Computer Chronicles Revisited 43 — Trip Hawkins, John Merson, Ben Anixter, and Richard O'Brien

This next episode continued the previous discussion about the noticeable slowdown in the computer industry during the summer of 1985. This time, the focus was on software and hardware manufacturers, including three companies that not only survived the slowdown but remain major players in the industry today.

Like the previous show, Stewart Cheifet did his cold open from a street location in Silicon Valley, specifically Semiconductor Drive in Sunnyvale. He rhetorically asked about the future of the high-tech business given the ongoing slowdown in computer sales.

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Computer Chronicles Revisited 42 — David Crockett, Sam Colella, Deborah Wise, and David Norman

The third season of Computer Chronicles debuted in September 1985 with a two-part look at the “slowdown in Silicon Valley.” Basically, these next two episodes consisted of round tables with people representing different facets of the computer industry to discuss why things seemed to be going much worse in 1985 as opposed to 1984. This first episode focused on the perspectives from venture capital, the media, analysts, and retailers, while in the next episode we’ll hear from software and hardware manufacturers.

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CCR Special 5 — Ken Uston's Professional Blackjack

In one of his earliest software reviews for the “Random Access” segment of Computer Chronicles, Paul Schindler praised Ken Uston’s Professional Blackjack, noting that while “most computer games will just play blackjack with you,” this program “will teach you how to play the game and win using various point counting methods.” Schindler said it was also “pretty rare when the writer gets top billing when they name a computer program, but Uston deserves it.” Schindler explained Uston was a “former official of the Pacific Stock Exchange and now he’s a full-time gambler.”

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Computer Chronicles Revisited 41 — MacDraw, Dazzle Draw, the Magic Video Digitizer, and Lumena

When Computer Chronicles first delved into the topic of computer graphics back in April 1984, the focus was largely on high-end professional systems, such as the $150,000 Quantel Paintbox. More than a year later, in June 1985, Chronicles closed out its second season with another computer graphics show that looked at more affordable offerings for personal computer users.

Would Artists Abandon Paintbrushes for Graphics Pads?

Stewart Cheifet did his cold open at a California museum standing in front of what he described as “a fine example of abstract expressionist art” by artist Dan Cooper that was made using an Apple II. Cheifet quipped that old artists’ tools like brushes were becoming “passe” and replaced by touch-sensitive graphics pads and sophisticated graphics software.

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Computer Chronicles Revisited 40 — Tsukuba Expo '85

In 1963, Japan’s government decided to build a planned scientific community about 35 miles north of Tokyo that would meet the country’s growing demand for high-tech research and technology. Known as Tsukuba Science City, the site today is home to roughly 150 research, educational, and high-tech business institutions. From March to October of 1985, Tsukuba also hosted a world’s fair called Expo ‘85, which was the sole focus of our next Computer Chronicles episode.

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Computer Chronicles Revisited 39 — MSX and COMDEX in Japan '85

As we round the home stretch for the second season of Computer Chronicles, the show makes its first extended foray abroad. The next two episodes focus on Japan. This first episode from May 1985 examines the state of the Japanese personal computer market, while the second looks mostly at the country’s robotics industry.

Had Japan’s Window of Opportunity Closed?

Stewart Cheifet presented his cold open from Japantown in San Francisco. He said that while many Japanese products had become popular in the United States, one export that had not been very successful was the Japanese computer. This episode would explore why that was the case.

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CCR Special 4 — Paul Schindler's Software Reviews

A prominent feature of early-era Computer Chronicles episodes was Paul Schindler’s software reviews, which normally appeared in the middle of the “Random Access” segment. This post keeps a running list of the products that Paul reviewed.

