I know it is difficult to believe, but there was a time when key tech leaders and influencers of the world were dead set against the graphical interface.
In 1985, less than a year after Macintosh was unveiled the naysayers were out in full force... 1/
In 1985, less than a year after Macintosh was unveiled the naysayers were out in full force... 1/
2/ About 2M Apple ][ had been sold in total. About 3.5M IBM PCs (8086). About 8M Atari, TRS-80, C64 all combined. This was early. ~20M computers sold, worldwide, total.
Dr Dobbs, InfoWorld, Byte magazines were supreme. We're in "Halt and Catch Fire" S1. Joe MacMillan reads IW.
Dr Dobbs, InfoWorld, Byte magazines were supreme. We're in "Halt and Catch Fire" S1. Joe MacMillan reads IW.
3/ If a hobbyist magazine printed a story you didn't like you probably just ranted at your user group meeting thursday night.
If it really bugged you, then you'd write a letter to the editor. Maybe they would print it a few weeks later. Then a few thousand people would see it.
If it really bugged you, then you'd write a letter to the editor. Maybe they would print it a few weeks later. Then a few thousand people would see it.
4/ So imagine how much you disliked the idea of windows (lower case, as in graphical OS on Macintosh--there is no MS Windows yet) that you'd send in a full 750 word "post" on how much you hated the idea. Then you'd have this from InfoWorld, Feb 1985.
5/ Ignore the opening sexism, all too common in the era.
This rant covers every angle of a technical buzzsaw against a graphical OS and why it won't work.
• Screens too small
• Who needs multitasking
• Can just do <x> another way
• Who needs two programs at once
This rant covers every angle of a technical buzzsaw against a graphical OS and why it won't work.
• Screens too small
• Who needs multitasking
• Can just do <x> another way
• Who needs two programs at once
6/ This is a totally classic argument: what is new can't possibly be simpler than what we have.
The biggest thing that bugs me, EVERY SINGLE TIME, about this form of buzzsaw is where were these people when the first computer arrived. Did they argue in favor of teletype over CRT?
The biggest thing that bugs me, EVERY SINGLE TIME, about this form of buzzsaw is where were these people when the first computer arrived. Did they argue in favor of teletype over CRT?
7/ A form of this argument comes with every new technology. It is necessary, though not sufficient. That's the rub.
One thing for certain: the next time something cool comes along, remember just how easy it is to offer up a technical buzzsaw. // END
PS hardcoresoftware.substack.com
One thing for certain: the next time something cool comes along, remember just how easy it is to offer up a technical buzzsaw. // END
PS hardcoresoftware.substack.com
PS/ Rants like this put the changes being debated in our favorite platforms in context. Honestly, nothing at all being discussed today or even the past 10 years comes close to character -> graphical in "magnitude" of change. Yet, these arguments are made (eg tabs in safari).
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