my dad's home computer...

I guess because I am reading this book called "In Search of Stupidity: 20 Years of High-Tech Marketing Disasters", I have been experiencing a lot of memories from Computer Yesteryear. I found the story below that describes my Dad's first (and only--since he passed away at such a young age) home computer. My son came home today and asked me if I knew Moore's Law. He was surprised when I described it to him. He is reading a book called "The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology" by Ray Kurzweil. In it, he discusses Moore's Law among an assortment of many other ideas including nanotechnology. By the way, I got distributed a new computer today at work. Boy, is it nice! Sleek flat screen monitor for my new HP notebook. I signed up today for yet another class (at my boss' urging), this one is on Oracle's products for SOA and BPM (such as their BPEL Manager). I am already registered for a 3 day class this month at IBM on the Websphere product. (This will not the first time I have attended a class on Websphere.) On Sunday I return to Cambridge for a third week of Pegasystems training. In addition I am studying for certification in XML-related technologies and will be participating in several courses on rather "old technologies" such as XML, XSLT, and Web Services within the .Net or Java frameworks. Boy, between all this reading and sitting in class I think I better get some exercise (LOL).


Sperry Introduces Personal Computer
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 30, 1983
The Sperry Corporation became the latest major entrant in the personal-computer market with an I.B.M.- compatible machine that Sperry says is 50 percent faster than I.B.M.'s machine.

Sperry, a leading maker of mainframe computers, said its personal computer, with 128,000 characters of basic memory, is a Sperry design that uses several components made by the Mitsubishi Electric Industrial Company of Japan.

Sperry said its machine can run on the same software and peripheral equipment designed for the International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer, but is faster and less costly than I.B.M.'s machine. Sperry's machine, to be available in January, will cost between $2,643 and $5,753, depending on options ordered.