easy for you to change normal defaults--the settings that your software will have before you tinker with it4 ,the menu doesn't cover every possibility4 ,but you can vary margins and many other important details1 and once you're experienced1 you can do a patch--a modification in the program--to change other things4 ,if you're a novice buying from a full-service computer store1 ask it to set up your ,word,star4 ,better still1 try to dope it out yourself so you make your own changes in the future4 ,you might get guidance from a users' group4 ,likewise1 you might tinker with a communications program to make it work better with the computers you plan to use and talk to4 ,or you might set up a record-keeping program to check automatically the accuracy of information fed into it4 ,,accessory ,,programs ,word,star will work with a variety of accessory programs intended especially for it--everything ranging from electronic thesauruses to spelling checkers1 word counters1 footnoters1 and a communications program4 ,some word processors1 accounting packages1 other software1 include all the functions you'd need4 ,others require you to buy the accessory programs4 ,that's not always bad4 ,why bother to pay for a dictionary if you're a perfect speller8 ,just make sure--before you buy--that the original software either includes good accessory programs or will work with them4 ,some outside companies' accessory programs1 by the way1 may be superior to those from the main software's manufacturer4 ,,support ,,from ,,the ,,manufacturer ,there is one plus that ,i wish ,i could have included in my praise of ,word,star--good support from the manufacturer4 ,don't count on it4 ,in the area of guidance and troubleshooting from the manufacturer1 ,word,star on occasion hasn't even been adequate4 ,calling as a prospective customer1 ,i couldn't find out if ,word,star in a ,xerox #hbj format would run smoothly on my ,kaypro4 ,the company took down my message1 then mailed me literature that didn't answer my question4 ,a ,california man phoned ,micro,pro with a problem involving ,data,star1 a sister program of ,word,star that eases record keeping4 8,we do not have time to correct the programming that results in this quirk10 he heard4 ,he complained to ,info,world that ,micro,pro 8has some really elegant program tools but no inkling as to the meaning of customer support40 ,likewise1 the head of a ,micro,pro users group in ,new ,york told the magazine that 8fully half of the people who called me to join immediately presented me with a problem they were having40 ,for a while--,i don't know what it'll be like when you're reading this book--,micro,pro wasn't even replying to most customers' questions on the phone2 this supposedly was the dealers' job4 ,and while ,rubinstein's company indeed sells a ,mercedes of a program1 some computer stores aren't up to fixing the windshield wipers4 ,ideally1 software manufacturers like ,micro,pro will not only offer technical support but also #hjj numbers so you won't be on hold for twenty minutes1 racking up a formidable long-distance bill4 ,,backup ,,iv ,on the ,evolution of ,software 7,and a 8,perfecter and ,perfecter0 ,program7 ,mary ,matthews1 a gifted writer-editor in ,chevy ,chase1 ,maryland1 favors a ,word,star rival called ,perfect ,writer4 8,what a conceited program10 ,i say4 8,word,star's a dinosaur10 she shoots back4 ,in late #aihd we both tried new versions of our pet software 7actually ,word,star #bjjj is more of a successor71 and while defending them1 we harbor reservations4 ,first the basics4 ,i myself prefer a program like ,word,star ,version #c4c1 which is in the 8get-what-you-see0 tradition and shows your copy on screen almost exactly as it will be printed4 ,but ,mary makes a good argument for a rival with a different philosophy4 ,word,star #bjjj in fact helps her case4 ,it now has many of the features that her dear ,perfect ,writer came out with first1 including split screens4 ,interestingly1 however1 the new ,perfect is more useful to the 8get-what-you-see0 crowd than is the older version1 while ,word,star #bjjj is less get what you see in an important way than #c4c is4 ,at least that's true of the ,word,star #bjjj previewed to dealers4 ,during a demo1 anyhow1 a ,micro,pro employee couldn't coax #bjjj into displaying double-spacing conveniently on screen even though we could have double-spaced on paper4 ,where does the increasing resemblance between ,perfect ,writer and the ,word,star family fit in the cosmic scheme8 ,i'll recklessly generalize3 ,the word processors of the world are becoming like refrigerators2 all the deluxe models will have the equivalents of automatic defrosters and ice makers and butter warmers and lettuce crispers4 ,more of the new wrinkles will be marginal4 ,and the surviving companies will be the ones that can explain and exploit the differences and support their customers the best4 ,not everyone likes butter warmers4 ,as noted before1 ,word,star #bjjj isn't an unalloyed improvement for me1 and the 8perfecter0 ,perfect in some ways disappoints ,mary4 ,the older ,word,star lets you move to the left of a line with the combination of the ,control key and the letters ,q and ,s or ,control-,,qs4 ,a touch typist could do this almost instantly4 ,word,star #bjjj1 on the other hand1 uses ,control-,,cl4 ,,cl stands for 8cursor left10 ,,cr for 8cursor right10 and mnemonic commands like those are indeed easier to keep in your head1 especially if you use a program only occasionally4 ,on the other hand1 the new strokes are harder for a touch typist--this one1 anyway4 ,likewise1 ,mary wishes that ,perfect ,writer's new commands were a bit more logical1 especially to old ,perfect ,writer hands4 ,concluding1 ,mary says ,perfect ,writer users with #fd,k machines shouldn't junk them to buy more powerful computers just to run the new version4 ,my thinking is basically the same about ,word,star #bjjj versus ,word,star #c4c4 ,the older program isn't as good as #bjjj in some cases2 for instance1 when you could use built-in memo format to make temporary employees more productive4 ,but #c4c is still terrific for people without such needs1 and ,i'll think long and hard before ,i myself change4 ,mary's impressions and mine are typical of many veteran users of software who can't stomach features added for novices4 ,she's #ajj percent right except when we disagree4 ,as 8host10 ,i won't rebut her in the places below where we do4 ,here's what she sent over the phone via her ,kaypro ,,ii3 ,somehow1 ,i'm not sure how1 ,i've gotten to be enough of an authority on ,perfect ,writer--the 8old0 ,perfect ,writer1 that is1 the one released in ,june #aihc--that strangers call me up and say that a computer salesman somewhere told them ,i was the ,sibyl who could answer their questions with a local instead of a long-distance phone call4 ,luckily1 the questions usually run in the 8,how the heck do you do ,x80 vein1 or ,i might have to reveal that ,i'm only a good-hearted writer4 ,now the ,perfect ,writer people have released a brand-new version of their already powerful program1 and ,i think ,i'm in trouble4 ,the new1 revised version of ,perfect incorporates some radical changes--sweeping enough to demand #abh,k of ,,ram 7and ,,ibm ,,pc ,,dos7 to operate4 7,actually1 after claiming that the new ,perfect can edit documents of up to #ajj pages1 the manual states that 8with #fd,k of ,,ram you will be able to edit documents about #e pages long10 so ,i assume that the new ,perfect takes up about #ef,k of ,,ram--not being familiar with the ,,pc's way of juggling numbers1 ,i can't tell exactly47 ,i'm in trouble because ,i won't be the reigning ,sibyl anymore unless ,i can figure out how to buy a ,,pc-compatible computer with a decent keyboard 7most ,,pc keyboards are horrid7 and still do things like pay bills and buy the occasional loaf of bread and jug of wine4 ,the most radical of the changes is that the new ,perfect ,writer now uses what it calls 8pop-up command menus0 during editing4 ,when you hit the ,escape key1 a small 7about one-twelfth of the screen7 8top menu0 will superimpose itself over your text1 as close to your cursor as possible1 three characters away to the left or right4 ,it lists your choices for subsidiary menus1 which eventually lead you to the command you want4 ,nearly every command has been changed1 so that those of us who are used to the old ,perfect ,writer must learn the editing commands all over again4 ,the new manual 7haters of the old one will be glad to learn that the index is now at the back where it belongs and those frustrating ,roman numerals are gone7 explains with a straight face that the pop-up menus exist so that you 8don't have to memorize command sequences40 ,of course1 if you plan to use ,perfect ,writer more than once a year or so1 you're going to memorize the commands1 anyway2 and so1 as the manual airily says1 the ,control key does everything the ,escape key does1 identically2 the only difference is that you 8bypass0 the top menu--because1 it says1 you aren't always going to want to see it4 ,mind you1 if you use the ,control key1 you'll see every menu but the top menu1 anyway4 ,is this enough reason to change all the commands but one--to bypass one menu8 ,to me1 this is not an improvement over the old ,perfect ,writer--not unless you actually like added keystrokes4 ,all the old two- and three-keystroke commands are now three-keystroke commands at least1 and often four or five4 ,this is progress8 ,the new ,perfect ,writer has indeed taken pity on us and assigned to the ,,pc's function keys twenty frequently used commands1 so that if1 for example1 you don't feel like keystroking ,escape-,,ds-,carriage-,return to save your document and continue working on it 7,control-,x-,control-,s in the old ,,pw71 you can keystroke ,,shift-,function ,key #i-;,carriage ,return4 ,whoopee4 ,let us not carp too much about what strikes me as suspiciously similar to kludge1 since the new ,perfect ,writer is as fast or faster than the old ,perfect ,writer4 ,we're probably only talking about a few microseconds1 mind you1 but it still seems to me that the execution of ,perfect's new commands is usually close to instantaneous4 ,this is a thing to marvel at when you compare ,perfect ,writer to ,word,star #c4c1 where unless you have a specially speeded-up version with specially reassigned command keys and fingers with a lightning-fast touch1 it takes forever to execute certain commands 7well1 ten or twenty seconds7 and perceptible time 7say1 one or two seconds7 even if you do have the speed4 ,but ,i still say the #ej1 #ajj1 or #bjj percent additional keystrokes are a pain in the you know where4 ,the program may be faster1 but the human being is now #ej1 #ajj1 or #bjj percent slower4 ,one improvement in particular is one to run through the streets singing about3 ,perfect ,formatter has been incorporated into ,perfect ,printer in the main menu 7inexplicably renamed 8,,psi071 and the two of them together are approximately a million times faster than they used to be4 ,thank you1 ,perfect ,writer6 ,for a couple of years now1 ,i have been using ,perfect for the long1 complicated projects1 like books1 that demand powerful editing capabilities and ,perfect's special strengths--such as split-screen editing1 automatic footnoting1 automatic construction of a table of contents1 etc4 ,for shorter things1 like personal letters1 ,i've been using ,word,star1 for its what-you-see-is-what-you-get screen4 ,the main failing of the old ,perfect was whether or not you were using the document design capabilities1 you had very little idea of what the final product was going to look like4 7,the main failing of ,word,star1 which as far as ,i'm concerned has been a dinosaur for several years now1 is that it can't do half of what ,perfect can--and it does it slowly1 too47 ,shout 8hallelujah10 brothers and sisters6 ,the new ,,ms-,,dos ,,pw allows you to choose between using its old 8 commands0 and having what-you-see-is-what-you-get4 ,or you can mix the two of them 7not that ,i know why anyone would want to1 since with the ,,pc ,i'm using1 you can't tell when a word's been underlined74 ,you can now get on-screen justification if you want it2 and if you want to underline a sentence1 you don't have to worry about your on-screen justification being thrown off #d or #e characters--you just position the cursor in front of the material you want to underline1 go to the end of it1 and tell the machine to underline it4 ,the exact command sequence for underlining a sentence is ,escape-,t-,b 7begin marking71 ,escape-,f-,s 7go to the end of the sentence71 ,escape-,a-,m-,u 7underline the marked area74 ,this looks like a lot of work1 especially compared with the old ,,pw's ux1 until you stop and consider what the same thing would be in ,word,star4 ,suppose it's a ten-word sentence you want to underline3 you'd go to the start of the sentence and keystroke something like this3 ,control-,p-,s1 ,control-,f1 ,control-,f1 ,control-,f1 ,control-,f1 ,control-,f1 ,control-,f1 ,backspace1 ,backspace1 ,control-,p-,s4 ,i'll break discipline and object to ,mary's description of the ,word,star underlining procedure4 ,you could underline a sentence just by starting with one ,control-,p-,s and ending it with another4 ,what's the big deal1 ,mary8 ,your described procedure would apply only to material that you underlined after you wrote it4 ,all those ,control-,fs do is make the cursor jump a word ahead4 ,grrr6 ,then again1 maybe ,i'm simply a more decisive underliner4 ,i know what ,i want6 ,if nothing else1 this little disagreement shows how work habits influence choices in word processors4 ,not only does the new ,perfect ,writer have the old ,perfect's strengths--split-screen editing of up to seven documents at a time1 a zillion powerful editing commands1 still another zillion powerful document structuring options--but it's added a few more just for fun4 ,for example3 ,the old ,perfect allowed you to delete from wherever the cursor is to the end of whatever sentence you're in2 the new one lets you do that1 of course1 and also lets you cut to the end of whatever paragraph you're in--or an entire paragraph1 if you're at its beginning4 ,now you can delete not only the next word ahead of your cursor but also the word behind it--a small thing but amazingly handy4 ,you don't have to delete text before you copy it4 7,however1 the process is more complicated than it used to be47 ,you can flush right material on screen--useful for the what-you-see-is-what-you-get feature4 ,you can more or less paginate on screen--although this instruction is only good for the what-you-see-etc4 editing2 it's useless for the document-design mode 7 commands74 ,you can use the 8,search0 function to search not only the document you're working in now but any and all other document files on your diskette4 ,this strikes me as amazingly handy for editing multiple documents when you can't remember what the name of the other document is or where the reference is you're thinking of4 ,for example1 suppose you're writing to ,joyce ,davenport and you want to add a paragraph from a letter you wrote to ,james ,t4 ,kirk but you can't remember more than that it was about artichokes4 ,you would invoke 8search document02 the prompter then asks you what you're searching for1 and you say1 8,artichokes40 ,pretty soon you have a list of the documents the word 8artichokes0 appears in1 and you can then call up the one you want for multiple-document editing4 ,similar to this is something new the main menu offers3 you can compare two files1 and ,perfect ,writer will show you their differences--useful for comparing edited and unedited versions of a report4 ,if you have a color monitor1 you can 8paint0 the letters and backgrounds of the up-to-seven files you're working on different colors 7eight background and sixteen letter colors71 so as to tell them apart4 ,for me1 this falls into the 8who cares80 category1 but some may like it2 and ,i have to admit1 you can get some very pretty 7though not always easy on the eye7 combinations4 ,perfect ,writer now has the printing option 8,end at page ,x40 ,shout hallelujah1 brothers and sisters6--the new ,perfect at long last has caught up with the dinosaurs like ,word,star4 ,some of our old favorite document-design commands have been renamed1 usually for the better4 ,and we have one absolutely dandy new command3 need4 need makes sure that there's enough room left on the page for a chart or similar material4 ,if you've just written a #ae-line poem that can't be broken between pages1 immediately after the last line of your poem1 type in need#ae lines2 if there isn't going to be enough room on the page1 your poem will automatically be 8forced0 to the following page4 ,hot diggety6 ,all is not completely rosy in ,perfect land4 ,the new ,perfect has lost some of the old ,perfect's advantages4 ,for example1 the old ,perfect had an automatic feature that told you where in your document you were--#ce percent of the way through1 or whatever4 ,moreover1 the old ,perfect had a command that let you know how long the document was in terms of both number of lines and number of characters1 and where your cursor was in all this4 ,i've searched the new ,perfect manual and haven't been able to find any equivalent new command4 ,the closest ,i've been able to come is a command that lets you know only how many characters there are in the file1 not where you are1 or anything else2 and the command isn't listed in the index1 nor is there any equivalent command that ,i can find4 ,great work1 guys4 ,this is what ,i call a major frustration4 ,it's maybe bad programming1 and it's certainly bad documentation4 ,the new manual is slightly better organized than the old one1 but that's not saying a lot4 ,i've rarely been able to divine the new name for the old command in the new manual1 and when ,i've found it1 it's usually been by accident4 ,it would have been an enormous service if the ,perfect people had put in some sort of comparison chart