Episode Date Title Description Publisher Price
118 May 1984 Archon: The Light and the Dark Game Electronic Arts $40
125 October 1984 Ken Uston’s Professional Blackjack Game Intelligent Statements $70
201 January 1985 Be Your Own Coach Workout Scheduler Avant-Garde $50
202 January 1985 dBASE III Database Ashton-Tate $700
203 January 1985 Free Will Estate Planning Tool San Francisco PC Users Group $6 (Shareware)
204 February 1985 TuneSmith/PC Music Converter Blackhawk Data Corporation $50
205 February 1985 Night Mission Pinball Pinball Game subLOGIC $40
206 February 1985 PFS:Plan Spreadsheet Software Publishing Corp. $140
207 February 1985 WordMaker Crossword Dictionary Word Associates $10
208 March 1985 ExecuTime Calendar Manager Advanced Productivity Software $50
209 March 1985 The Overhead Express Presentation Software Professional Software $95
210 March 1985 TopView DOS Shell IBM $149
211 March 1985 PFS:Proof Spellchecker Software Publishing Corp. $95
213 April 1985 Higgins Desk Organizer Conectic Systems, Inc. $400
215 April 1985 Ability Office Suite Xanaro $495
218 May 1985 Copy II PC Disk Copy Utility Central Point Software $50
219 May 1985 Bank President Management Simulator Lewis Lee Corporation $75
222 June 1985 The Stickybear ABC Edutainment Xerox Educational Publications $40
301 September 1985 CataList Mailing List Manager Automation Consultants International $250
302 September 1985 Ultimate Trivia Game Mentor Learning Systems $50
303 September 1985 Da Vinci Outline Editor Applied Microsystems $50
304 September 1985 PC Color Screensaver Affirmware $35/$44
307 October 1985 Bakup Backup Utility InfoTools $150
308 October 1985 NFL Challenge Sports Management Simulator Xor $99
309 October 1985 Concepts Computerized Atlas Atlas Software Concepts $5/$50
310 May 1986 Paradox Database Ansa Software $695
311 May 1986 An Apple a Day Medical Information Organizer Avant Garde $79.95
312 May 1986 Zoomracks Database Manager Quickview $125
313 November 1985 PC Planetarium Astronomy Light Software $52
314 December 1985 Wizard of Wall Street Stock Market Simulator Synapse Software $45
315 December 1985 Rocky’s Boots Edutainment The Learning Company $50
316 December 1985 Golden Oldies Games Compilation Software Country $35
317 January 1986 PFS:Access Communications Package Software Publishing Corp. $95
320 February 1986 Volkswriter 3.0 Word Processor Lifetree Software $300
323 February 1986 411 Indexing Tool Select Information Systems $149
401 September 1986 Word Finder Thesaurus Writing Consultants, Inc. $80
402 Septemebr 1986 Q-DOS File Manager Gazelle Systems $30
403 September 1986 Color Magic EGA Palette Selector Lifetree Software $40
404 October 1986 Tornado Notes Note-taking Manager Micro Logic $50
405 October 1986 ServTech PC Repair Guide Rylos Technologies $50
406 October 1986 Mean 18 Golf Game Accolade $45
407 October 1986 Get! Electronic Mail Signet Technologies $90
408 October 1986 The Idea Generator Decision Support System Experience in Software $200
409 November 1986 Scriptor Television Script Utility Screenplay Systems, Inc. $300
410 November 1986 IQ Test IQ Test Rational Designs $40
411 November 1986 The Toy Shop Design Tool Broderbund Software $65
412 November 1986 Time Bandit Maze Game MichTron $40
413 December 1986 Perspective 3D Graphing 3D Graphics $300
414 June 1987 TMPC Time Management Acroatix $50
416 January 1987 The Page DOS Utility Orion Microsystems $22
421 February 1987 UX-Basic Programming Human Computing Resources $400
422 February 1987 Ford Simulator Advertisement Beck-Tech Free
425 December 1988 In-Synch Remote Workgroup Tool AVTC $500
426 March 1987 KidsTime Educational Games Great Wave Software $50
427 March 1987 IS-2000 Integrated Software Noumenon Corporation $40
428 October 1987 TimeSlips Hourly Billing North Edge Software Corporation $100
429 April 1987 MORE Outliner Living Videotext $295
430 May 1987 HFS Backup Backup Utility Personal Computing Peripherals $50
431 September 1987 Dark Castle Macintosh Game Silicon Beach Software $50
502 June 1988 Smart Alarms Reminder Tool Imagine Software $50
503 November 1987 Klondike 3.0 Solitaire Computer Capabilities Corporation $50
504 November 1987 MultiMate Data Manager Broderbund Software $80
505 November 1987 Webster’s Electronic Thesaurus Thesaurus Proximity Technology $90
506 December 1987 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Holiday Card Simon & Schuster $10
506 December 1987 Science Toolkit - Body Module Science Kit Broderbund $40
506 December 1987 Microsoft Bookshelf Reference CD-ROM Microsoft N/A
508 December 1987 Smartcom II Telecommunications Hayes Microcomputer $100
509 December 1987 Leather Godesses of Phobos Text Adventure Game Infocom $50
511 December 1988 Gofer Indexing & Search Microlytics $60
512 January 1988 Stepping Out Virtual Monitor Berkeley Systems Design $95
513 July 1988 Microsoft Excel Templates Shareware Heizer Software $4
514 July 1988 Test Drive Racing Game Accolade $40
515 March 1988 Ad Lib Personal Computer Music System Music Hardware/Software Ad Lib $250
516 July 1988 Mentor Intelligence Testing Heuristic Reserch $50
517 March 1988 The Electronic Encyclopedia CD-ROM Encyclopedia Grolier Electronic Publishing $300
518 August 1988 Suitcase Accessories Manager Software Supply $60
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Computer Chronicles Revisited 38 — The Atari 520ST and Commodore 128

In my last post, I discussed Bill Gillis, then a Charles Schwab executive in charge of its technology division. Gillis came to Schwab from Mattel, the toy manufacturer best known for Barbie. In the early 1980s, Gillis oversaw Mattel’s efforts to compete in the video game console and low-cost computer markets with the Mattel Intellivision and the Mattel Aquarius, respectively. The Intellivision proved to be a modest success. The Aquarius, however, was such a bust that Mattel effectively pulled it off the market after just four months in 1984.

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Computer Chronicles Revisited 37 — The Equalizer, Computer Colorworks Digital Paintbrush System, AT&T UNIX PC, and GRID Compass 1101

In the early 1980s, there were two major antitrust settlements that significantly impacted the evolution of the computer industry. The first was the the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision to withdraw its long-running antitrust case against IBM, which began in 1969. That lawsuit focused on IBM’s dominance in the mainframe and minicomputer markets, and the government’s retreat helped clear the path for IBM to aggressively enter the microcomputer market with the IBM PC.

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CCR Special 3 — Herbert Lechner on Software Engineering

In my posts covering the first season of Computer Chronicles, I noted that some of the episode recordings included interstitial segments presented by Herbert Lechner, who also occasionally guest hosted for Gary Kildall during this 1983-84 period. These segments were part of a “telecourse” marketed by Wadsworth Publishing Company as part of its “continuing education professional series.” The idea was to pair the first 26 Chronicles episodes with a companion textbook for students to follow along and learn more in-depth about the topics discussed on the show. Lechner authored the book (as H.D. Lechner) in addition to hosting the special segments.

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