Old World vs. New World Computing

As Aldous Huxley once said "Technological progress has merely provided us with a more efficient means for going backwards"

Goodness you can't even make it into a paper aeroplane.

Alan

I, for one, agree with you on the significance of the shift.  Your own analysis looks at device history in terms of productivity and consumptivity (love that word).  I think the axes on that graph should be creation and conumption, because the iPhone and iPad are definitely productivity tools, like the PC but with limitations.  I think that the limitations will be the key to their success.  I think we are moving in to an era a bit like comparing driving a car in the 50s and 60s to the 90s or now.  Back then, you needed to know a bit about the insides of the engine and how a carburettor works to get from A to B, because there was a high probability you would have some sort of minor breakdown on the way.  These days cars just get there, and when you look under the bonnet you realize you wouldn't dream of touching or trying anything.  Apple's use of the iPhone opeating system makes the iPad that sort of "modern" device.  It will bring a whole new audience of technophobes in to consuming the internet and applications, when up to now they have been put off because of the complexity of getting to grips with a Windws PC (or even a Mac).  Only yesterday I was providing phone IT support for my wife because something she was running needed Java and she had to download and install it - in the end she gave up because she didn't want to have to keep calling me.  She's the target audience for this kind of device.  It's going to be a big success.

Here's my take on it: http://biztwozero.com/Home/522

David Terrar

D2C , WordFrame & Twinfield

Thanks for bringing the iPad debate to AccountingWEB, Gary - especially when I was otherwise occupied (on holiday in Glasgow - the place to be in late Jan!).

I too am fascinated by the all fallout from the iPad launch, but like you am initially underwhelmed by the product. What does interest me, however, is the way the iPad has become such a big cultural event. Your collection of reference sources all have interesting things to say and will keep me going for the next couple of days while I wrestle with my own reactions.

While I have a lot of time for the outline of your theories, my initial reaction is that I don't think the iPad is the deflection point. One look at the size of the beast in Jobs' hands made me go "Eeeeeuugh." It just doesn't fit my personal computing paradigm. For once, I think PC manufacturers may be nearer the mark with 7in tablets (sorry, "slates") which are specifically designed as secondary, consumptive products to accompany rather than replace their laptops. Having played with Toshiba's JournE Touch, I'm seriously tempted by a device I could slip into a jacket pocket and use on the move or around the house for quick mailing/tweeting/surfing - an iPhone or iTouch fills that gap too (while fitting into your consumption/production model).

There's still a way to go (voice input perhaps?) and as we all know what will really differentiate these toys will be the software. I'm looking forward to seeing how this area of the market develops - and to hear from the Cloud community how their customers are adapting to the new client devices.

My Nokia N95 has done this very well for years. 

My daughter summed it up with "It is the same size as your laptop but hasn't got a keyboard. You'll just look like a saddo trying to be trendy."

I had an N95 for a few months ... not any more ... the Samsung B2100 is the phone for me..
 

Is it really 'future shock' or current lack of product functionality rendering the iPad predominantly a social tool? Yes it may be the start of the future but as of today it is very restrictive and somewhat of a retrograde step for business.

'.. The tough question is; will we ever see a holy grail device that can combine both optimal production and consumption or will this new division be a permanent one? ..'

this is the crux of the matter. Can the differing requirements co-exist or is the iPad destined solely to the realms of social technology?

No one is questioning how pretty Apple makes its products or their historic record - but a new product in opposition to the notebook is taking quite a leap.

Especially when it seems to be back to the DOS era with multi-tasking - let's be clear nothing can run in the background, although the iPhone has recongised this issue by introducing APNS (Apple Push Notification) for short messages.

Is it actually about Apples proprietry approach to their products and locking out any possibility of third parties without their approval? Anyway how do you deal with the multi-tasking defficiency - well what you do is make a virtue out of a problem and sell it as a plus (low battery consumption etc.)!

As for USB ports to plug in a keyboard that would work for business - great lets carry two components around rather than one; doesn't this rather defeat the whole object!

What is interesting is the degree of allowance being given to the iPad - it lacks functionality in a whole host of different areas and yet that is acceptable. Now contrast that with the introduction of SaaS products which from day 1 had to be better than their equivalent 'traditional' product to even get an airing. On this basis why is the iPad being given the benefit of the doubt with comments such as it will all come right in generation 2 and 3 (the iPod batteries blew up at first but they are alright now approach!) - why is Apple unable to deliver the product on day one?