for us old-,perfect old pros4 ,like the old ,perfect1 the new ,perfect is very cavalier about the number of spaces it leaves after a period or colon2 sometimes it's the two you typed in1 and sometimes it magically gets transformed into one4 ,the new ,perfect goes the old ,perfect three better and is randomly cavalier about the number of spaces it leaves behind a period1 colon1 quotation mark1 question mark1 and parenthesis--not only deleting spaces where you do want them but also inserting them where you don't want them4 ,instead of mildly annoying1 this quirk is now big-league annoying4 ,may whoever thought it up and liked it so much he_/she expanded it spend eternity brushing gnats out of his_/her face6 ,you still can't tell the ,search feature to search for something ,x number of times4 ,for example1 if three times you use the word 8pishtosh0 and want to change it to 8nuts10 you can't tell the search-and-replace feature to 8do this three times0--as with the old ,perfect1 you have to do it twice with the 8,ask me0 and then 8,cancel0 the third time and do it by hand1 or do it three times and then have ,perfect search wastefully through the rest of the document for something you know is not there4 ,the new ,perfect's printing menu is better than the one the old ,perfect came with but not nearly as good as the menu that ,david ,hite developed in #aihc for the old ,perfect ,writer4 ,the only improvements are the 8compare0 feature mentioned earlier and the ability to step outside ,perfect for a while into ,perfect ,calc1 ,perfect ,filer1 or a telecommunications program--nothing ,i'd write home about4 ,we've lost the 8one word0 command--a serious blow for those of us who used it to get around ,perfect ,writer's cavalier treatment of periods and colons4 ,this command caused the characters placed within it to be considered one word1 so that ,perfect ,filer wouldn't split certain words between lines4 ,perfect ,speller1 which is now on the same diskette with ,perfect ,writer1 ,perfect ,formatter1 and ,perfect ,printer1 is much faster than it used to be4 ,alas1 it is just as stupid4 ,unlike better spelling checkers1 ,perfect ,speller works on the system of prefixes1 suffixes1 and roots4 ,in other words1 if the word 8check0 is an acceptable root1 then 8checker0 and 8recheck0 are acceptable4 ,so are 8checkment0 and 8checkation40 ,and like the old ,perfect ,speller1 the new ,perfect ,speller doesn't recognize its own vocabulary--it queried words like 8blankline0 and 8ux10 which are ,perfect ,writer commands and ought rightly to be ignored4 ,my recommendation is to get ,the ,,word ,plus1 which can be renamed to be accessed as if it were ,perfect ,speller and which is far superior4 ,an interesting--,i don't say terrific--addition to the ,perfect family is ,perfect ,thesaurus4 ,you substitute the ,perfect ,thesaurus diskette for your document diskette in drive ,b1 position the cursor on the word you want to look up1 type ,escape-,s-,t1 and ,perfect ,thesaurus checks its dictionary4 ,if the word is there1 you may substitute any of the synonyms for your original word1 type in your own replacement1 or say 8forget it0 and go on to look for another synonym4 ,the hype says that ,perfect ,thesaurus 8holds nearly #ej1jjj words 7entries plus synonyms740 ,the parenthetical remark is the key one to home in on4 ,i asked ,perfect ,thesaurus to look up 8transform10 and it did2 one of the synonyms it offered was 8metamorphose40 ,when ,i asked it to look up 8metamorphose10 it told me1 8,word not found40 7,perfect ,thesaurus has also never heard of 8fanatic10 8asinine10 8pop10 8airy10 8bypass10 8instantaneous10 or 8shrug10 among about fifteen others of the forty-five words ,i tried47 ,i'd estimate that the average number of synonyms offered for each word is between five and ten--if we compromise and say seven1 that's only #f1jjj or so words that ,perfect ,thesaurus can recognize4 ,moreover1 ,perfect ,thesaurus can only look up fifteen words before it starts yelling1 8,no more marks10 and refuses to cooperate any further4 ,in other words1 ,perfect ,thesaurus is a nice toy1 but ,i question its usefulness for serious writers4 ,having a copy of ,the ,synonym ,finder by your desk offers you about a million words that you can recognize1 and is about as fast to use4 ,the new ,perfect ,writer itself still has many of the annoyances of the old ,perfect ,writer3 ,the automatic swapping feature still cuts in at inopportune moments and makes you wait before you can continue typing or execute a command4 ,it's now only one second or so instead of five seconds or so1 but it's still annoying4 ,there is still no automatic indicator showing where you are in your document or how long it is1 a feature of every other word-processing program known to humankind4 ,you still can't customize the document-design commands 7although it's usually possible to get the look you want if you've used ,perfect ,writer for many years and know some tricks they don't mention in either the old or the new manuals7--if you want some real customization1 tough noogies4 ,you can still start printing by referencing page and section numbers1 but if you want to start with footnote #abe1 you're in for a major pain4 ,the new ,perfect is more powerful than the old one1 but not by as much as its creators fondly think4 ,after spending two days evaluating the new ,perfect for this article1 ,i went home and spent several happy hours with the old ,perfect4 ,oh1 ,i admit ,i thought now and then1 ,i wish ,i could cut to the end of the paragraph1 or1 ,i wish ,i could delete the word behind the cursor instead of only the word in front of it--and the old ,perfect ,writer is indeed slower than the new one 7by maybe #e percent87--but on the whole ,i found ,i preferred two keystrokes to five and three keystrokes to six4 ,many of the improvements of the new ,perfect ,writer fall into the category of kludge3 lots of flashing lights and ringing bells and chrome and racing stripes and wow1 look at that dashboard6 ,perfect ,writer is still the best word-processing program ,i've ever run across1 but for those of you who don't want to give up your #fd,k non-,,ibm ,p,cs1 don't worry3 you're not missing enough to make spending all that money worthwhile4 ,,backup ,v 8#c-;,d0 ,versus ,mail-,order ,software--and ,how to ,shop ,how to pick the right disk8 ,people like ,dusty ,park know how to improve the odds4 ,park was at the top of his class at a computer school1 worked as a customer support man at ,micro,pro1 then joined a mail-order house called #hjj ,software in a similar job4#ajb ,i phoned him there when my mail-order copy of ,word,star didn't work on my machine4 ,it was a common industry problem1 this incompatibility4 ,theoretically--which doesn't mean that much--my ,kaypro could read disks in the electronic format of the ,xerox #hbj4 ,yet my machine in this respect seemed functionally illiterate4 ,footnote #ajb3 ,since writing this section1 ,i've learned that ,park has left #hjj ,software for another company4 ,park told me on the phone that many other ,kaypro owners were suffering similar difficulties1 that if need be he'd send me another disk set up for my computer4 ,step by step he went over the ,word,star installation procedure with me4 ,as it happened1 ,i succeeded without him--by having ,word,star electronically piped over to the ,kaypro from another machine when my micro wouldn't reach the disk4 ,park had been ready with patience and empathy4 ,i took it for granted that he would suggest buying by mail in many instances2 but what advice1 based on his ,micro,pro days and other experiences1 did he offer about buying 8#c-;,d10 as he called it--buying in the flesh from a store1 in other words8 8,the best place to go if you're buying software retail10 he said1 8is to someone who's doing a training seminar in the same program you're buying4 ,that way you've got it aced1 because the person who's doing the class is going to know the program well4 8,you don't have to take the class1 but at least you know that there's somebody there who could be asked a question40 ,not that a dealer has to know every wrinkle of a program to teach it4 ,but you've still got a head start if you do choose a store with classes4 ,just be sure that the instructor isn't a circuit rider1 so to speak--that he isn't flying out of town to another store as soon as he completes a series of classes4 ,you want him around to answer your questions later on4 ,this principle would especially hold true when buying software from franchised stores4 ,some stores may be excellent4 ,others1 however1 as ,park pointed out1 8may be a bunch of small businessmen who used to sell shoes and bought into a franchise at an exorbitant price40 ,offering1 obviously1 a mail-order perspective1 ,park said that the computer-store managers he knew didn't always know their software lines because there were so many products to keep track of4 8,it takes too much time10 he said4 8,there's too many things to do in a #c-;,d store to handle that4 ,mostly you're showing people hardware40 ,his opinions rang true4 ,trying out ,word,star with ,osbornes1 ,i'd run across sales reps who couldn't show me how to make printouts of the letters on the tiny black-and-white screen4 ,some sales reps were 8terminally0 dumb4 ,others were bright and helpful but too busy selling too many machines to pick up the basics of ,word,star and other heavy-duty programs4 ,word,star wasn't that hard to master1 however4 ,i wondered how stores could counsel customers if they couldn't even train sales reps4 ,i asked ,park about mail-order software4 cro,pro10 he said1 8,i told people1 #8,don't buy by mail4 ,the dealers are the ones who can answer your questions4 ,you have a real1 live1 #c-;,d person4'0 ,micro,pro had instructed ,park and five colleagues to try to duck the time-consuming questions from businessmen and others using computers and to refer them back to their dealers4 ,and yet ,park and the others had actually ended up spending half their time responding to the pleas of 8end users40 ,and many were the customers of mail-order houses4 ,but now1 ,park said1 some mail-order people were competing not only with low prices but also with technical support2 #hjj ,software had even hired a software guru from the ,university of ,california at ,davis to evaluate programs it was going to sell and support4 ,i myself had paid #bej for ,word,star1 or about half the #die list price2 however1 after talking to ,park1 ,i felt ,i was in better hands than ,i would have been at the typical computer stores ,i'd visited4 ,i got everything ,i paid for2 #hjj didn't pull any cheap tricks like sending the software without a manual1 which1 in fact1 some mail-order houses may do4 ,this isn't an endorsement of #hjj ,software4 ,it shows1 though1 that at times you can successfully bypass the wretched support and high prices that many stores inflict on software shoppers4 8,save by ordering some software by mail10 advises ,,cpa ,micro ,report1 8but only if the package is easy to install and easy to use4 ,if you'll need training before you can use it or if the package must be configured for a hard disk1 buy through your local dealer4 ,word processors and spreadsheets are examples of software you can safely buy through the mail4 ,general accounting1 client write-up systems and communications software should be purchased through a dealer40 ,it's good advice1 basically4 ,park says few people call him about spreadsheets1 that they're easier to unravel than many programs4 ,so what's the most trouble8 ,data bases1 sometimes4 8,but word processors definitely take the cake4 8,you've got to deal a lot with special features on printers1 like boldfacing and underlining and whether the software will let them work right10 ,park says4 ,he suggests the obvious--that before buying new software1 you find out how it will run with your printer and computer4 ,of course1 as stated earlier1 you'll ideally select your hardware after you've chosen your general range of software4 ,park says most people don't fully 8realize the implications0 of the software they're ordering 8because they haven't thought of it yet40 ,there's the old problem1 of course4 ,how do you know you'll like the software until you've tried it at leisure8 ,and then you normally can't get your money back4 ,before you order by mail1 give serious thought to asking someone locally for a 8#c-;,d0 demonstration4 ,a very leisurely tryout1 in fact1 is a good idea no matter how you're buying1 mail or 8#c-;,d10 and ideally you'll have someone with you--a clerk1 a secretary1 anyone who'll actually be using the system4 ,you might even want to bring along your accountant or somebody else working with the information that comes out of your computer system4 ,at the very least1 show him the software manual before you buy the program4 ,don't take the software seller's word that the software will keep the ,,irs or the ,,sec happy4 ,instead1 trust the accountant or lawyer you use in your business4 ,if he's uncomfortable with computers1 ask him to recommend someone in his profession whom he could work with4 ,you don't have to fire him4 ,just get him the backup he'll need4 ,a computerwise accountant1 for instance1 can tell you if a general ledger package has a good audit trail--a way to keep track of what was done on the computer system to make the records come out the way they did4 ,a computer-literate lawyer or accountant can also make certain that the software is reasonably crook-proof4 ,follow the same rule as with hardware4 ,find someone already using the program you want to buy4 ,is he happy with it8 ,the nearer his work is to yours1 the better4 ,the best authority on accounting software1 for instance1 isn't a computer guru3 it's an accountant4 ,but beware4 ,some people may have chosen their programs without considering the alternatives1 and they might have done better using a different system4 ,ideally1 your fellow accountant1 lawyer1 doctor1 whatever1 did plenty of shopping before making up his mind4 ,also1 remember how subjective software is4 ,even if someone is in your field1 he may think differently and do his job differently4 ,of course you might read reviews in computer magazines1 but be careful4 ,i recall how glowingly some of them described early versions of ,select2 how they said it was superb for heavy-duty writing1 even though1 quite clearly1 it was a bona fide kludge4 8,how could the reviewers be so wrong80 ,i asked a computer salesman1 a good one1 who had sold a number of copies of the ,spellbinder program to ,kaypro buyers unhappy with the early ,select4 ,he replied1 8,advertising4 ,they did a lot of advertising in the magazines4 ,that's probably why40 ,well1 maybe4 ,more likely1 however1 the reviewers simply were writers unfamiliar with alternatives like ,word,star or computer experts unfamiliar with the needs of most writers4 ,your best bet is to read the magazine reviews1 and this book1 knowing that the ultimate authority on your software needs is you4 ,,backup ,,vi 8,easy0 ,data ,bases3 ,another ,view 7,mensa ,member ,versus ,info,star7 ,charlie ,bowie1 one of the stars in ,chapter #f1 8,three ,software ,stories10 breezed through the d,b,a,s,e ,,ii program4 ,but not everyone will find all data bases so easy4 ,mary ,matthews didn't4 ,and you can't call her stupid4 ,she is1 after all1 a ,perfect ,writer guru_/,sibyl4 ,also--,i'm sneaking this in behind her back--her ,,iq is high enough for her to belong to the ,mensa group for bright people4 ,she's a ,smith ,college alumna1 a human dictionary1 now working as publications director at a prestigious prep school4 ,i thought that ,info,star--well reviewed in a major micro magazine--would be a cinch for her to learn and use in listing the traits of a good data base4 ,well1 back comes this essay telling me that she banged her head against ,info,star for a week and almost committed hara-kiri4 ,you can interpret that as a failing either of ,mary or of the program4 ,i'll blame the software and documentation4 7,of course she's full of bilge in her ,perfect ,writer review when she knocks my beloved ,word,star47 ,mary1 please note1 has nice things to say about ,info,star's power2 she says it might even be worth the torture4 ,and a consultant can simplify the program for you4 ,still1 if ,mary is having trouble befriending ,info,star1 what about average people who must master powerful data-base software8 ,they'll succeed only if they have time and buckle down4 ,they mustn't swallow the manufacturers' cant that the programs are 8simple0--at least not if the software's like ,info,star4 ,oh1 well1 at least they can console themselves that their business competitors may also be suffering4 ,and once learned1 programs like ,info,star 7as ,mary's essay shows7 can indeed make life easier4 ,her observations3 ,there are a number of data-base programs on the market for personal computers1 with new entries coming in daily4 ,the ,micro,pro people--parents of the famous 7or infamous7 ,word,star--have come out with a dandy of their own3 ,info,star1 which can sit up1 roll over1 and whistle ,dixie4 ,what does one look for in a data-base program8 ,to a certain extent1 of course1 it depends on what one wants4 ,someone who wants to put a ,rolodex file on to the computer is going to need a lot less by way of power and versatility than is the owner of a small business who wants to use the data base to keep track of clients1 orders1 and inventory4 ,the first thing to think about is how much data the program can handle without going off its nut or slowing down so much that you could walk to ,waukeegan and back while your program is processing any entry4 ,here are some terms and ideas to keep in mind3 ,the data base1 or data file1 contains all your entries4 ,info,star allows any number of data files per diskette2 others allow only one4 ,score one for ,info,star4 ,the data record covers all the information you store for each entry into your data base4 ,how big will your program allow each data record to be8 ,how