The Queen of Wink and I have been trying hard to de-nerdify one particular Texan thought to be the smartest Texan in Texas. I'll call this Texan Top Texan. Or TT.TT has a blog where he shares a lot of his elevated thinking. It's really inspiring.
On his blog TT describes himself thusly...
"I've been addicted to computers since I was perhaps 11. I have some kind of innate ability to intuitively know how they will behave. I architect computer systems and design and write software for a living. I'm very good at it."
TT has now slightly altered the above self-description as part of the de-nerdification process.
This morning I realized TT might be an even tougher nut to crack than the Queen of Wink and I realize. Note that TT says that from age 11 he was addicted to computers, with an innate ability to know how they will behave.
Now, TT was born in 1969. In 1980 he was 11. The first mass-marketed IBM PC, the 5150, was introduced on August 12, 1981. It was very expensive.
Prior to the IBM PC you had Commodore products, like the VIC-20 and Commodore PET. There was the Apple II and Radio Shack's TRS-80.
I can't help but wonder what computer a little 11 year old boy in West Texas happened upon in 1980 that caused his addiction and revealed his innate ability to intuitively know how they will behave?
It's perplexing.
Maybe, he was referring to having an Atari. That was sorta like a computer? Oh, I know...how about those Texas Instrument calculators? I'm sure those were very similar to computers. Oh, wait...one of those Brother Word Processors! Now we're getting somewhere!
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten there was some sort of Atari computer in addition to the games. I think IBM PC types were the first that one could work on, which is what, I believe, TT does with his vaunted intuitive computer powers. Maybe we'll hear from TT and he will clear up the mystery, but looking at his blog this morning I see he is off on another of his imaginary trips with his imaginary wife doing imaginary things.
ReplyDeleteI reckon the hardware portions of what folks call, "PC's" these days happened at a later date. Probably sometime in the 90's when it became mainstream to "build your own PC".
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Apple computers: II, II+, IIe were highly addictive. Although you couldn't build one from scratch (everything was proprietary), you could still write software in Basic fairly easily. It could be quite addicting.
The Commodores were also very nice and were a little cheaper for the budget minded folks. I believe they started with the Vic-20, but you could still play games and write software right out of the box. Highly addicting.
There was also the Atari (don't remember the version), the TRS-80 (commonly known as the Trash 80) and I believe Texas Instruments had one available as well.
This TT person may be an impossible case.
Gar---
ReplyDeleteWe still haven't heard from TT telling us what computer he was using way out in West Texas when he was 11 that he got addicted to.
I would not go so far as to say that TT is an impossible case, let's just say he has issues and leave it at that.
Gar,
ReplyDeleteYou're so knowledgeable about computers! Maybe you could help this TT fellow with his addiction. It only seems the right thing to do, ya know.
CT2---
ReplyDeleteGar does not part with his computer knowledge as some sort of public service. Gar's technical service is quite expensive. But, you have to keep in mind, you do get what you pay for.