©Mark Ollig
The
Sinclair ZX81 was the first computer I ever owned.
I
purchased it via mail order in 1981.
Short
programs were coded for this small-sized computer using Sinclair BASIC
(Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code).
Using
the Sinclair ZX81 marked my entrance into the personal home computing revolution.
While
I was attending high school, computers were not yet seen in the classroom.
The
only keyboard I was punching on back then was attached to a Smith Corona
typewriter.
But,
I digress back to the start of the 1980s.
Being
I worked in the telecommunications industry, I felt it was time to educate
myself about personal computers and their potential.
I
decided to learn about MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System).
The
first Microsoft Windows platform would not be available for a few more years.
Yours
truly purchased a lot of MS-DOS books and VHS tapes (what are those, grandpa?),
which introduced me to computer basics, and how to use MS-DOS script coding for
creating useful batch commands and utility programs.
Other
folks decided on going with the Apple computer, and its proprietary operating
platform and software programs.
By
1983, I was using an IBM personal computer with a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088
processor, 512K (kilobytes) of RAM (random access memory), and a 20MB
(megabyte) hard drive the size of an eight-slot toaster.
This
computer included a monochrome CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor, and an IBM
printer using a parallel cable plugged into the computer’s DB-25 connector.
My
DOS programs written onto 5.25-inch floppy disks were loaded into the computer
via a single-sided 160K 5.25-inch floppy drive.
As
the 1980s progressed, computer hobbyist clubs were started, as were a network
of online virtual communities made up of hundreds of telephone dialup CBBS’s
(computer bulletin board system) in cities all across the country.
The
internet in the 1980s was navigated using text commands; the World Wide Web was
not yet established.
In
1983, a new computer program began broadcasting Friday evenings on my local PBS
(public broadcasting service) television channel.
“The
Computer Chronicles,” created and hosted by Stewart Cheifet, focused on the
excitement generated by the personal computer industry.
This
weekly program featured the latest in computer technology, software, and people
with expertise inside the industry.
Cheifet
was a correspondent for the PBS “Nightly Business Report” covering the
high-tech industry located in the famous Silicon Valley of California.
We
were always greeted at the start of the show with these familiar words:
“Welcome to the Computer Chronicles.”
Cheifet
talked about the evolving computing industry in a knowledgeable, relaxed
manner; he demonstrated how various computers worked and enjoyed delving into
the latest technology.
He
presented personal computer technology in an easy-to-understand approach; often
having guests on who would address the latest in computer technology, and the
companies creating the hardware and software.
“The
Computer Chronicles” encompassed more than just IBM and Microsoft; they also
included segments of the show covering the Apple and Macintosh computer world.
Another
of the show’s segments, “Random Access,” highlighted the past week’s computing
news.
The
show was right for the times. It was like going to school each week – and
enjoying it.
Software
and hardware representatives from the computer industry would appear on the
show to demonstrate their products, and to be interviewed by Cheifet.
As
this fast-evolving personal computer technology exploded upon us, many took
comfort in knowing Cheifet would be there to explain it, and teach us something
new when we tuned in each week.
Every
week, it seemed some new technological revolution in the personal computing
world occurred.
Tuning
into this weekly television program kept us informed concerning the computing
news which occurred during the past week, and what we could look forward to.
This
program, on the air nearly 20 years, reported on the personal computing
revolution, the internet, and the World Wide Web.
“The
Computer Chronicles” had a very loyal fan base.
When
the program was cancelled in 2002, letters and emails (including mine) were
sent to PBS asking them to keep the show on the air.
Today,
many of those past programs have been archived on the internet and are
available for viewing.
“The
Computer Chronicles” television program from July 14, 1988 began with Cheifet
looking at a desk where a Commodore Amiga personal computer was located.
“Welcome
to the Computer Chronicles,” spoke the computer.
“A
computer that talks!” excitedly exclaimed Cheifet.
Feeling
nostalgic? Then re-experience those exciting times when the personal computer
revolution was at its beginning.
The
internet archive website stores many of the original “The Computer Chronicles”
programs at: http://bit.ly/2kJ7FVT.
Follow
Cheifet @cheifet and myself @bitsandbytes on Twitter.
This
column was originally published April 30, 2007 and was recently modified by the
writer.