many data records will your program allow before it seizes up and refuses to accept any more8 ,will the program warn you that as of ,x moment its files are full and it won't accept any more records8 7,i once spent two days trying to figure out why ,perfect ,filer was giving me back nothing but garbage before ,i thought to check and see whether my diskette was full47 ,info,star will allow you a maximum of #fe1ece data records per file4 ,by way of comparison1 ,perfect ,filer will accept as many data records as the diskette will hold--about a thousand if your diskettes will hold #bjj,k of memory and you've filled up your data entry screen with lots and lots of data fields2 probably a skillion if you only have one one-character data field and a lot of disk capacity4 ,the new program d,b,a,s,e ,,iii will allow over a billion records or two billion characters in a file--again1 up to the limit of your disk space4 ,the data fields are the building blocks to your data record4 ,some obvious attributes a data field may have are that it is alphabetic 7letters only72 numeric 7numbers only72 or alphanumeric 7okay1 you guessed it74 ,that's about all the simplest data base programs allow--but here's where ,info,star is an absolute champ4 ,some of the attributes ,info,star will allow3 #a4 ,the field may only contain certain numbers and_/or letters--for example1 if you're typing in a state abbreviation and type 8,,it0 when you mean 8,,in10 ,info,star will stop you and tell you that's not acceptable4 7,it does this by checking what is called an authority file and comparing the authority's contents with your input4 ,handy-dandy67 #b4 ,the field will enter itself based on your previous entries4 ,for example1 you can enter that your customer wants #dg of your code number ,w#hhi;,,aa 7widgets71 two entries2 and ,info,star can look up the price of widgets1 multiply that by #dg1 look up the sales tax for the state you inputted earlier1 multiply your subtotal by the amount of sales tax1 and all by itself enter the name of the product1 the subtotal1 the amount of the sales tax1 and the total--zip-zip-zip-zip1 four entries1 all done by the computer rather than by you and all done in a flash4 ,the first time ,i tried it1 ,i was startled into yelling1 8,wa-hoo60 #c4 ,the field can be a constant4 ,for example1 if your data record contains years1 you can tell ,info,star to enter 8#aih0 automatically1 and you only have to enter 8#d10 8#e10 or whatever4 #d4 ,the field can automatically shift cases for you4 ,for example1 you can type in 8new york1 ny10 and ,info,star will insert into the data record 8,new ,york1 ,,ny40 #e4 ,the field can insist that whatever you type in is identical two times in a row or it won't save the data record--useful if you deal with complex numbers that have to be right4 #f4 ,the field can be required--something that you have to enter1 or ,info,star won't let you go on4 ,oh1 and these are only examples6 ,i guess ,i'm just a simple country girl1 but ,i was amazed and thrilled by all that ,info,star could do with its data fields4 ,how big are your data fields allowed to be8 ,how many fields are you allowed to have8 ,info,star allows you a maximum of #bde fields per record1 and a maximum of #bee characters per field--it comes out to a maximum of #fb1dge characters per data record4 7,perfect ,filer1 again by way of comparison1 theoretically allows #gj fields with a combined total of #a1jbd characters4 ,on the other hand1 the one time ,i tried to test this limit with ,perfect ,filer1 the program went comatose on me47 ,i do wonder whether an ,info,star data record that was #fa,k in size might mean you would get fewer than #fd,k data records into your data base4 ,on the other hand1 who could imagine a #fa,k data record on a personal computer8 ,it is1 after all1 about the same size as a #fj-page letter to your ,aunt ,millie1 and how often do you write #fj-page letters to your ,aunt ,millie8 ,once you have data in your data base1 the sort keys determine how you can get the data out again4 ,do you want to get the information out in alphabetical order by name8 ,numerical order by ,,zip code or phone number8 ,some combination of the two8 7,for example1 you might1 if the information is in your data records1 want to sort your friends by who is left-handed1 who gave you a ,christmas card last year1 when their birthdays are1 or all of the above47 ,how many sort keys will the data base allow8 ,what kinds8 ,how long does it take the program to do a sort8 ,to take a primitive example1 ,perfect ,filer allows you up to five sort keys 7alphabetical order by sister's name1 for example2 numerical order by ,,zip code2 both2 numeric order by phone number2 all three2 and so on74 ,perfect ,filer will also generate up to twenty subsets from which to sort4 7,left-handed ,republicans1 female plumbers1 all those who owe you more than three dollars--you name it47 ,and it will also let you have up to #dj list format fields--that is1 it will allow you to generate up to #dj different kinds of list 7all left-handed female plumbers who live on the ,west ,coast74 ,info,star1 on the other hand1 will allow you #cb sort fields1 which is a few more than #e2 but it doesn't have any subsets per se and doesn't seem to allow you more than one list format4 ,on the other hand1 the range of 8logical expressions0 it allows is amazing1 and provided you understand ,,basic 7,info,star's data are written in ,,cbasic7 fairly well1 you can attain heights of efficiency ,perfect ,filer couldn't even dream of 7more on this immediately74 ,what kinds of calculations will your program do1 and when does it do them8 ,some programs will allow you to add1 subtract1 multiply1 divide1 and other even more abstruse calculations1 and all at the data entry stage4 ,the best of these allow serial calculations4 ,for example1 take ,a and multiply it by ,b2 then divide the result by ,c2 then add it to ,d4 ,a program known as ,,db ,master allows calculations for only two fields at a time3 ,a plus ,b equals ,c4 ,d plus ,e equals ,f4 ,c plus ,f equals ,g4 ,other programs will only allow you to specify that certain relations between data exist1 and then only at the report-generating stage4 ,perfect ,filer1 for example1 will allow you to specify that you only want your report to contain the people whose ,,zip codes are between #bjhae and #baijc--;but it won't do any arithmetic at all4 ,info,star1 on the other hand1 can do algebraic and numeric calculations and impose such logical conditions as 8include this record if it meets ,x criterion02 8do this calculation unless the data field is ,y02 8do this if conditions ,x and ,y ,,or conditions ,p or ,q exist40 ,zowie6 ,what sort of 8overhead0 does the program demand8 ,that is1 what do you need to be stored on your diskette in addition to your data records8 ,one trade-off might be that the more sort keys1 subsets1 list formats1 and_/or logical expressions you have1 the less space you have for your data records4 ,unlike ,perfect ,filer1 ,info,star creates an index file for every data file that you create4 ,an ,info,star index file contains only the field values of your sort key7s7 and addresses for each of your data records1 but even so1 with a lot of sort keys and with a nice1 big data base1 the index file is not going to be tiny4 ,playing with ,info,star--after a week hunched over the keyboard1 ,i still can't say ,i've learned it--was1 in order1 daunting1 boring1 thrilling1 mystifying1 frustrating1 and annoying4 ,the program comes with four 7count em1 four7 diskettes and three instructional tomes of a size and heaviness guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of a neophyte4 ,we're talking half again as big as the compact edition of the ,oxford ,english ,dictionary4 ,we're talking three three-ring binders crammed to capacity with information4 ,daunting4 ,the program comes complete with three on-line tutorials--one introductory tutorial that assumes that the person using it has never been near a computer before1 one tutorial for data entry1 and one tutorial for generating 8quick reports40 ,all three are pretty to look at1 slow as molasses to try to go through1 and simpleminded in the extreme4 ,the first one1 for example1 draws you a picture of a computer terminal on its screen just in case you're suffering from selective blindness and can't see the terminal you're running the program on4 ,my advice to those who buy ,info,star and who've ever even seen a computer before is not to bother with the tutorials--certainly not with the first one6--but to go straight to the training manual and start plowing your way through4 ,it shouldn't take more than a hundred years4 ,when ,i started playing with some of the data bases that ,info,star provides for its customers1 ,i was excited4 ,no1 ,i was thrilled4 ,i've never seen anything like some of the things ,info,star can do1 and watching six fields fill up all by themselves after ,id inputted one number made me chortle with glee4 ,info,star uses most of the same commands that ,word,star does1 which is convenient if you happen to like control commands4 ,i first began to get annoyed when ,i discovered that ,info,star does not use arrow keys4 ,if you want to move your cursor1 it's ,,ctrl-,d1 ,,ctrl-,s1 ,,ctrl-,e1 ,,ctrl-,x--the same commands ,word,star uses and a major-league annoyance4 ,nor have any ,function keys been assigned any values4 ,and every single1 solitary time you use ,info,star you have to go through at least four help screens--like it or not4 ,grrr6 ,i first ran into trouble when ,i began trying to define my own data record4 ,drawing the screen is easy2 but what does one do when one is trying to assign attributes and runs up against prompts like1 8,field derived8 ,processing order8 ,copy attributes of field8 ,pad field8 ,batch verify8 ,range check8 ,edit mask8 ,entry_/content control character codes80 ,i'll tell you what ,i did3 ,i read the training manual4 ,i read the reference manual4 ,i tried native cunning4 ,i tried pounding my fist through the keyboard4 ,i tried crying4 ,info,star's hype says1 8,on-screen menus give you options in plain ,english 444 while a series of help screens guides you through each procedure40 ,yeah2 and ,i am ,marie of ,romania4 ,the same sort of thing happened when ,i started fiddling with the generation of reports4 ,as promised1 ,info,star 8enables you to create and print a report in sixty seconds40 ,the report prints all the data in the given file4 ,here's what the report for the file ,i'd tried to construct looked like3 ,b3,,mmplay ,,report ,b3,,mmplay ,,report ,b3,,mmplay ,,report #aj_/ba_/hd #aj_/ba_/hd #aj_/ba_/hd ,,field #jja ,,field #jjb ,,field #jjc ,,field #jjd ,,field #jje ,,field #jjf ,,field #jjg ,,field #jjh mwm ,mary ,w4 ,matthews #dhbc ,willett ,parkway ,chevy ,chase ,,md #bjhae ec ,ed ,corrigan ,pirmasens ,american ,school ,new ,york ,,ny #jiahi ,i hope you get the idea4 ,i'm too depressed to go on4 ,so much for the 8quick report0 that you can create in only sixty seconds4 ,next ,i tried to design a 8custom report40 ,the prompts didn't start out to be quite so confusing--8,is the file going to be used for ,input or ,output80 and 8,how large should the disk buffer be80 ,but by the time ,i got to 8,edit mask10 8,copy attributes to field10 and 8,enter algebraic expression10 ,i was thinking seriously about hara-kiri4 ,we are not talking quick and easy here4 ,we are talking call in the professionals or resign yourself to a lot of long1 hard work4 ,considering that ,i don't even get to keep the copy of ,info,star--,i only own a #fd,k ,,cp_/,m machine1 and ,info,star requires a ,,pc ,,dos and at least #if,k of ,,ram and recommends that you use a hard disk 7but will put up with two floppy drives provided that you can get #cbj,k of memory on each disk7--,i eventually just threw my hands into the air and gave up4 ,there is no doubt in my mind that ,info,star is a terrifically powerful program that will allow you to do just about anything you want in the world of data bases4 ,the doubt in my mind is whether ,i'm an ordinarily intelligent person who was thrown by some big-league complexity or whether ,i'm an absolute moron because ,i didn't find the program 8simple0 and 8easy to use40 7,variations of the words 8simple0 and 8easy0 appear seventeen times in the ,info,star hype booklet2 for example1 8,info,star is 444 easy-to-use 444 goes well beyond the capabilities of a simple data base system4 ,info,star eases the job of managers4444 ,it's really quite simple4 ,the whole process is really quite simple4444 ,and it's easy44440 ,all this on one page1 mind you47 ,to sum it all up in a nutshell1 ,info,star offers some wonderful features1 particularly in the area of making things easy for the clerk typist_/secretary who's doing data entry4 ,and it is1 as advertised1 lightning fast at calculations and sorting4 ,its use of ,word,star commands is a drawback1 and its refusal to allow the arrow keys to function1 along with its insistence on making you plod through help screen after help screen that you're really not interested in1 can be infuriating2 but ,i suppose the clerk typist who is forced to use ,word,star--at only five years old the dinosaur of word-processing programs--might find it convenient4 ,but if you1 the doctor or lawyer or small business owner1 want a custom-designed form or a custom-designed report1 you're not going to be able to delegate the job to a clerk typist_/secretary_/assistant4 ,you'll have to either hire a consultant to do it for you or resign yourself to spending days or even weeks mastering ideas and language that1 to me1 range from the arcane to the dumbfounding4 ,it's really quite simple8 ,,backup ,,vii ,graphics ,tips ,no matter how you're using a graphics program1 remember the ,,rdhp--the ,rough-,draft ,hierarchical ,principle4 ,it also may help at times when you word-process memos4 ,the principle3 create the basic pictures or prose yourself4 ,but if pressed for time8 ,then farm out the details4 ,just as a secretary might put your memos in the right format on paper1 he or she might also smooth your drawings4 ,or your art department might4 ,here are other tips for graphics users3 ,,know ,,your ,,charts ,,and ,,other ,,basic ,,tools ,a line chart--a graph with the outlines of hills and valleys--is great when broad trends count more than the numbers themselves4 ,one glance at a good line chart can tell you if wok sales are up or down4 ,and for even better effect1 you might try a curve chart1 or area chart1 filling in the area below the curves that the lines make4 8,instead of looking like a wriggly line10 explains ,carl ,herrman1#ajc an award-winning graphics expert1 8it looks like a mountain4 ,it's much easier to follow40 ,footnote #ajc3 ,carl ,herrman is communications director at ,,mitre ,corporation1 a nonprofit research and consulting firm in ,mc,lean1 ,virginia4 ,his address there is ,w #afj1 #ahbj ,dolley ,madison ,blvd41 ,mc,lean1 ,virginia #bbajb4 ,and if you want to show sales trends in three wok categories8 ,well1 you can still use a filled-in chart4 8,you might fill in the bottom one solid black10 says ,herrman4 8,you might do a cross-hatch--parallel intersecting lines--on the middle one4 ,and on the top one1 you might have a straight-line effect or a lot of lines running close to each other4 8,that way1 you can readily see the difference between the three ,it's more effective than three graph lines on top of each other40 ,another tool is a bar chart1 with bars of different sizes--horizontal or vertical4 ,,name ,,that ,,chart ,with ,apple's ,macintosh and the ,microsoft chart graphics package from ,microsoft1 you can whip up charts like the ones below4 ,chart will even pick up numbers from a sister spreadsheet program1 ,multiplan4 ,my thanks to artist ,jo ,steele1 who works for the ,dartmouth ,college ,computer ,center and is a partner in ,northtronics ,associates4 ,oh1 and don't blame ,jo for the use of those over-mentioned woks4 ,my mistake4 ,next time ,i'll use dishwashers or watermelons4 ,illustration3 ,do broad trends count more than the numbers themselves8 ,then use a line chart1 a graph with the outlines of hills and valleys4 ,amalgamated ,wok might decorate each sales rep's office with such a chart1 at which a myopic ,,ceo could smile or frown as he walked in4 ,use a bar chart to compare sizes or emphasize differences1 including those over time4 ,with the bar chart1 you might contrast #aigi wok sales with #aihd's4 ,don't normally use the bar chart1 however1 to illustrate trends4 ,for that1 it's usually back to the old line or curve chart4 ,just the same1 ,mike ,slade1 a product manager at ,microsoft1 says3 8,there are times when you can illustrate trends successfully using overlapping bar charts--with bars of different colors or patterns4 ,illustration3 ,a curve chart or area chart is just a line chart with the area below the lines filled in4 ,this is a deluxe version with different shadings indicating different years4 ,a no-frills area chart might actually be easier on the ,,ceo's eyes than would a line chart without shading4 ,illustration3 ,yes1 wok sales are increasing and our canny artist used a vertical bar chart to emphasize this4 ,just the ticket for a presentation to a stock analyst studying the prospects of the ,amalgamated ,wok ,corporation4 ,notice that numbers are easier to take in than those on a line chart4 8,you might have a vertical bar for #aigi wok sales slightly overlapping with one for #aigi widget sales and continue these twin bars for the next five years4 8,use overlapping bar charts when you're showing trends for a number of different products or categories40 ,illustration3 ,wow6 ,look at the hefty wok sales in ,november and ,december4 ,someone offer rebates8 ,actually you'd be better off using a pie chart instead to show the percentages of semi-annual sales from different regions4 ,regions1 not the #ej states4 ,you can only slice a pie so thin4 ,yet another tool1 the pie chart1 just like a pie1 with slices1 nicely shows relations