On 2024-05-26 10:56 a.m., Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:
On Sun, 26 May 2024, ben via cctalk wrote:
I think the most important thing for a Personal Computer,
is the average Joe, can afford and use it. The second thing is
to have ample memory and IO to run useful programs. The basic Apple
I,II does not count as many others as it had BASIC in ROM and tape IO.
The third thing is a real OS. Nobody has one, as a personal computer.
CP/M and MSDOS does not handle IRQ's. Unix for the PDP-11 is real
operating system but not personal as it requires a admin,and a swapping
media.
So, basically, the first "Personal Computer" does not yet exist, and all
of those being discussed are merely predecessors for it.
I can definitely agree with that,
although not necessarily with your specific list of requirements.
Although there need to be some that Joe Average can afford, they don't
all need to be, as a requirement; Tony Cole can build a gold plated one,
and billg can spec optional features that the rest of us can't afford -
if I were designing billg's house, I'd build some "personal" computing
capability in the walls, or filling the main rooms, and bedroom could
be a cot in the walls.
I want more books and shelves to with them.
That a side, how many people here still use the 16Kb (favorite machine)
with tape IO?
I did use a CP/M machine once, but the 8" drive was a bit sticky.
You rap the drive to get it unstuck, but if you rap it too hard
the machine would reset.
"Ample memory"??!? perhaps that should be TerrorBytes.
I/O??!? Does that need to be built in, in the minimum purchase
configuration, or merely provision for it externally?
For non graphics, I say 64kb for a 8 bit machine with basic in rom.
CP/M 32K.
"Real OS"? While I don't agree with your specific examples of
inadequacies, I will readily concede that nothing so far is ready for
the title.
CP/M was the cats meyow in the 1970's,but there was other systems out like
flex for the 6800, or later OS/9 for the 6809. Don't they get a chance
too for real OS.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
