From Newsgroup: comp.sys.cbm
I don't think the modern computers made computing dull, it's a bunch of factors:
1. There are a lot more dull folks using computers, many of which don't give
a darn about programming of fiddling with the machines, only on surfing the net and printing excel spreadsheets. Since the 'average user' is in the majority then the 'hobbiest' or 'advanced user'. A lot of the stuff widely available is 'average'. :-/ And the media is driven to satisfy more
'average' tastes such as buying pre-made games instead of making them.
2. A lot of the systems are hard (or impossible) to access in features and programmability, maybe if you have a few grand to go to some high-end programming courses and about another grand or two for some serious programming tools, these overly complex OSs and chipsets may be more interesting. Even with that you are at the mercy of what languages and drivers you have for your machine not many tools let you get 'down and
dirty' with the hardware anymore.
3. Many of the tools out there aren't all that fun to work with, they are high-end developer tools more suited to create/manage a 1,000,000 record relational database than print a biorythm or play a little tune on the computer's sound card. With all the nifty innovations in modular
languages, object oriented programming, etc. It does leave the casual programmer struggling just to say up.
4. The big electronics market is moving toward 'information/entertainment appliances' and away from do-all general computing. Software/entertainment companies would prefer that you be only able to lease/play back your
licensed media, not do something they won't get $$s from.
That said, I try to ignore a lot of the above, keep with what works for me
and not buy into the hype. I'm trying to learn Linux, it's hella hard with
it not as refined installers, all the 'in-joke' terms and such, but the fun and excitement of something new and accessible is there without the
consumer market trying to shape it into something more 'palatable'. But unlike the old days I won't know the entire system, but I'll know a lot
more of it than any Windows of Mac box I've used in the last 16 years.
Other than that I am expecting the C-1 to fill my 'down and dirty' bit-banging, let's try something different, inventive urges.
It's not going to be like it was but it isn't all past either. You just
have to look around more to find your excitement.
Larry
Weetomuncher wrote:
Do you think that the PC has made computing dull with its monopoly on
the computing world?
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