of complete parts4 ,use the pie chart to show the percentage of sales that came from four or five regions4 ,on the other hand1 suppose you have many1 many small components in your pie--say1 you're interested in the percentages of domestic sales in each of the fifty states4 ,then a map with percentages on it might be better4 ,i'll stop here--this is a computer book1 not a graphics guide4 ,for more detailed information1 ,herrman recommends ,designer's ,guide to ,creating ,charts and ,diagrams by ,nigel ,holmes 7from ,watson-,guptill1 ,new ,york74 ,,keep ,,it ,,simple--,,whether ,,its ,a ,,chart ,,or ,,memo ,don't make your charts look like puzzles4 8,if you clutter up your chart with too many facts1 you'll lose the very simplicity that graphics can offer10 says ,herrman4 ,home in on your main point4 8,if need be10 he says1 8use a short narrative under the chart to back it up4 8,in fact1 you might be able to say something in words more simply than with a chart4 ,if you're trying to compare the cost of widget imports in the last fifty years and it's doubled each year1 then why not just say so in prose80 ,also1 avoid other forms of visual clutter4 ,don't make people's eyes spin with special effects and too many colors4 ,grid lines--a series of little squares like those on engineering graph paper--often confuse chart readers4 8,don't put them in if you can help it10 says ,herrman4 8,definitely not10 agrees my friend ,hard-core bureaucrat4 ,in memos1 don't confuse your readers with a barrage of different typefaces4 ,a little variety is good4 ,but make sure you have a decent excuse1 such as special points to stress or different categories of information4 8,if you show off your fancy typefaces10 says my friend the ,hard-,core-,bureaucrat1 8it's just a plague that'll make your eyes ache4 ,that's one reason ,i'm down on fancy graphics for routine stuff4 ,some ,macintosh users are going to produce memos that look like samplers from printing salesmen40 ,even on a thousand-word memo1 use three of four typefaces at the most4 ,also1 don't stint on white space4 ,apple's manuals for the ,macintosh and its more expensive sister1 the ,lisa1 are models of wise use of white space4 ,,at ,,the ,,same ,,time1 ,,keep ,,it ,,lively6 ,if you can get away with it1 why not try a little flair in your graphics and your points will be more memorable4 ,a good model in many cases is the newspaper ,,usa ,today1 which sports some of the liveliest graphics in the country4 ,it regularly publishes charts with such sexy facts as amount expected to go for health care in #aiij or the percentage of women who received haircuts and other beauty-shop treatments in #aihc4 ,to jazz up the chart titled 8,only ,their ,hairdressers ,know10 an artist drew the face of a woman with her hair blowing out4 ,the lengths of the bunched-up strands varied according to the percentages of women receiving different kinds of treatments4 8,haircut0 7#gf percent7 was three times longer than 8,coloring0 7a mere #bd percent74 ,today the average micro user may not be able to produce such 8hairy0 graphics1 but the future may be different4 ,snazzy graphics is like colorful writing4 ,humanize your work4 ,the 8,only ,their ,hairdressers ,know0 chart wasn't in the fanciest of color--just black and white and blue--but it was more eye-catching than most eight-color ones might have been4 ,and if you yourself can't draw too well even with a computer8 ,well1 what a chance to liven up the workday of a young1 talented aide who'd like a break from the typewriter1 er1 word processor6 ,besides1 on occasion1 you can at least do what an editor may have done with the hairdresser chart--think up the basic idea4 ,,keep ,,those ,,captions ,,lively1 ,,too ,imagine you're writing captions for a hybrid of the ,new ,york ,times and ,the ,national ,enquirer4 ,try to be accurate1 clear1 and interesting4 ,snare the skimmers6 ,give them no choice but to read your report4 ,i'll qualify that4 ,alas1 many report writers1 especially the government species1 don't want to be clear with words or charts4 ,maybe they can scrutinize this section to know what to do in reverse4 ,,know ,,your ,,colors--,,when ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,them ,there is life without color4 ,just look at the nifty things you can do with high-resolution black and white1 with its many different shades4 ,if your picture offers widely varied shapes and sizes1 color just might not help that much4 ,think1 too1 about costs4 ,if ,mac had had color1 the #b1ejj introductory price would have been several times higher4 ,so ,apple concentrated instead on resolution4 ,and very likely1 some makers of similar machines will do the same4 ,there's a technical trade-off3 color capability often comes at the cost of sharpness4 ,even black-and-white graphics today--at least the affordable kinds--normally are a far cry from the sharpness required in an annual report or the slickest sales brochure4 ,still1 to a generation weaned on color tv and movies1 a #ajj percent monochromatic life would be like a monastic life4 ,and color could be just the ticket for enlivening graphs that visually drone on and on with statistics4 ,what's more1 it can help separate elements of charts4 ,just don't overuse or abuse the technique4 ,don't use color to slice a pie chart too thin4 ,in working with color1 you should know the best combinations4 ,often you'll want to alternate weak1 cool colors with strong1 warm1 8advancing0 ones that leap out from the screen4 ,the strongest colors usually are bright red first1 then orange1 then perhaps yellow--it depends on your machine and other variables4 8,your weakest colors10 says ,herrman1 8could be blue1 green and brown4 ,if you try blue and bright red1 your chart will be much more readable than if it has green with blue4 ,you might also use green and orange40 ,try1 too1 to avoid adjacent colors that 8vibrate0 together in an irksome way4 8,red and green is worst10 ,herrman says4 ,another loser3 red and blue4 ,other advice8 ,match colors to what they stand for4 ,if you're comparing oil and gas production1 the oil might be black and the gas a light blue4 ,oil sometimes is black4 ,and gas often bums blue4 ,remember1 also1 that dark colors often can better represent large numbers4 ,say your company has its biggest1 best year ever in sales4 ,and now you're bragging with a multiyear bar chart8 ,well1 you use a dark blue or black bar to represent your recent1 gigantic revenues4 ,the leaner years1 by comparison1 might be a very light color or maybe faint grays or perhaps just white inside gray lines4 ,yet another tip is to be consistent if possible4 8,if you're comparing oil and gas through twenty charts10 says ,herrman1 8stick with oil in black and gas in blue in all the charts40 8,but10 you say1 8how do ,i choose my graphics programs in the first place80 ,here are the questions you should ask1 among others3 #a4 ,does the program help you come up with pies1 bars1 or whatever kind of chart or drawing will be most useful to you8 #b4 ,can it do so as quickly as possible8 ,here programs using a mouse--the pointer on your desk--have a real advantage4 #c4 ,does the program fit in well with your other software8 ,that's one advantage of ,lisa- and ,mac-type systems4 ,you can more easily stick a chart inside a page of text--perhaps sparing your readers a distracting flip to the back4 ,another advantage of a 8good fit0 is that it may save you hours of typing and drawing4 ,look for programs that will let you select trends from spreadsheets1 then more or less automatically whip up charts based on the numbers4 ,this way1 too1 you don't have to waste time typing in the numbers from the spreadsheets4 ,microsoft ,chart can do that with the right software for the ,mac1 ,lisa ,,ii1 and ,,ibm computers4 ,are you shopping for a program that changes charts automatically along with the numbers8 ,then see if you can do this without having to clear the chart from your screen and replace it with a special menu4 #d4 ,how much memory space does the program--and the electronic files of the resultant drawings--take up8 ,you want enough space on your disk for spreadsheets1 word processing1 and other programs if you change your tasks often4 ,but you don't change often8 ,then don't worry as much about this4 ,frugal use of space1 of course1 is one advantage of integrated programs combining graphics with word processing and spreadsheets or communications4 ,you might also worry about the lengths of the files4 ,one chart can take up the equivalent of page after page in disk space if you're storing the image of the chart rather than the instructions for creating it4 #e4 ,what about the program's color capabilities--both on screen and on paper8 ,how many colors offered8 ,and if the program has preset color combinations1 do they work well together8 #f4 ,does the program coexist okay with the printer or plotter you own or are about to buy8 #g4 ,how easy is the program to learn8 ,what about the other general traits of good software mentioned in ,backup ,,iii1 ,the ,lucky #ac8 ,whatever your graphics program1 don't stint on the hardware4 ,a good1 sharp1 high-resolution screen is just as important--more so1 in fact--as it is in word processing4 ,,backup ,,viii ,consultant ,contracts3 ,some ,who-,how ,questions ,charles ,harris1 a lawyer who is expert in computer negotiations1 ticks off a list of contract questions very similar to the ,who-,how from the newspaper world4 ,his list3 #a4 8,who80 ,who from the contracting firm is doing the work8 ,a junior member8 ,if so1 you might ask1 8,can he perform8 ,will the consulting firm still bill me the full rate80 ,find out the track record not only of the firm but also of the people actually doing the work4 ,write their names into the contract if you can4 ,spell out the qualifications of substitutes you'll use if the original people leave the consulting firm before finishing the assignment4 #b4 8,what80 ,describe the task as clearly and precisely as possible4 ,and in my opinion you might consolidate the 8,what80 and the 8,how80 here4 ,is there a right way and a wrong way of accomplishing the 8,what808 ,find out the right way before signing the contract4 #c4 8,when80 ,can you negotiate a penalty if the firm misses a deadline8 ,and how about a bonus if it comes in early8 #d4 8,where80 ,will the consultants do the work in your office8 ,theirs8 ,on your computer8 ,on someone else's8 #e4 8,how much80 ,obvious4 ,in my opinion1 you'd also do well to keep asking the 8,why80--to make the consultants justify whatever they have in mind for you4 ,why not8 ,you're the one spending the money4 ,also1 at least consider the following3 #a4 ,thinking small4 ,don't bargain over the ,who-,how simply for the whole project2 break it up into parts4 8,you say1 #8,for this much money we expect to at least get a machine in the door1'0 ,harris suggests4 8#8,for this much money we expect to get the following diskettes for the following programs4' #8,for this much money perhaps we'll talk about customizing software4#80 ,if a consultant flubs an early part of the work or specifies the wrong programs or equipment1 then you can more easily send him packing4 8,but10 you worry1 8can a rival consultant pick up the pieces80 ,well1 you simply insist that the original consultant do his work in as standardized a way as possible4 ,see if he can use a program like d,b,a,s,e ,,ii or ,,iii--software with which thousands of other consultants are familiar4 #b4 ,making the consultant give you the source code of the new software4 ,that's another pick-up-the-pieces kind of protection4 #c4 ,insisting that any manuals for his software be complete and in plain ,english4 ,if your consultant can write only computerese1 in fact1 you might not even want to bother with negotiations4 #d4 ,bargaining if possible for a software warranty4 ,then1 if you discover glitches in the software after it's in use1 the consultant won't charge you to correct his own mistakes4 ,you might not succeed here4 ,but try4 #e4 ,possibly requiring the consultant to give you a discount on modifications or expansion of your system4 #f4 ,negotiating for full or part ownership of the software he may develop for you4 ,but don't count on getting rich from the sale of the programs4 ,adam ,green1 a software training expert1 tells of a computer-store salesmen who1 in that way1 would appeal to customers' greed4 ,a taxidermist1 for instance1 might hear this pitch3 buy from me1 use the right consultant1 and you'll make a killing in specialty software for taxidermists4 8,the consultants would usually intend to finish a job writing this specialty software10 ,green said1 8but it would drag on1 and the customers would run out of money1 and the things usually didn't get finished40 ,very likely you won#8t want full ownership1 because it would reduce the consultant's interest in perfecting his brainchild4 #g4 ,forbidding the consultant from selling the new software to your competitors4 ,antitrust complications might arise if you don't bear the financial risks of software development4 ,if you do1 however1 you're within your rights to demand exclusivity1 just as the consultant is within his rights to charge you more for it4 8,trade secret0 is a key phrase both here and on the issue of ownership4 8,i recommend to clients that they go for trade-secret protection because copyright law protects the information only in the way it's presented10 says ,william ,wewer1 a ,washington lawyer who specializes1 among other things1 in intellectual-property law4 ,in other words1 an unscrupulous consultant might bypass the copyright law by using a different programming code to duplicate your new software's functions4 #h4 ,making the consultant pledge that he won't violate any trade-secret laws or copyrights4 ,you don't want to suffer because someone else has plagiarized or pirated software4 ,be certain you'll own the master copies and instruction manuals that the consultant buys4 ,try to register immediately with the software company as the buyer or user of the disk4 ,you want to know about updates of the product and about debuggings1 which you won't find out about with a pirated copy4 ,a shady ,massachusetts consultant has resold the same d,b,a,s,e ,,ii program ten or fifteen times4 ,the buyers think he is purchasing it for them and that he's going to supply a version modified for their needs4 8,but halfway through the work10 ,green says1 8he just walks off40 #i4 ,hammering out a confidentiality agreement1 if necessary1 to protect company secrets4 ,you don't want an outsider blabbing to competitors4 #aj4 ,making the consultant agree in writing that he is working as your independent contractor1 not your employee4 ,protect yourself against unfair ,workmen's ,compensation claims and in similar ways4 #aa4 ,trying to write into the contract your right to a full explanation whenever you want one4 ,make the consultant justify his recommendation for a certain computer or a certain program2 he owes you at least oral explanation and perhaps a written one4 ,how much experience has he himself had with the product8 ,is he going by someone else's word8 ,whose8 ,how certain is he that the software-hardware combo that worked for the other person will work for you8 ,can he arrange a demonstration of the combo so you can see for yourself how the software runs8 #ab4 ,remembering that there's only so much protection the law can give1 especially at the micro level4 ,trade-secret and copyright laws can be vague and expensive to enforce--a major stumbling block to a small business4 ,your best protection is simply to deal with a reputable consultant whose credentials you have checked4 #ac4 ,choosing the right lawyer1 if you can afford one1 for the contract4 ,he needn't call himself a 8computer lawyer40 ,a good contracts lawyer or intellectual-property expert1 if conversant with computers1 might also work out4 ,if the job is simple enough1 don't negotiate in the same detail that ,,gm does when installing a #aj-million mainframe4 ,again1 even with small tasks1 do sign a contract or write a letter similar to the sample one on page #aad4 ,and if you can afford it and the job's important enough1 think about still-another contract--for a second consultant to check up on the first4 ,,backup ,,ix ,window ,shopping ,the ad men and writers have had fun with the inevitable3 8,microsoft ,does ,windows40 ,you read the headline and envision some programmers with buckets and rags1 bravely scaling ,manhattan skyscrapers to help executives get a clear view when they're looking up from their computer screens4 ,windows1 however1 actually are within computer screens4 ,you can split your screen into parts3 one window showing a chart1 for instance1 while the other displays the report into which you're inserting it4 ,of course you need a screen big and sharp enough to get good views of many windows4 ,and the software problems could be hairy4 ,microsoft as of late #aihd was months and months behind in releasing its windows-type product4 ,other companies were behind on theirs1 too4 ,someone once coined a term for much-talked-about-but-late software--8vaporware0--and it is sure described windows4#ajd ,footnote #ajd3 ,i asked ,john ,butler1 a ,microsoft products manager1 why windows would hit the market months late4 8,we don't like to announce products too far ahead of time when they're not fully developed0 he said1 8but with ,windows we had to tell other software companies about its existence early on--so they could write programs taking full advantage of ours40 ,well1 now that the miracle windows are theoretically here1 are they worth gazing at8 ,depends4 ,don#8t buy windows if you're just writing short letters and you needn't blend anything else into them or regularly don't consult other material4 ,but consider them if1 say1 you want to look at many spreadsheets quickly while writing reports4 ,think what this means to executives with cluttered disks1 er1 desks4 ,they can stash their material away electronically and not