atw: Re: O.T. Follow up. Network externality and the dangers of Microsoft monopoly

Hi Bill

> I'm not a lover of Billy Gates' world, because I lived through the
> period when computing became personal, word processing began to
> flourish, and I personally suffered the consequences as the Microsoft
> miasma obliterated much more promising technology of Concurrent CP/M and
> the S100 bus. However, as much as I dislike Microsoft and many of their
> products, we have only ourselves to blame for the computing environment
> we now use.
>

BTDT (been there, done that). I enjoyed reading your comments.

Pesonally though, I doubt that Concurrent CP/M and the S100 bus held 
sufficient future promise. Certainly they were without doubt the 
forerunners of what could have been.

I also have followed the "evolution" of computers. When I was selling 
computers from Compucorp, Zilog Z80 based computers, they had an amzing 
(though proprietory) operating system. Compucorps OS was then vastly 
superior to CP/M and Concurrent CP/M.

For example, the OS could format a floppy disk with a 24bit security code 
embedded within the disk layout. This enabled users to "lock" a software 
application to the disk thereby preventing illegal copies.

They also had a fantastic Basic compiler with a much greater vocabulary 
than the Basic of the day.

The system could use switched banks of 64kb of ram, and could network up to 
255 users. This of course has to be considered in the correct context ie no 
pc's as we now know them, this was circa 1979. The only (inferior) 
competition then was Lanier.

At that time I was promoting word processing. Potential clients would then 
ask "What's word processing?" - haven't times changed?

Compucorps Omega word processing had most if not all of the current wp 
features and could do most of the wp tasks of the current wp leader. All 
this could be done quickly and efficiently in 64kb (or up to 256kb if you 
could afford ram then).

The BIG disadvantage in those days was the need to use daisy wheel printers 
(remember them?). Compucorps Omega WP would stop as and when required to 
allow the user to change wheels AT ANY POINT WITHIN the document, to change 
fonts.

It could do something that I don't think the current version of Word can 
do. That is to left justify some text and right justfy other text, ON THE 
SAME LINE!

It had a spell checker and thesaurus

As well as all of the other stuff...

Table of contents
cross refs
line drawings (limited of course to the vertical line |,/,\ +,-,_ and 
assorted brackets etc)
super scrip
sub script
Assoted line spacings and justifications
Indents and Outdents
Multiple margins (line by line if required)
Headers and footers

... etc, etc.

Regards

Peter

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 10:15:42 +1000 (EST), HALL Bill <bill.hall@xxxxxxxxx> 
wrote:



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