have to print hard copies as often in the future4 8,i can imagine people having as many as twenty or thirty windows ready to call up with notes or working papers10 says ,john ,butler1 a product manager with ,microsoft4 ,also1 windows software may let you switch noticeably faster from one program to another4 ,and with a ,,ram 7temporary computer memory7 above #ejj,k1 you may even be able to do so instantly4 ,the plus of this8 ,you won't need to return as often to your computer's operating system and feed the programs one by one into the ,,ram4 ,so the machine may seem to impose itself less between you and your work4 ,when 8windows shopping10 however1 you should ask these questions and more3#aje #a4 ,is the convenience worth the extra several hundred dollars you'll be paying for the window software alone if it doesn't come with your computer8 #b4 ,up to how many windows can you see on your screen at once8 #c4 ,how do the windows look alongside each other8 ,do they overlap1 just like papers atop each other8 ,or do they tile8 ,that is1 if you select more windows1 the existing ones shrink1 and you view less from them4 #d4 ,how about data transfer8 ,if you move information from one electronic file to another1 will important details remain8 ,for instance1 the way rows and columns coexist with each other on a spreadsheet8 ,can you cut a graph out of a chart and insert it in the text of a report without it shrinking or ending up distorted8 ,will it reproduce in as much detail as it would without your reaching it through a window8 #e4 ,what kind of graphics--bit mapped or character based8 ,the bit mapping means sharper images4 ,your computer keeps track of each little dot1 each pixel1 on the screen4 ,that hogs memory and may rule out color4 ,character-based systems1 though1 don't let you make your lines and curves as smooth as bit mapping does4 ,they must work with already-shaped letters1 numbers1 and other visual forms4 #f4 ,will the window program work with ordinary software or just products written for it8 ,and how many of the windows' special features will do work when you use regular programs8 #g4 ,will the windows at least slightly slow down some programs8 ,a word processor may take longer for you to get from one part of your report to another4 #h4 ,is the program picky about the computers it'll work with8 ,a window system may need over half a million bytes of ,,ram and a hard-disk drive storing #e megabytes4 ,also1 as of this writing1 windows seemed geared more to the ,,ibm-style ,,ms-,,dos computers than to the older but cheaper ,,cp_/,m ones4 ,besides1 some companies may not sell windows programs directly to ordinary buyers4 ,microsoft got various micro manufacturers to bundle the program with their products4 #i4 ,does the program require a mouse--the gadget you roll on your disk to move the cursor8 ,how easily can you control the program without a mouse8 ,footnote #aje3 ,i'm basing the 8windows-shopping0 questions on points raised by various micro publications1 especially ,popular ,computing1 ,may #aihd1 p4 #if4 ,,backup ,x ,of ,mice and ,men--and ,touch ,pads1 ,touch ,screens1 ,etc4#ajf 8,if you're a trained1 high-volume production typist10 asked ,seymour ,rubinstein1 the ,word,star developer1 8what are you going to do with a mouse except feed it cheese80#ajg ,footnote #ajf3 ,for background in researching this appendix--but not for the opinions1 strictly mine--,i'm grateful to ,forrest ,m4 ,mims's excellent article 8,a ,few ,quick ,pointers40 ,it appeared in ,may #aihd ,computers and ,electronics4 ,footnote #ajg3 ,rubinstein's 8cheese0 quote is from ,info,world1 ,may #ad1 #aihd1 p4 #eg4 ,score one for ,rubinstein4 ,he says mice are great--if you have three hands4 ,doing graphics8 ,a mouse1 maybe4 ,but damned if ,i'm going to take my hands off the keyboard to push the cursor from one spot on the screen to the next4 ,it's simply too much wasted motion4 ,i instead just press the cursor keys right above the main keyboard4 ,or ,i use ,word,star's cursor-moving commands4 ,and even if ,i hadn't learned touch typing a quarter century ago1 ,i'd still wonder if a mouse for word processing wasn't the ,silicon ,valley version of ,the ,emperor's ,new ,clothes4 ,next time you're in ,california1 maybe you'll see ,apple execs naked in the streets as well as their hot tubs4 ,well1 maybe not4 ,the mouse could be a great marketing tool for sales reps peddling ,macs or ,apple ,i,ic's to people hoping to do word processing4 ,but experienced typists8 ,many would probably groan over all the excursions that the mouse forced them to take from the main keyboard4 ,some enemies of mice--cats8--also wonder if jockeying the cursor this way couldn't be a little tiring for people writing or typing4 ,think of the hand-eye coordination required4 ,you're rolling a palm-sized gizmo on your desk to position the cursor on a single letter at times1 and that might not wear too well if you#8re working for hours on end4 ,mind you1 the rodents have their friends1 especially at ,apple1 where1 inconsiderately1 the hardware wizards didn't even favor the ,macintosh with cursor keys4 ,joe ,shelton1 the ,apple products manager mentioned in ,chapter #g1 says he does most of his writing with a mouse4 ,he suggests the mouse-equipped ,macintosh for 8nave users40 ,your term1 ,joe4 ,now ,i'll slightly water down my jeremiads4 ,macintosh-style computers offer nifty graphics and nice offbeat typefaces4 ,so some trendy writers may want one--rodent or not4 ,and if you're an executive or someone else not doing heavy word processing8 ,then maybe1 just maybe1 a mouse is for you4 ,perhaps you're working with spreadsheets1 a number of programs in fact1 and you write only a small fraction of the time4 ,richard ,webb--a partner at ,peat1 ,marwick and ,mitchell1 the big accounting firm that advised ,apple during development of the ,macintosh and ordered thousands of them--swears by the mouse for spreadsheets4 ,he says that alone would justify the mouse4 ,i'm not a spreadsheet artist and will take a pro's word4 ,but at least for heavy-duty writing and typing1 the old cursor keys are my best bet4 ,graphics is different4 ,there1 the cursor keys are more cumbersome4 ,one artist1 however1 wanted not a mouse but an electronic 8pad and a stylus02 he might be happy with a digitizing tablet--also known as a graphics tablet--like the well-known ,koala,pad4 ,you can write on this surface with a stylus or your finger and the computer will display the lines on its screen4 ,a touch-sensitive screen is still another possibility--for some people--both in word processing and graphics4 ,you point your finger at a spot on the screen4 ,bingo6 ,you can start moving a paragraph or perform graphics magic4 ,but touch typists may face the same problem as with the mouse--wasted motion--and some people may tire of reaching up to the screen again and again4 ,also1 touch-sensitive screens may not be precise enough for you to pick out just one number or letter4 ,hugh ,hunt raised an interesting issue4 8,what happens if a fly lands on the ,hewlett-,packard screen80 he asked someone about a computer with a touch screen4 ,well1 ,i hear1 the ,,hp #aej's screen uses infrared touch sensors that are more than fly length from the glass4 8,debugging0 the #aej1 ,hewlett-,packard must have thought of everything4 ,yet other pointing devices are3 ,the joystick4 ,moving the stick around1 you move the cursor4 ,a neat idea4 ,but it's more fit for video games than word processing and many other business programs--you just can't point exactly4 ,the trackball4 ,you move the cursor by rotating a ball inside an enclosure4 ,want the cursor to go faster8 ,then rotate the ball more energetically4 ,the trackball is found most often in arcade-style systems4 ,it's great for chasing aliens and may have uses in spreadsheets and data-base management1 but some people say it's an abomination for word processing4 ,the light pen1 with which you could electronically 8draw0 on the screen4 ,draw8 ,okay4 ,write8 ,well1 it's 8wasted motion0 time again here1 as with the other items on this list4 ,as computers climb the executive ladders--as more nontypists use them--these alternatives may grow in importance4 ,and what about people on the factory floor8 ,they may use such gizmos to make new inventory entries or machine adjustments4 ,partly the world is learning to type1 and partly the computer is learning to understand devices other than the keyboard4 ,what cursor-control gizmos are ahead8 ,i'll keep reading the ,national ,enquirer articles about people moving objects with their minds4 ,maybe1 the hard-core hackers are thinking1 the next gimmick will feature some user-friendly ,,esp4 ,,backup ,,xi ,the ,micro ,connection3 ,some ,critical ,explanations ,when ,john ,fuller hooked up his ,heath micro over the phone lines to the ,wang at his office1 he had a head start on many other do-it-yourself telecommuters4 ,he wasn't a computer or electronics rookie4 ,for years he had worked around big ,,ibm's and ,honeywells1 and while telecommuting1 he was a computer and management consultant with the navy4 ,he even soldered together his ,h-#hi--;a kit4 ,and1 anyway1 he was communicating with another smaller computer1 a ,wang word processor4 ,does that mean you should give up on do-it-yourself telecommuting because of the technical complexities8 ,no4 ,not at all4 ,before hiring a consultant1 you might consider two possible sources of free advice3 7#a7 your corporate data-processing department1 if you have one1 and 7#b7 users groups1 whose phone numbers you can get through dealers4 ,before approaching anyone1 though1 learn the basics of the technology4 ,a modem converts the #js from your computer into one pitch and the #as into another1 and that whine1 you'll recall1 goes out over the phone lines4 ,the 8mo0 in 8modem0 stands for 8modulator02 the 8dem10 for 8demodulator40 ,and a 8dem0 springs into action at the other end--demodulating the whine back into the #as and #js4 ,modems come in two varieties1 direct connect and acoustically coupled4 ,the direct-connect modem hooks between the phone line and your phone1 or between your phone and the handset4 ,its whine transmits better over static-ridden lines than do acoustic couplers1 but it's normally a little more expensive1 and hard to install if your phone lacks modular plugs1 the tiny plastic ones that unsnap4 ,using an acoustic coupler1 you cradle your handset in rubber 8earmuffs40 ,a small speaker whines into the phone transmitter2 a little microphone picks up the sound from the handset's receiver4 ,acoustic couplers don't need phones with modular plugs1 obviously--a boon to traveling executives--but they might not work if the handset is oddly shaped1 as it is with some of the new-style phones4 ,also1 loud noises in the room can confuse them4 ,a direct-connect modem1 for that reason and others1 would probably be better for your regular office4 ,also1 consider a full-duplex modem in most cases4 ,no1 it isn't a modem for two-family houses4 8,full duplex0 is just jargon for computers jabbering back and forth1 both ways1 at once4 ,like two people on the phone4 ,a half-duplex modem would allow just one-way communications without switching2 it's somewhat comparable to a radio with an unwieldy send-receive control4 ,there are times1 however1 when half duplex would be best4 ,normal phone lines1 voice grade ones in telephone company language1 can't handle computers jabbering at too high a speed1 and half duplex may work better than full4 ,like most modems for personal computers in the early #aihjs1 ,fuller's gizmo transmitted information at #cjj baud--equivalent to #cjj bits a second1 #cj characters per second1 or #cfj words per minute at #e letters a word4 ,when telecommuting1 however1 you may be better off with a modem going #a1bjj baud4 ,after all1 it can zip material over the phone lines at four times the speed1 and that means you're tying up your modem less on long documents4 ,you might not be tying up yourself if you run an operating system like ,concurrent ,,cp_/,m1 which lets your computer handle electronic mail while you're using it for other purposes2 but a #a1bjj-;baud modem is still a good investment if you can afford it4 ,you may well be able to4 ,soon #a1bjj-;baud modems with auto-answer features will commonly sell for well under #cjj4 ,sent through a modem1 the data bits are those conveying the information itself4 ,and the start bits and stop bits keep track of the beginnings and ends of your micros' characters4 ,the most common setting is a word length of #h data bits and #a stop bit4 ,parity bits may help the computers check for errors caused by static and other electronic noise4 ,parity is said to be 8even10 8odd10 or 8none40 ,this error-checking method has its drawbacks4 ,it may fail if the mistakes cancel each other out--and it's slow since it checks every character4 ,some communications programs 7the ones allowing computers to talk7 lack this feature4 ,the most common parity setting is 8none0--when you tell your software not to do parity checks4 ,a few other wrinkles in such programs are3 ,,file ,,transfer ,that's the ability to send whole files of text or data--including programs1 too4 ,,capture ,,ability ,with capture ability you can keep a record of each end of a keyboard conversation with both people typing away4 ,you tell your computer to open up a buffer in its ,,ram--the temporary memory4 ,the buffer captures the conversation4 ,and if it fills up1 some software will automatically 8write0 to your floppy disk1 then reopen the buffer4 ,some programs won't write to the disk at the ends of your conversations unless you command them to1 meaning that the absentminded will see their bits and bytes vanish4 ,,protocol ,,flexibility ,beyond changing bit numbers1 etc41 you may want software that can handle different kinds of protocols--sets of rules telling how computers transmit different sets of information4 ,one possible protocol for you to use--at least in conversations with other micros--would be the ,,xmodem ,protocol or ,ward ,christensen ,protocol4 ,the receiving computer tallies up the number of bits and bytes transmitted from blocks--tiny parts of material--and compares this check sum to the number that the originating machine says it sent4 ,and if there's a mismatch8 ,the receiving computer asks for the block again4 ,you might also use no protocol at all4 ,it's as if you're sending material simply by tapping away on the keyboard without any elaborate rules for the other person's machine4 ,you two should still1 however1 agree on basics like baud rate1 data bits1 stop bits1 and parity4 ,protocols use handshaking as part of their bags of tricks4 ,handshaking1 computers swap bits and bytes to verify that they're on speaking terms4 ,a common form is ,,xon_/,,xoff4 ,some mainframes use ,,xon_/,,xoff to talk to micros and vice versa4 ,the receiving computer gives an ,,xoff signal1 telling the transmitting one to pause while the receiving machine 8writes0 to its disk4 ,,xon means1 8,okay1 my buffer's almost empty4 ,send more60 ,without this flow control1 you might overwhelm the buffer and lose information4 ,,automatic ,,dialing ,,and ,,other ,,trimmings ,some modems will let the communications software dial for you or at least let you feed the number in from your keyboard4 ,some also have automatic log-on4 ,that lets you check onto a network or bulletin-board system without typing out your ,,id or password4 ,many intelligent modems1 by the way1 even without special software1 can remember and dial phone numbers automatically and spit out log-on sequences and passwords4 ,,versatility ,want to speak to a number of computers8 ,then buy software allowing you to set3 ,baud rate 7speed of transmission74 ,data bits4 ,stop bits4 ,parity4 ,terminal emulation4 ,it means making the micro imitate popular brands of terminals4 ,half or full duplex4 ,full is most common in micro communications4 ,the type of handshaking protocol4 ,ideally1 the software will also3 ,accommodate a variety of modem types4 ,designate the host--which computer will manage the echo back 7which makes the typed conversation appear on both screens74 ,let you choose different protocols4 ,all those features1 of course1 might still not let you communicate easily with your corporate computer4 ,it may not use the ,,ascii code1 for instance1 which most micros do4 8,since you ,,ascii'd1 anyway10 as ,,pc ,magazine once punned1 8those five letters are an acronym for the ,american ,standard ,code for ,information ,interchange40 ,with ,,ascii1 an 8,a0 is one combination of #as and #js1 8,b0 is another1 810 is another1 and so on4 ,when communicating with a mainframe capable of ,,ascii1 it may not matter what brand of micro you're running4 ,so don't reflexively think ,big ,blue for telecommuting4 ,the proud ,,ibm mainframes1 however1 like aloof mandarins of old ,china1 jabber away in a dialect of their own1 ,,ebcdic--it's similar to ,,ascii but different enough to cause serious problems4 ,now that doesn't mean your home computer won't work with an ,,ibm mainframe4 ,but it may require special programming that will translate from one set of codes to another4 ,of course your corporate mainframe may also need a string of control characters to open or close an electronic file1 and here your word-processing software may matter more than your communications program4 ,the control characters normally are just letters tapped out in combination with the control key to give commands to your computer4 ,they generally don't print out on paper2 they may or may not show on the screen4 ,in this case1 controls characters pass the commands on to another machine over the wires4 ,and so you may have to embed the control characters in your electronic files4 ,if your word processor won't let you embed control characters1 you may not be able to communicate with some kinds of mainframes4 ,word,star lets you do this4 ,an issue more basic than control characters is whether you're using synchronous or asynchronous communications4 ,the former is a staple among the big mainframes2 the latter1 among micros4 ,in synchronous communications1 the two computers or modems employ timing signals to separate characters sent in one stream4 ,synchronous has a big advantage4 ,you can send at #d1hjj baud over regular phone lines2 you can't with the asynchronous method1 or at least not with late #aihd technology4 ,but 8synch0 is more expensive--the needed modems typically cost well over #a1jjj4 ,asynchronous1 moreover1 doesn't require timing signals4 ,it's the simplest form of communications between computers2 and more and more data-processing departments have added asynchronous ports for micros to dial up4 ,john ,fuller himself was communicating not with a giant computer but a dedicated word processor in his office1 which1 like most1 talked ,,ascii asynchronously4 ,he solved other problems on his own4 ,you may need a consultant to do what ,fuller did4 ,but take heart4 ,it could well be worth it1 what with the time and money your telecommuting may spare you and your employer4 8,i'm saving gas1 dressing in comfortable grubbies when ,i write10 ,fuller said in an article about his experiences1 8and with the direct connection ,i can prove that ,i'm working4 ,i turn out my reports faster4 ,my computer is really paying off4 ,now10 said the self-deprecating ,fuller1 8if you'll excuse me1 ,i have to repel invaders from space40 ,,backup ,,xii ,,modem#g3 ,an ,almost-,free and ,fairly ,easy ,way to ,talk to ,other ,computers ,,modem#g may be free1 but it works4 ,with it you can talk to computers thousands of miles away if they're running ,,modem#g or compatible software4 ,normally1 your only real expense is for the modem and maybe cables2 you might spend as little as #ajj4 ,using ,,modem#g1 you can send letters1 reports1 or programs already on your computer disk4 ,or you can receive them4 ,you can also3 #a4 ,communicate teletype-fashion with the other person4 ,you can keep electronic records of what you both type and later print them out using ,word,star or another word processor4 #b4 ,call up electronic bulletin-board systems 7,b,b,ss7 or plug into ,the ,source and many other information utilities4 ,in this case1 too1 you can store material on your disk and later print it out4 #c4 ,get copies of other programs that altruistic computer buffs have placed in the public domain2 you do this after you log on the ,,bbs4 ,,modem#g is a good example of free software that fills a niche2 experts say it's better than some #aej products4 ,most free programs are losers for the typical business4 ,they're either 7#a7 games1 useless except for training1 7#b7 unreliable lemons with bugs in them1 the software kind1 7#c7 programs that might work but don't do anything useful1 or 7#d7 fiendishly difficult challenges because the instructions are confusing and no one handy knows how to use them4 ,but wonderful exceptions exist4 ,never thumb your nose at something just because it's free4 ,in ,,modem#g's case you'll find more happy1 knowledgeable users than you will in the cases of many commercial programs4 ,,modem#g-style protocols have become an industry standard4 ,even big businesses and government agencies1 including the ,,irs1 have used ,,modem#g for some purposes4 ,it's influenced the designs of commercial micro programs1 which employ similar techniques to facilitate linkups between different brands of communications software4 ,,modem#g will also get along beautifully with the popular ,,pc-,,talk ,,iii 8freeware0 program for ,,ibm micros and some clones4 ,freeware is low-cost software distributed in many cases by the users themselves2 the author may request a 8donation04 ,granted1 ,,modem#g isn't the ultimate4 ,the instructions included on the disk are confusing to the novice--a problem ,i'll try to overcome here--and ready-to-run versions aren't available for every computer system4 ,some commercial communications software1 moreover1 is easier to run and can help you talk to more machines4 ,and it may also make better use of the 8smart0 modems and their software so that your computer can dial up others automatically at #aa3jj p4m41 when the phone rates go down4 ,you can't do this with your cheapie modem and the plain vanilla ,,modem#g described here4 ,but for the average computer user1 ,,modem#g is a good communications program to start out with4 ,after reading the instructions that follow1 you needn't be a micro whiz to use it4 ,also1 you may find that ,,modem#g is as convenient as some commercial software for simple tasks1 such as quickly checking your electronic mailboxes on ,the ,source or ,compu,serve4 ,don't forget3 you shouldn't pay a cent for the basic ,,modem#g program itself except for the cost of a copied disk or another token fee4 ,it's public-domain software4 ,so you can legally make copies for all your friends and business contacts who have modems and the same machine that you do4 ,but how to track down your own copy8 ,through ,,cp_/,m user groups1 you can locate versions of ,,modem#g set up for different computers and disk drives1 or you might find an organization of ,,ibm owners1 ,kaypro fanatics1 or others4 ,the better computer stores can steer you to the right people4 ,incidentally1 if you distrust your store1 you might not want to say exactly why you're trying to catch up with a user group4 ,bear in mind that the computer store isn't going to make a profit off a free program4 ,some organizations1 however1 are selling ,,modem#g at next to nothing through the mail4 ,for instance1 the ,public ,domain ,software ,copying ,company says it has versions for the ,,ibm ,,pc and clones1 all the ,kaypro machines1 the ,morrow micros and ,osborne1 among others4 ,the cost as of late #aihd was #aj4 ,the address is #cc ,gold ,st4 cl#c1 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 #ajjch2 the telephone number1 7#bab7 #gcb-befe4 ,the company also offers separate programs that will adjust stop bits and other settings1 eliminating the need for programming4 ,these programs aren't universal4 ,like ,,modem#g itself1 they might not work for your particular machine4 ,the ,public ,domain ,software ,copying ,company also says it offers a low-cost program for the ,apple ,,ii that lets it communicate with computers using ,,modem#g4 ,in addition1 you might also investigate ,,pc-,,talk ,,iii1 commonly available through ,,ibm user groups4 ,if they're ethical1 they'll encourage you to send a small 8donation0 to ,,pc-,talk's originator1 ,andrew ,fluegelman1 who wanted to save distribution expenses through this 8freeware0 approach4 ,you needn't feel obligated to pay until you've tried the program4 ,probably1 however1 you'll find ,,pc-,,talk to be worth the #ce or #de it may cost2 this software is more sophisticated than ,,modem#g1 which ,i'm focusing on because of its simplicity4 ,another excellent ,,modem#g alternative--for experienced computer-users--is ,,mex4 ,,cp_/,m versions are available free through users groups and work on many machines1 including ,kaypros2 and ,night,owl ,software 7telephone #hjj_/fdh-cfie or ,,niteowl7 expects to sell it for #ei4ie in an ,,ibm version4 ,most of ,,mex's send-and-receive commands overlap with ,,modem#g's4 ,,modem#g as of #ab_/ah_/hj ,originally ,written by ,ward ,christensen ,revisions by ,mark ,m4 ,zeiger1 ,jim ,mills ,,wrt --,write file to disk 7from terminal mode7 ,,del --,erase present file 7from terminal mode7 ,,ret --,return to terminal mode with no loss of data ,,xpr --,toggle expert mode 7,menu on_/off7 ,,dir --,list directory 7may specify drive7 ,,cpm --,exit to ,,cp_/,m ,s --,send ,,cp_/,m file ,r --,receive ,,cp_/,m file ,t --,terminal mode 7optional file name7 ,e --,terminal mode with echo ,,default ,,drive3 ,command3 ,,ibm ,,pc owners1 fear not6 ,this ,kaypro version of ,,modem#g shows the same menu that the ,,ibm version1 dated ,oct4 #ae1 #aihb1 does4 ,the only real difference is the ,,ibm adaptation's use of the ,,dos command instead of the ,,cpm one to return to the computer's operating system4 ,here now is a plain-,english guide to ,,modem#g's version of ,december #ah1 #aihj1 as adapted in #aihb for the ,kaypro1 ,,ibm1 and many other machines4 ,,to ,,get ,,ready ,,modem#g has two basic modes for ,teletype-like communications1 8,terminal0 and 8,echo40 ,for both parties to see both ends of the conversation1 one must be in 8terminal0 and the other in 8echo0 if they are communicating directly4 ,just the 8terminal0 person will be able to record on his or her disk4 ,the one in echo mode can't save the material electronically4 ,beginning1 you should read your computer's instructions for information on how many stop bits and data bits your machine normally runs with4 ,and does it use odd1 even1 or no parity8 ,you might also get this information from your dealer or users group4 ,don't worry right now about knowing about the full meanings of the terms4 ,just find out what the settings are4 ,,modem#g doesn't provide for changing the settings4 ,if the person at the other end can't adjust them1 either1 and if those for his machine are different from yours1 you're out of luck if you don't know how to fix the program code4 ,you two may have to reach each other through an electronic mail service that mediates between machines4 ,often1 however1 micros are set for #a stop bit1 #h data bits1 and no parity1 an informal standard4 ,and just about all decent commercial programs for communications let you alter these settings4 ,so does ,,pc-,,talk ,,iii4 ,in addition1 even though ,,modem#g itself won't change its bit settings1 your user group may have some free or low-cost programs that you can load up to do the trick--and then use ,,modem#g4 ,there's one other little worry4 ,are you and the other person sending at the same speed over the phone lines8 ,the normal speed for cheap micro modems is #cjj baud or about #cj characters per second2 for the deluxe ones1 #a1bjj baud4 ,don't worry right now about what a baud is4 ,just make sure you and the other person are both at the same speed4 ,,modem#g often is set at #cjj4 ,some versions may allow for changing the software to accommodate different baud rates1 but the command may not work on your particular brand of machine4 ,by the way1 remember that you must consider the baud rate not only of the software but of the hardware4 ,simply adjusting your software to send at #a1bjj baud won't do the trick if your modem can reach only #cjj baud4 ,remember1 too1 that ,,modem#g's speed command won't necessarily govern your modem's transmission speed1 just your software's4 ,you also want to find out how to operate your modem4 ,some use a physical switch to change from voice to data4 ,others--smart modems--use commands that you type out while your modem program is in the terminal mode4 ,you can tell a smart modem to dial a number or answer the phone automatically4 ,,to ,,transmit ,,and ,,receive ,,without ,,saving ,,anything ,,on ,,your ,,disk ,just think of your computer and the other person's as two ,teletype machines connected4 ,when hitting a key on either ,teletype1 you or the other person can make the two both print1 right8 ,well1 it's the same with the computers4 ,here1 however1 the 8print0 is characters on your two screens4 ,ready8 #a4 ,start out with the other person's modem set on ,,originate and yours on ,,answer 7or vice versa7 if the modems lack automatic switching4 #b4 ,type ,,modem#g after the ,a prompt of ,,cp_/,m 7or ,,pc-,,dos74 #c4 ,hit your carriage-return key4 ,the menu listing your choices will flash onto your screen4 #d4 ,hit the letter ,t4 #e4 ,tap the return4 #f4 ,assuming you're using a manual modem1 flick the switch to 8data40 ,with a smart modem1 you use the right keystrokes to awaken the gizmo or get it to answer the other computer4 ,most smart modems nowadays employ commands similar to those of the ,hayes models4 ,with ,hayes-style modems1 if two people are switching from voice to data1 one will type ,,atd and a carriage return 7to start getting the modems talking71 and the other will type ,,ata 7to answer electronically74 ,if you're talking to another micro or a little terminal hooked up to the phone at the other end1 you may need to type ,e 7and the return7 instead of ,t 7and the return74 ,that's the echo mode1 which you'll recall differs from the 8terminal0 one4 ,e lets you see your own typing4 ,again1 normally1 one micro user will be in echo1 and one will use the straight terminal mode4 ,when communicating with a bulletin board1 even on a micro1 use the ,t command rather than ,e4 ,how to switch from the regular terminal mode to the echo mode or the reverse8 ,you use ,,modem#g's electronic gear shift4 ,that's ,control-,e2 don't confuse it with the ,e used in the echo mode4 ,you tap out this command in other situations1 too1 whenever you want to return to ,,modem#g's main menu4 ,a ,control-,e1 of course1 consists of holding one finger on the ,,cntrl or control button and then hitting the letter ,e4 ,here's a warning3 you may need to hit the line feed and_/or the carriage return at the end of each line for your words to come out in the right places on the other person's screen4 ,the terminal mode is worth using even when you and the other person only plan to exchange electronic files4 ,if the terminal mode doesn't work1 then the others probably won't1 so use the terminal mode first to pave the way for file exchanges4 ,by the way1 the terminal mode is just the ticket to communicate with information utilities like ,the ,source or with bulletin boards4 ,,to ,,return ,,to ,,the ,,operating ,,system ,,of ,,your ,,computer ,to return to ,,cp_/,m--to crank up ,word,star or ,perfect ,writer1 for instance--you3 #a4 ,type ,control-,e4 #b4 ,tap out ,,cpm from the main menu4 #c4 ,hit your return4 ,bingo6 ,you're back with the ,a6 ,and from there you go on to ,word,star1 etc4 ,if you're using the ,,ibm version of ,,modem#g1 you use the command ,,dos instead of ,,cpm 7unless your menu says otherwise74 ,,to ,,transmit ,,material ,,on ,,your ,,disk ,,without ,,error ,,checking--,,without ,a ,,modem#g-,,style ,,program ,,at ,,the ,,other ,,end ,,modem#g uses the ,ward ,christensen ,protocol--sometimes called the ,,xmodem ,protocol--to help make sure the material is going from computer to computer okay4 ,if you don't use error checking in transmitting files1 the static on the phone lines may garble some words4 ,your computer1 after all1 is just squirting your file over the phone without bothering to find out if the other machine is receiving it right4 ,you want error checking if you're transmitting or receiving software2 just one electronic goof1 just a single messed-up 8one0 or 8zero10 can throw the whole program out of whack4 ,but sometimes1 when you aren't dealing with programs1 you'll want to skip error checking4 ,that way1 the transmission will go faster4 ,and it'll be easier for computers with different communications programs to talk to one another4 ,there's still no guarantee you'll communicate1 but with an industry standard like ,,modem#g you have a good shot at it4 ,here1 then1 is what you do to send a file to someone without a ,,modem#g-style program3 #a4 ,from ,,modem#g's main menu1 you select ,t and again hit the return a few times4 #b4 ,find out if the other person can read words you type4 7,don't worry if you yourself can't read your own words47 #c4 ,tell him 7or her7 to set up his computer so that1 on paper or on a disk1 it'll record what it receives4 #d4 ,once the other person is ready--while you're still in the ,t mode--hit ,t again1 but this second time your finger is on the ,control key while you're doing so4 ,the screen will ask you the name of the file you want sent4 ,normally1 that file will be on your data disk1 the one on drive ,b4 ,b in that case contains the articles1 reports1 etc41 for which you may lack room on the ,a disk containing your programs4 7,but if the document to be sent is on ,a1 substitute that letter for ,b in the rest of the steps47 #e4 ,now you type ,b3name of file4 ,here and elsewhere don't type the brackets surrounding the file name--and please put the file name directly after ,b3 without a space in between4 #f4 ,next hit your return4 ,the disk should start spinning1 and both you and the person at the other end should see your file flashing across the screens4 ,following transmission1 your computer will say ,,file ,,transfer ,,completed4 ,the other person should now have an electronic copy on his own disk4 ,,to ,,receive ,,copy ,,without ,a ,,modem#g-,,style ,,error ,,checking #a4 ,get the two modems talking1 then return to the main menu4 #b4 ,again1 select your trusty ,t from the main menu4 ,but don't hit your return immediately4 #c4 ,type a space4 #d4 ,type ,b3the name of the file you're creating on the data disk to receive the other person's file4 ,the name on ,b can be anything you want except a file that's already on the disk4 ,in other words1 if you want to save the other person's file under the name ,,magic1 you type3 ,t ,b3,,magic4 #e4 ,hit your return once or twice4 #f4 ,then hit the letter ,y with your finger on the control key 7,control-,y74 ,you'll see some colons on the screen when material starts flashing across it4 ,they won't show up1 though1 in the file you're creating4 ,they're merely an indication that the computer is saving material--whether it's a file1 an item from a computer network1 or someone just typing away4 #g4 ,type ,control-,e to return to ,,modem#g's main menu4 #h4 ,then1 to preserve the file1 8writing0 to your disk1 you must type out ,,wrt1 then hit your return4 ,and that's it4 ,you're done6 ,by the way1 if1 while receiving material1 you decide there's a part you don't need saved1 you can leave that out of the file you're creating4 ,just hit ,control-,y again4 ,hit it still another time if you want to return to the 8save0 mode4 ,on some successors to ,,modem#g such as ,,mdm#gaa1 a ,control-,r rather than a second ,control-,y will tell the computer to shut off the save feature4 ,this save feature1 alas1 won't work on a computer using the older ,,modem#g's echo mode 7though it will with newer versions of the program74 ,but you can get around the shortcoming4 ,ask the other person in advance to make a two-way record of your conversation and send it to you6 ,how to receive it8 ,well1 after you've transmitted in the ,e or echo mode1 you can shift to ,t with a file name added to save material4 ,please also remember that ,,modem#g's capture buffer--the feature letting it save incoming material to your disk--is small4 ,often the buffer can't work safely with files bigger than #af,k4 ,that's about eight double-spaced pages4 ,if you're using a ,ward ,christensen ,protocol1 however1 files can normally be as long as disk space allows4 ,printing the saved material1 you may experience some problems because different word processors aren't absolutely compatible with each other4 ,you may see odd format commands1 for instance1 like 80s 7noticeable to ,word,star buffs reading the files of their not-so-,perfect ,writer friends7 or 84,,he0 7a ,word,star command that may baffle the ,perfect crowd74 ,but once you get the hang of it1 you can usually 8clean up0 such 8garbage40 ,,to ,,transmit ,,copy ,,to ,,someone ,,with ,a ,,modem#g-,,style ,,program #a4 ,get the modems to start jabbering to each other4 #b4 ,from ,,modem#g's main menu1 type ,s ,b3name of the data disk file you want to transmit--either a program or a letter or other document4 ,the ,b3 shows the file is on the ,b disk4 ,if it isn't1 just type ,s and the name of the file--for instance1 ,s ,,magic4 ,if ,,magic is on ,b1 type ,s ,b3,,magic4 #c4 ,hit the return4 ,soon your computer should start constantly asking the other machine if it's getting your file okay4 ,if it isn't8 ,then your computer will conscientiously try again4 ,but its patience is limited4 ,it'll give up eventually if the two machines and their software aren't on speaking terms4 ,and if everything does work8 ,your computer will beep when it's through or at least flash a message letting you know that it's done4 ,note3 ,if the other person is using some versions of ,,modem#g1 you may have to ask him to switch on the 8check sum0 form of error checking4 ,this guide is for the simple old ,,modem#g1 not newer versions4 ,most of the commands1 however1 will also work with the updated varieties1 and of course all versions of ,,modem#g can communicate with each other1 subject to minor adjustments4 ,some versions use the ,,tcc command to turn on the check-sum mode4 ,,to ,,receive ,,from ,,someone ,,with ,a ,,modem#g-,,style ,,program #a4 ,fire up your modem4 #b4 ,type ,r ,b3new file name4 #c4 ,hit your return4 ,your computer will tell you when it's through receiving4 ,remember1 the material will show up on your data disk4 ,if you want the material on the other disk1 just type ,r ,a3file name instead4 ,,to ,,find ,,out ,,in ,a ,,hurry ,,if ,,your ,,computer ,,saved ,a ,,file ,,sent ,,by ,,modem 7,,assuming ,,you',,re ,,using ,,an ,,operating ,,system ,,like ,,cp_/,m ,,or ,,pc-,,dos7 #a4 ,go to the ,a prompt4 #b4 ,type the word ,,type1 then a space1 then the name of the file--preceded by a ,b31 of course1 if it's on the data disk4 ,immediately after the ,a you should have the equivalent of ,,type ,b3,,magic4 #c4 ,then hit your return4 ,this is a ,,cp_/,m and ,,pc-,,dos procedure4 ,,to ,,erase ,a ,,file 7,,from ,,cp_/,m7 ,do the above1 except substitute ,,era for ,,type4 ,say you want to erase ,,magic4 ,just type ,,era ,b3,,magic4 ,,to ,,erase ,a ,,file 7,,if ,,you',,re ,,using ,,pc-,,dos7 ,use ,,del instead of ,,era4 ,type ,,del ,b3,,magic4 ,,to ,,erase ,a ,,file ,,from ,,within ,,the ,,modem#g ,,program ,type ,,del ,b3,,magic or whatever the file name is4 ,,to ,,find ,,out ,,what',s ,,on ,,your ,,disks ,,while ,,you',,re ,,using ,,modem#g #a4 ,type ,,dir from the main ,,modem#g menu4 #b4 ,type a space4 #c4 ,type ,b34 #d4 ,hit your return4 ,this will show the contents of the ,b drive1 normally used for storing data4 ,to see ,a drive's contents1 you merely type ,,dir and hit the return4 ,,to ,,use ,,the ,,directory ,,feature ,,while ,,you',,re ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,of ,a ,,file ,,you ,,use ,,to ,,save ,what if you want to save the other person's message using the ,t ,b3,,magic method--but in the middle of the conversation you also want to check the contents of your disk via the ,,dir command8 ,how do you prevent the ,,magic from disappearing except for the name on your file list8 ,after all1 an electronic file is like gas inside a bottle4 ,you must 8cap0 it with a ,,wrt command1 or the gas will leak out the top4 ,and you can't reenter your file by typing another ,t ,b3,,magic4 ,but you can get back to ,t ,b3,,magic by typing ,,ret after the ,,dir command4 ,,to ,,get ,,the ,,menu ,,off ,,the ,,screen ,,once ,,you ,,know ,,the ,,ropes ,from the main menu1 type ,,xpr4 ,hit the return4 ,,to ,,change ,,the ,,baud ,,rate ,if you're using ,,modem#g with a #cjj-;baud modem1 you don't worry2 the software normally comes set for that speed4 ,with a #a1bjj-;baud modem1 you may be able to accommodate the higher speed this way3 #a4 ,enter the ,t mode of ,,modem#g from the main menu4 #b4 ,hit the return several times4 #c4 ,tap ,control-,b4 ,you'll then see a request for a new baud rate4 #d4 ,type the right number 7#cjj for #cjj baud1 #abjj for #a1bjj2 do not use commas--,,modem#g doesn't like them here74 #e4 ,hit your return4 ,please note that at least on my ,kaypro ,,ii the ,control-,b command doesn't work4 ,this may have been due simply to my machine's quirks4 ,again1 don't forget that ,,modem#g's successors operate somewhat differently and may use a command such as ,,set or ,,tim to set up the baud selection4 ,and remember1 too1 that the old ,,modem#g's baud command won't control the speed of your modem 7although some modems will automatically pick up the baud rate of the one at the other end74 ,thanks to ,jon ,albers1 ,eric ,meyer1 ,rick ,nelson1 and ,pat ,ehresmann for checking the accuracy and clarity of the above instructions4 ,blame me1 however1 if anything's wrong4 ,my instructions are a simplification of3 ,,cp_/,m ,,modem ,,program ,,documentation by ,mark ,m4 ,zeiger and ,james ,k4 ,mills #aa_/jd_/hj ,the ,,modem#g-styles programs have their origins in the work of ,ward ,christensen1 an ,,ibm employee and public-spirited computer hobbyist4 ,a ,,modem#g ,cheat ,sheet ,snip this out6 ,it's a handy summary of commands for the free ,,modem#g program4 ,,to ,,make ,,modem#g ,,appear ,,on ,,your ,,computer ,,screen3 ,type ,,modem#g from the ,a prompt and hit your carriage return4 ,you'll end up in the program's main menu4 ,or if you're using a new program1 you might instead see a screen telling how to reach the menu4 ,,to ,,use ,,the ,,teletype-,,like ,,terminal ,,mode3 ,tap the letter ,t and a carriage return after the main menu appears4 ,you can use this mode with ,the ,source1 ,,mci ,mail1 and other on-line services4 ,,to ,,use ,,the ,,echo ,,mode3 ,type ,e and the return4 ,for ,teletype-like use when the other machine is in 8,terminal40 ,,to ,,go ,,from ,,one ,,mode ,,to ,,another3 ,use ,control-,e4 ,this gearshift mode returns you to the main menu4 ,,to ,,send ,,material ,,on ,,your ,,disk ,,without ,,the ,,ward ,,christensen ,,error-,,checking ,,protocol3 ,type ,control-,t after you're in the terminal mode4 ,give the name of the file to transmit4 ,here1 as in other cases1 precede the name by ,b3 7no space after the 37 if the file is on ,drive ,b4 ,hit your carriage return4 ,,to ,,receive ,,material ,,without ,a ,,protocol3 ,after typing the usual ,t in the terminal mode1 you skip a space4 ,then specify the name of the file where you'll collect the received data4 ,now hit your return several times4 ,use ,control-,y to tell your computer to start saving material2 also use it to turn off the save feature4 7,on newer versions of ,,modem#g1 ,control-,r might be the off switch47 ,,important3 ,after you've finished talking to the other machine1 you must return to the main menu and type ,,wrt and return4 ,otherwise your computer won't save the material on the disk4 ,,to ,,send ,,to ,,someone ,,with ,a ,,modem#g-,,style ,,protocol3 ,type ,s1 skip a space1 then type the name of the file that you'll send--with the ,b3 before it if necessary4 ,hit the carriage return4 ,,to ,,receive ,,from ,,someone ,,with ,a ,,modem#g-,,style ,,protocol3 ,type ,r4 ,skip a space4 ,then type the name of the file where the material will show up1 using ,b3 if needed4 ,hit the return4 ,,to ,,return ,,to ,,the ,a ,,prompt3 ,from ,,modem#g's main menu1 type ,,cpm if you're using a ,,cp_/,m version like the ,kaypro one4 7,the ,,ibm version substitutes ,,dos for ,,cpm47 ,hit your return4 ,,backup ,,xiii ,why ,not an ,electronic ,peace ,corps8 ,in a ,chicago suburb a #ej1jjj-;a-year engineer spends countless hours twiddling with his new ,,ibm ,,pc4 ,the technology engrosses him1 but he lacks a sense of purpose4 ,in ,southeast ,asia1 meanwhile1 a young man wrestles with calculations needed to build an irrigation dam4 ,he thinks his figures are correct but isn't certain1 and thousands of people will die if the dam collapses4 ,can the ,chicago engineer somehow help his counterpart abroad8 ,there is a way if politicians for once will appeal to the better instincts of technicians4 ,an ,electronic ,peace ,corps 7,,epc7 could bring these two together and offer the ,third ,world some of the best international technical expertise via computer networks4 ,useful computers sell for around a thousand dollars1 and much better1 cheaper1 smaller computers are on the way4 ,what's more1 thanks to satellites1 international communications prices are falling2 and #a1jjj-word messages anywhere in the world1 via special packet-switching networks1 could cost just #a each4 ,so the ,,epc needn't threaten the taxpayers with a major burden4 ,by essentially exporting knowledge instead of people1 it in fact would increase the impact of economic-aid dollars4 ,the ,,epc could emphasize basics like public health1 agriculture1 transportation1 construction1 manufacturing1 and communications4 ,in carrying out the idea1 a government or international agency might keep computer files listing3 ,the skills and information required in specific underdeveloped countries4 ,people abroad who needed help4 ,those who might be able to offer it4 ,most of the corpsmen wouldn't even be computer experts--just people with the right technical knowhow4 ,some might be ex-,peace ,corpsmen4 ,others might receive special cultural indoctrination similar to traditional ,peace ,corps training4 ,once in the ,,epc1 the corpsmen might regularly correspond via ,e-,mail at nights and on weekends or on occasion 8talk0 instantly to ,third ,world counterparts4 ,of course1 not every ,third ,world beneficiary might use a micro4 ,some might submit written questions that local ,peace ,corps offices could pass on electronically 7one way to mitigate the language problem74 ,e-,mail1 incidentally1 needn't be the only form of computer communications available through the ,,epc4 ,the organization could offer electronic bulletin boards with the names of people either needing or offering information on subjects like biological pest control or solar power4 ,that way1 the ,,epc's beneficiaries would feel as if they had more of a choice4 ,in addition1 there might be ongoing computer conferences on topics of common concern4 ,obviously1 the ,,epc wouldn't replace foreign-aid experts in the field1 and it wouldn't aid people directly at the village level4 ,it wouldn't hand out lap-sized portables to barefoot farmers4 ,rather1 the ,,epc would help engineers1 doctors1 scientists1 and other people engaged in development in their own countries4 ,corpsmen in the field would work with local governments to make certain1 for instance1 that a ,new ,delhi slumlord didn't use the ,,epc to automate his dunning operation4 ,typical ,,epc beneficiaries might be ,indians trying to set up a more efficient grain-storage network1 millions of ,third ,world people are starving because the food goes to the wrong places4 ,sometimes1 incidentally1 the 8wrong places0 include the warehouses of thieves1 and computerized records could reduce the opportunities for corruption4 ,many problems are political or economic1 of course4 ,the ,,epc would limit itself to technical issues and try to be as apolitical as possible1 just as the international ,red ,cross focuses on relief rather than ideology4 ,another ,,epc beneficiary might be a communications specialist hoping to install a satellite link2 for obvious reasons1 better communications might be one of the ,,epc's first priorities4 ,the ,,epc might help domestic and foreign groups working toward this goal4 ,even countries with poor phone lines1 of course1 can receive some computer messages in the large cities4 ,yet other beneficiaries could include3 ,colombian doctors who wanted to fight an epidemic with the latest information sped over the computer lines4 ,a civil engineer in ,peru working on a road or bridge for isolated villagers who hoped to sell food to cities4 ,a rural-assistance administrator in ,kenya4 ,micros could help his staffers keep abreast of the newest1 best way to dig a well or treat a dysentery-stricken baby4 ,the ,,epc wouldn't just promote the flow of information from countries like the ,united ,states to the so-called lesser-developed countries4 ,among them1 too1 it would speed up the spread of practical solutions to common problems4 ,learning of an efficacious home remedy1 for example1 a rural-assistance group in ,ecuador might pass the information on for possible global dissemination4 ,it just might save the life of a child in ,peru4 ,by keeping track of the better home remedies in the ,third ,world1 in fact1 an ,american drug researcher might discover something that checked out scientifically--as has happened in the past4 ,some ,third ,world countries or groups of them might want to start their own ,e,p,cs4 ,rather than preempting these efforts1 an ,american or international ,,epc could aid them1 thereby multiplying the benefits of the original organization and forestalling fears of electronic imperialism4 ,the ,,epc could have a domestic version1 too4 ,because of lower communications cost1 the ,home ,corps 7a friend's phrase7 might take more chances helping nonexperts without credentials4 ,a gifted high school writer on ,chicago's ,south ,side might tap out short stories on a school computer1 for example1 and a famous author across town might zip the files back1 with comments easily inserted electronically4 ,the two might meet a few times in person1 then carry on via computer without the hassles and menace of urban travel4 ,likewise1 an ,evanston business executive might volunteer help to a businesswoman in a small town many miles away4 ,the most urgent need for ,,epc-style assistance1 however1 is in the ,third ,world1 where1 because of technical backwardness1 so many are starving4 ,the idea isn't so farfetched4 ,in fact the ,third ,world is already enjoying some similar help in a small way4 ,the ,,carinet computer network links the ,united ,states1 the ,caribbean1 ,southeast ,asia1 and ,africa4 ,long before harvest time a ,jamaican farmer can learn how promising a market there'll be for his crop in the ,united ,states--or an ,african potter can find out how to make a ceramic insulator for his local phone company4 ,jerome ,glenn1 an official with ,partnership for ,productivity ,international1 the ,washington-based group behind ,,carinet1 says the answers often come in just a day4 8,mail takes too long and ,telex is too expensive10 notes another ,peace ,corps alumnus1 now heading a nutrition group that works to export ,u4,s4 technical savvy through more conventional means4 ,many foreign aid and computer experts have similar feelings4 ,the technicians1 sure enough1 are far ahead of the politicians4 ,one of the most distinguished technicians of them all--,arthur ,c4 ,clarke1 the father of the communications satellites--describes the ,,epc proposal as 8an excellent idea40 ,reaction from ,third ,world countries has been favorable4 ,naren ,chitty1 a ,sri ,lankan diplomat1 says the concept is 8a positive approach to technology transfer0 in 8these days when #8electronic imperialism' is a catchword40 ,and a ,saudi ,arabian communications specialist likewise advocates computer and networks for the ,third ,world4 ,he says3 8,i had a terrible argument with this ,indian man who said1 #8,my people are starving to death1 and you talk about microcomputers4' ,and ,i said1 #8,it's because of food distribution--the food isn't getting there4 ,the reason they're starving is that they don't have the benefits that computers could bring4'0 ,,postscript3 ,just as ,i was finishing this book ,i heard from my friend the ,saudi ,arabian communications specialist1 ,omar ,alfarouq4 ,omar says ,,epc-style efforts are already realities in some places--not just dreams4 ,via ,,mci ,mail from ,california1 he told me of 8the creation of an ,information network throughout ,third ,world1 accessible within our own cultural reference4 8,it has bloomed under sponsorship ,gulf ,cooperation ,council2 data banks for farmers1 medical workers in ,arabic accessible by personal computer from ,oman to ,kuwait2 anyone can access though it is most often done through local ,ministry of ,information office2 will be tied in with university information systems4 ,it's moving alhamdullilah thanks to ,god40 ,omar says the idea for this net goes back to #aiha4 ,he continues3 8,your ,electronic ,peace ,corps is alive and well and working wonders in ,africa at present time1 am surprised you are not there doing it4 ,i just returned1 am here to regroup1 energy burn-out terrible4 ,for example ,sahel #hd is a ,french group #cj1 lorries w_/ food_/medicine1 one light plane with ground station tied into ,,inmarsat2 satellite shows ground picture where people have sunk down hopeless in endless reaches of ,niger1 ,mali etc41 guides convoy to place of need2 communication link back to ,paris advises of further food_/medicine need1 diagnostic advice1 these helped while other abandonees are being located4 ,that's ,sahel #hd4 8,mobility #hd is ,british with land-rover as ground station with a computer1 word-processing1 works in west central ,africa1 put together by ,alan ,benjamin of ,,cap software in ,england1 ,contact him he is doing what you are brooding about4 8,medecines sans ,frontreres also has sat-data link to ,paris from its camp south ,soudan just over border from ,ethiopia for ,tigre refugees2 ,tigre people in terrible shape4 ,data banks can insha'allah if ,god wills save ,soudan from becoming like ,ethiopia--it's getting that way fast4 ,contact ,gordon ,mac,rae1 deputy editor of ,economist in ,london for further up-dates1 also ,jim ,grant of ,,unicef4 8,congratulations on yr book4 ,but the real point of data exchange is its tremendous humanitarian impact which is so desperately needed in places that will never ever see anything like a telephone4 ,timely forecasting can prevent ,third ,world suffering4 ,or even in ,america4 ,that's your next book4 ,see you in ,addis4444 wa salaam good-bye1 ,omar40 ,americans invented the transistor1 the microchip1 personal computers2 now if only we'll catch up with the ,british1 ,french1 and ,saudis in bringing the technology to the people who most need it6 ,thanks6 ,my ,victor #ijjj and ,panasonic printer ideally could spew out a list of people to thank--starting with those who most deserved it4 ,as a mere human1 however1 ,i don't feel up to ranking anyone other than to mention the big nine3 ,michael ,canyes1 a professional computer consultant who gave dozens of hours of his time in the best user-to-user tradition4 ,mack ,truslow1 an old friend on whom ,i cruelly inflicted page after page of rough drafts4 ,david ,fay ,smith1 a writer_/computer expert who was the technical editor and who himself is the author of ,a ,computer ,dictionary for ,kids and ,other ,beginners 7,ballantine1 #i4ie74 ,don ,carrol1 the cover artist4 ,robert ,b4 ,wyatt1 editor-in-chief of ,ballantine ,books1 who had the imagination and courage to make this a mass-market paperback4 ,richard ,mc,coy1 his assistant4 ,frank ,lavena1 the copyeditor4 ,pat ,ehresmann of the ,random ,house production staff1 who is an innovator in the spirit of this book4 ,ruth ,aley1 a legendary literary agent whom writers have been thanking for decades--perhaps beginning with ,irving ,stone4 ,berenice ,hoffman1 her partner on this project4 ,shopping for a computer while ,i was writing ,the ,silicon ,jungle1 she was a perfect test reader4 ,in addition ,i'll thank the ,fairfax ,county ,public ,library ,system1 especially the ,fairfax ,city branch's business room4 ,thanks also to the ,martha ,washington1 ,george ,mason1 and ,sherwood branches4 7,computerized databases will never do away with first-rate librarians47 ,with the understanding that my list isn't necessarily complete1 here are other people to whom ,i'm grateful3 ,john ,allen2 ,joseph ,auer2 ,stephen ,banker 7will someone please locate a #a1bjj hard-disk ,victor #ijjj for him8--,steve deserves it for the help he gave me72 ,lindsay ,baird1 ,jr42 ,rich ,baker2 ,rob ,barnaby2 ,richard ,barry2 ,jane ,bator of ,susan ,croft ,associates2 ,nancy ,beckman2 ,mike ,bell2 ,john ,bennett2 ,tom ,bennett 7he really should be in the top six72 ,dan ,berger2 ,robert ,bertini1 ,jr42 ,ed ,bigelow2 ,janice ,blood2 ,jay ,bloom,becker2 ,jack ,bologna2 ,ed ,boland2 ,kenneth ,bosomworth2 ,charles ,bowie2 ,mike ,bradley2 ,barbara ,brubacker2 ,ted ,buchholz2 ,david ,bunnell2 ,william ,f4 ,buckley1 ,jr42 ,john ,butler2 ,robert ,campbell2 ,john ,carroll2 ,elizabeth ,carlson2 ,steve ,caswell2 8,cheshire ,catalyst02 ,vinton ,cerf2 ,naren ,chitty2 ,chris ,christiansen2 ,ward ,christensen2 ,ken ,churbuck2 ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke2 ,joseph ,coates2 ,jeanette ,counsellor2 ,glenn ,cowan2 ,chris ,daly2 ,martin ,dean2 ,judy-,lynn del ,rey2 ,dick ,diluciano2 ,kathleen ,dixon2 ,frank ,dobisky 78,b4,c4,e410 friend and ,,pr man extraordinaire72 ,david ,eisen2 ,margaret ,engel2 ,james ,fallows 7my ,victor guru72 ,guy ,farley2 ,tom ,fay2 ,paul ,fessler2 ,jack ,fitzgerald2 ,geoff ,fobes2 ,ron ,fowler2 ,jim ,fox2 ,steve ,frankel 7author of ,the ,compleat ,kaypro72 ,john ,fuller2 ,bill ,gladstone 7who1 while remaining loyal to his friend ,andy ,kay1 respected my right to call the shots as ,i saw them and in fact nurtured this project72 ,jerry ,glenn2 ,geoff ,goodfellow2 ,gil ,gordon 7his new telecommuting newsletter1 ,,telecommuting ,,review1 offers common sense and humanity along with insight--a combination all too often missing in the computer world2 you may write for subscription information to ,telespan ,publishing1 #ej ,w4 ,palm ,st41 ,altadena1 ,ca4 #iajja72 ,sandy ,gossman2 ,etienne ,grandjean2 ,adam ,green2 ,judy ,gregory2 ,sue ,grothoff2 ,tom ,hacker2 ,h4 ,glen ,haney2 ,richard ,harkness2 ,charles ,harris2 ,patricia ,hausman2 ,james ,hayhoe2 ,william ,hole 7ace library researcher72 ,gabe ,heilig2 ,carl ,herrman2 ,jeremy ,joan ,hewes2 ,harold ,joseph ,highland2 ,clauda ,houston2 ,hugh ,hunt2 ,peter ,hyams2 ,chris ,jensen2 ,peter and ,trudy ,johnson-,lenz2 ,steve ,jongeward2 ,phil ,judkins2 ,mitch ,kapor2 ,r4 ,a4 ,karasek2 ,esther ,king2 ,marc ,king2 ,carol ,kaplan2 ,lloyd ,kaufman2 ,andy and ,david ,kay2 ,kay ,keeshen2 ,richard ,koffler2 ,david ,la,grande2 ,jack ,la,vriha2 ,john ,lewis2 ,bob ,lucas of ,trigram ,systems 7who let me try out his useful ,micro,spell spelling-checker on this manuscript72 ,art ,lundquist 7owner of ,clinton ,computers72 ,nick ,lyons2 ,jim ,mahony2 ,mary ,matthews2 ,judi ,mc,clean2 ,bill ,mc,donald2 ,jan ,mc,gowan2 ,chodi ,mc,reynolds2 ,john ,madden2 ,rainer ,malitze-,goes2 ,basil ,malony2 ,glenn ,marcus2 ,clyde ,merritt2 ,maxine ,messinger2 ,eric1 ,eugene and ,rima ,meyer2 ,greg ,minjack2 ,rolf ,moulton2 ,ian 78,captain ,zap07 ,murphy2 ,peter ,nero2 ,rick ,nelson2 ,jack ,nilles2 ,j4 ,michael ,nye2 ,cliff ,odendhal2 ,dusty ,park2 ,donn ,parker2 ,ann ,patrick2 ,tom ,peifer2 ,joseph ,pelton2 ,margaret ,phanes2 ,don ,pierce2 ,john ,o',mara2 ,greg ,platt of ,people,talk ,associates2 ,joe ,policy2 ,michael ,pond2 ,liz1 ,mitzi1 ,david and the rest of the gang at the ,computer ,shoppe2 ,doug ,rickman of ,the ,disk ,connection 7who donated the copy of ,,mite ,i needed to talk to ,arthur ,c4 ,clarke72 ,don ,ramsey2 ,peter ,ross ,range2 ,gary ,rinkerman of ,the ,computer ,law ,reporter2 ,hood ,roberts2 ,mark ,robinson2 ,harry ,rothman 7research72 ,seymour ,rubinstein2 ,marilynne ,rudick2 ,bruce ,rupp2 ,richard ,russell2 ,gabriel ,salvendy 7source of invaluable perspective for the 8,,hal0 chapter72 ,timothy ,schabeck2 ,alan ,scharf2 ,joe ,schopen2 ,michael ,scott of ,,bci2 ,william ,scrivo2 ,frank ,schiff2 ,ezra ,shapiro2 ,joe ,shelton2 ,ben ,shneiderman2 ,james ,schweitzer2 ,mike ,slade2 ,michael ,smith1 ,david ,snyder2 ,harry ,snyder2 ,jo ,steele2 ,bill ,stern2 ,barbara ,sturken2 ,ann ,sumner2 ,jim ,swanner 7for approving the ,,mite donation72 ,geoff ,sweeney2 ,jeff ,tarter2 ,bonita ,taylor1 ,jerry ter,horst2 ,chris ,torem2 ,murray ,turoff2 ,terian ,tyre2 ,stanton ,umans2 ,bernard ,urban2 ,holly ,vail2 ,john ,verboon2 ,nick ,vergis2 ,barbara ,wagner2 ,robert ,waters2 ,james ,watt2 ,harvey ,welch2 ,william ,wewer2 ,david ,whiters2 ,lynn ,wilson2 ,edward and ,patricia ,wright2 and ,kitty ,yaney4 ,,index ,accounting software ,accounting ,plus1 #ge-gg case example1 #gc-gh ,acoustically coupled modem1 #cdi-ej ,alphanumeric field1 #ha-hb ,alternate key1 definition of1 #dg ,,and1 #hb ,,append command1 #hb ,applications programs1 #bc ,area chart1 #cca1 #ccc ,,ascii1 #ceb ,asynchronous communications1 #cec ,audit trail1 #afh1 #cba ,automatic dialing1 modems1 #cea-eb ,backups avoiding crashes1 #aib-id hard disks1 #aif-ig lap-sized portables1 #aih scratch disk1 #aie ,bar charts1 #ccb ,barnaby1 ,rob1 #g1 #df1 #dh1 #ej-ei1 #fa ,baseband1 #bdg ,bidirectional printers1 #bif ,bit1 #bj ,bit mapping1 graphics1 #cdd ,black boxes1 #ahi ,block move1 definition of1 #dh ,blocks1 #cea ,boland1 ,ed1 #gc-gh ,boldface feature1 #bii ,bowie1 ,charlie1 #gh-hf ,broadband1 #bdg ,bubble memory1 data security and1 #aig ,buffer1 #cjj1 #cea ,bugs1 #cjb ,a bus1 network lay-out1 #bdd-de ,buying a computer key questions for1 #bhb-ib printers1 #bid-cja software1 #cjb-cji used computers1 #bib-ic ,byte1 #bj ,calculations1 #cbf ,captain ,zap1 #b1 #afc1 #aij-aia1 #aic ,capture ability1 modem1 #cea ,cataracts1 ,v,d,ts and1 #aef ,cathode ray tube 7,,crt71 ,kaypro1 #be ,cells1 #he ,central processing unit 7,,cpu71 #bj ,character-based systems1 graphics1 #cdd ,character field1 #ha ,characters1 size_/shape1 #adb ,charts1 ,see ,graphics4 ,check sum1 #cea ,clarke1 ,arthur1 ,c41 #b1 #bdi-gj ,,cmos 7,complementary ,metal ,oxide ,semiconductor71 #aig ,coaxial cable1 #bdf-dg ,colors1 use in graphics1 #ccf-cg ,command-driven systems1 #ga-gb ,command files1 #hb ,compatibility1 ,kaypro and ,,ibm1 #bj-ba ,composite monitor1 #adc ,computer-aided design_/computer-aided manufacturing 7,,cad_/,,cam71 #ih ,computer ,classified ,bluebook1 #bib ,computer conferencing1 #bcj ,computer crime1 #i1 #afc-ii data diddling1 #aff-fg data leakage1 #agb-gc dial-up computers1 protection of1 #aij-ia employee policy and1 #agi-hc impersonation1 #agd-gf logic bomb1 #aga overwriting as protection1 #aia-ib passwords and1 #ahh-hi piggybacking1 #agc-gd protection against1 #ahc-hf rounding interest downward1 #afh-fi sample auditing1 #afe-ff scavenging1 #agb simulation1 #aga-gb small businesses and1 #afe superzapping1 #afi-gj ,,tap1 #age-gg trapdoor_/backdoor1 #agj-ga ,trojan horse tricks1 #afg-fh wiretapping1 #agc ,computer furniture1 selection of1 #adg-di ,computerized pacing1 #acc ,computers1 future developments1 #bfb-fg ,conductors1 #bdf ,consultants1 #ajj-aae aspects of hiring decision1 #aja1 #ajg-aac case examples1 #aja-ajf contracts1 guidelines for1 #cci-db microcomputer field and1 #aje-ajf qualifications of1 #aab-ac salesmen_/consultants1 #aab sample consulting contract1 #aad-ae ,contracts1 for consultants1 #aad-ae1 #cci-db ,control characters1 #cec ,control key1 definition of1 #dg ,correspondence quality1 #big ,,cp_/,m 7,control ,program for ,microcomputers71 #bj1 #bb-bc1 #bhe ,crashes1 disk crashes1 #aib-ic 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#bif buffer1 #cjj compatibility with computer1 #cjj cost1 #bih daisy wheel1 #bie ink jet printer1 #bie laser1 #bie noise level1 #bii noise reduction1 #aea-eb ports1 #cjj printer quality1 #big repair record1 #bih ribbons1 #bih special features1 #bii thermal-transfer printer1 #bie unidirectional1 #bif volume1 #bih ,programmers1 #abe-bf ,project ,evaluation ,review ,techniques 7,,pert7 software1 #ih-ii ,proportional spacing1 #bii ,protocols local area networks1 #bdc modems1 #cea ,psychological factors1 computers and1 #aeg-eh ,public key encryption system1 #ahi ,queuing1 #bda ,quietwriter1 #cja ,qwerty keyboard1 #adf ,radiation1 #aed-ef extremely low-frequency radiation1 #aee ,v,d,ts and pregnancy1 #aeb-ed very low-frequency radiation1 #aee ,ragged right margins1 #bii ,,ram-based word processor1 #cje ,random-,access ,memory 7,,ram7 #fd,k1 #ba-bb ,read-,only ,memory 7,,rom71 #ba ,real-time systems1 #di ,records1 data base1 #ha ,reverse video1 #adc ,,rgb monitor1 #adc ,ribbons1 for printers1 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#hi-ij ,visi,calc1 #hc-hd1 #hg ,a star1 network lay-out1 #bde ,start bits1 #cej-b ,stop bits1 #cej-b ,storage1 hard disk1 #bhf-hg ,structure1 data base1 #ha-b ,synchronous communications1 #cec-b ,tactile feedback1 #ade-b ,,tap1 #age-gg ,telecommuting1 #d-b1 #bjj-bbg clerical workers and1 #bji-baj considerations in1 #bjc-bjf data base information services1 #bbd-bf data base requirements1 #bba-b economic benefits of1 #bai-b electronic bulletin boards1 #bbc-b energy implications1 #bai-bj munytels1 #baf-ag networks1 #bba-b packet switching1 #bbe-b psychological factors1 #bbj-ba suburban versus downtown offices1 #bad-af ,telephone style network1 #bdf-b ,terminal mode1 #ceg-eh ,terminals1 #bhg-b ,thermal-transfer printer1 #bie-b ,tile1 windows1 #cdd-b ,token passing1 #bde-df ,touch-sensitive screen1 #cdg-b ,trackball1 #cdh-b ,tractor feed1 #bid-b ,training1 #aae-bd aspects in choice of programs1 #aae-af1 #aah-bj case examples1 #aaf-bb self-instruction1 #abd-b ,trapdoor_/backdoor crime1 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anti-botch-up-features1 #cjf-cjg creation of1 #ec-ed customization of1 #cjh damage limitation1 #cjg documentation1 #cjd ease of use1 #cjb-cjd error messages1 #cjh 8,help0 levels1 #cje manufacturer support1 #cji maturity of1 #cjb power of1 #cje-cjf search-and-replace feature1 #cjf speed of1 #cje strengths of1 #df-dg training time1 #fg word processing terms1 #dg-dh ,word,star #bjjj1 #fj-fb1 #cjc1 #caj-aa ,word wrap1 #df ,work station1 #bci ,,xmodem ,protocol1 #cea1 #cei ,,xon_/,,xoff1 #cea ,yank-back feature1 #cjg ,z#hj microprocessor1 ,kaypro1 #bj-ba ,,planning ,,to ,,outfit ,,your ,,office ,,or ,,your ,,home ,,with ,,computers8 ,or are you just interested in the facts and fancies surrounding the technological revolution of the #bjth century8 ,now1 with the help of one of ,america's most readable computer experts1 you'll cut through the ,silicon ,jungle and find the machine that's right for you4 ,you'll marvel at the history and folklore of the modern computer4 ,you'll explore the intricacies of the electronic superbrains that can3 lower your costs and increase your efficiency instantaneously zip messages across continents act as word processors1 doubling writers' production keep records in complete depth and detail help whip up jazzy charts to whet colleagues' interest increase your earnings within your chosen field ,cover printed in ,,usa ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,footnotes ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,note ,errors deemed most likely to be the printer's have been corrected1 and are noted here4 ,where the intent of the author is ambiguous1 a suggested re-reading is provided here1 and the text itself is merely annotated4 ,the references are to the page and line in the original4 ,entries with three numbers refer to the page1 the footnote 7as resequenced71 and the line within the footnote4 ,the following issues should be noted1 along with the resolutions4 ii4#c ,published in the ,united ,states ,added1 #ab4bd ,two ,san ,francisco-area authors1 ,added4 #bd4h 8,the 8,b0 drive is my data disk ,removed4 #bd4bd floppy disks drives ,removed4 #cj4ce the very same writer who had lead the ,removed4 cheering #ca4b was no match for some more expensive ,removed4 machines'4 #ej4bj wanted to do40 ,added4 #ej4ba and others unfamiliar with computer arcania4 ,removed4 #eb4ac ,then again1 your boss may bal_/wl you out ,replaced4 #eb4bg me_/ore programmers are writing ,replaced4 #ec4dd ,word,star as a programming aide to write ,removed4 ,word,star4 #ef4ca to have a manual40 ,added4 #gj4db 8,the user needs to know ,added4 #ga4be4a account of ,selek_/ct's capital shortage ,replaced4 #hh4ca have to go through unwieldly computer ,removed4 rigamarole #hi4cc ,symphony1 for instance1 lets you flush out ,added4 formulas #ij4ab and it did 8all the basic search and sorting ,removed4 #id4a ,turn onto ,cary ,avenue4 ,follow ,m_/,cary ,replaced4 #aja4ci the data base grew too unwieldly ,removed4 #ajd4i was as badly botched as its hardware4 ,added4 #aag4h said ,bill ,scrivo1 an ex-managing editor4 ,added4 #abj4bd have microprocessors in them40 ,added4 #acf4cf ,how much more can they push them4_/8 ,replaced4 #ach4bj and the same breaks every hour for workers ,added4 #adh4dj ,angle between upper and lower arms3 ,added4 #aej4h particularly effective on a number of ,added4 newspapers4 #afa4bb ,a second failing of electroluminescent ,added4 screens #aff4af mainframes are sending electronic copies to a ,removed4 micros #agj4ac why not zap away the barriers ,added4 #agf4d but it helps40 ,added4 #agg4ab ,steve ,wozniak1 the ,apple cofoundeer ,removed4 #ahh4bj ,your dial-up computer should send its name sic3 until should not #aid4ch ,you can't afford to have your material stored sic just in on your chip4 #bjd4fj4b 8,rising ,trend of ,computer ,age3 ,employees ,who ,added4 ,work at ,home20 ,new ,york ,times #bjf4cf articles sent over the phone lines8_/4 ,replaced4 #baj4af the regular workers cost at least #ej4eb a ,added4 day #bae4a ,a ,,comparis,i,,on ,,of ,,office ,,expenses ,,per ,,worker ,removed4 #bag4be establish munytels in poorer neighborhoods4 ,added4 #bbj4gb4a ,nilles's2 three-quarters of a billion ,removed4 #bbb4f a vivid contrast to be suited1 tied scientists #bbb4ch ,the ,source and a rival network1 ,compu,serve1 ,added4 each boast #bbc4ab 8,you may even want to type #8,chuckle1'0 ,trudy ,added4 says1 #bbe4cb packet-switching techniques1 can also ,removed4 increase #bcc4be electronic mail can go from person to sic3 one another person #bda4aj instead of saying your wanted to reach ,removed4 #bde4ca the computers don't' mind being 8it0 ,removed4 #bec4i 8,hey1 don't worry1_/4 ,you'll learn it much ,replaced4 faster than ,i did10 #beg4ae to work together via by computer ,redundant4 #bff4ib4a ,clarke's conjecture about ,added4 #bfg4ie4h with horrid results1 e4g41 underlining to ,added4 the end of the manuscript66 #bgb4i from an ,,ac extension cord4 ,added4 #bhc4b ,are you prepared to do your homework8 ,added4 #bei4bd ,i hoped that beneficient ,h,a,ls ,removed4 #bfg4bb that will be in an attach case4'0 ,removed4 #bij4bg will probably quit then ,added4 #bib4bi are damaged by a sloppy drive in machine sic3 a floppy drive in the machine 787 #bie4ai so thermal printers were also out of the ,added4 running for me4 #cdg4e the mouse-equipped ,macintosh for 8nai_/ve ,replaced4 users40 #cdh4f is found most often in arcade-style styles4 sic #cej4bj transmitted information at #cjj bauds ,removed4 #cec4ad ,an issue more basic than control characters ,replaced4 in_/s whether #cec4ai ,you can send at #d1hjj bauds ,removed4 #cgi4a ,perfect ,filler1 #cbd-bg ,added4