The following areas are where the iPad lacks functionality - some are trivial and other are not

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/12-key-features-the-ipad-lacks-20100128-n1ae.html

Some of them 12 points look a little spurious. The fact you have to pay for a keyboard dock is not exactly a technical issue. As for USB, the youth of today use bluetooth for their peripherals, plugging things in is just too much like hard work.

I think it is going to be good for web based software. Translating a desktop app to Objective-C, Apple's bizarre choice native language is a big undertaking. If we get pressure from our users to anything iPad related we would almost certainly go down the web-based route.

If all your apps are cloud based and you want multitasking I am sure it is not rocket science for someone to come up a website that allows you to have windows to several other websites open at the same time.

If you could get a fixing kit to fit it to the back of the headrest in your car then I would think seriously about getting one.

But have you seen them?  Thousands of them are absolute dross - ridiculous little games; things like a glass of beer that empties as you tip it up. 

It is an argument you often hear from those with some weird loyalty to Apple, but unless they can quote the number of  useful apps, it does not support the Mac marketing effort as they seem to intend.

Gary

This sounds like the blind loyalty to Apple that was being talked about earlier - they can do no wrong however obvious the issues become and like it or not multi-tasking is the 'elephant in the room'

Yes there are lots of applications but the fact remains that the iPad/iPhone '.. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps ..' the following makes the point '.. the fact Apple has managed to find its way to sanctioning ..'. In this context sanctioning is the operative word and irrespective of the 3rd party development in producing applications for this platform it is a proprietry product and not an open one

In any event for a major product to have to find a '.. half-way solution for multi-tasking with web apps ..' workaround from day 1 is not good.

Of course the benefits for Apple of this proprietry approach are many because they can keep the price up (not good for the consumer) and control everything that is loaded onto their products. Bearing in mind the global moves to OpenSource it is surprising that Apple can still '.. fool all the people all the time ..' - i.e. making a virtue out of a deficiency

Just to put this in context as both a PC and Mac user why can't Apple 'evangelists' ever see anothers point of view?

JC,
A retrograde step?  I think that's missing the point.  It's a new category and a new choice of device.  If you need all this extra functionality that the detractors are listing, then you get a MacBook Air or a netbook.  This device is for the technophobes who need the Internet, but haven't wanted to jump over the hump/learning curve of driving a conventional Mac or PC.  The fact that Apple have put some significant effort in to reworking iWork (for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), added to the business section of those 140,000 apps, means that it will become attractive to a lot of normal business folk for when they are on the road (as an alternative to a netbook or a pricey Vaio/super slim PC).

Gary, daveforbes,
Agree with you that many of the 12 points are spurious/minor.  Not sure the multi-tasking is such a big deal for this form factor.  The Flash problem does need sorting, wither by Apple/Adobe politics, or this new HTML5 thing you mention.  So many current sites using Flash means that there has to be a solution to that one. 

Anonymous,
You're not reading Gary (and some of the others) properly at all.  Gary's definitely a Mac fan, but it's definitely not blind loyalty, just good analysis.  This category is going to be big.  It will be defined by Apple, but then Google will come in with an Android based alternative, and other competitors will come in too - there were plenty at CES in Las Vegas last month.  Then you will be able to chose between proprietary and open source (and other alternatives).  The closed vs. open debate shouldn't cloud what's going on here.  Actually for smart phones, Blackberry has a bigger market share than iPhone, and then Nokia/Symbian/S60 smart phones have an even bigger share than the other two.  That reality doesn't stop the fact that most software vendors I know have an iPhone app either developed or in their roadmap, with Blackberry and Nokia as second choice or nowhere.  The portfolio of apps is steadily growing, making the iPad even more attractive.

Global smartphone sales Q2 2009:
Symbian 50.3%
RIM Blackberry 20.9%
Apple iPhone 13.7%
Windows Mobile 9%
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone

Just to disclose - I use a Vaio Z11 PC and a Blackberry, but I will be giving iPad some serious thought when it gets to the UK.

David Terrar

D2C and Business Two Zero

What are we talking about when we talk about multitasking ? People are saying things like "its like going back to DOS". We are not talking about not having more than one program "open", it is just that it is only the one we are currently focussed on that can do any processing.

On my PC currently "open" I have some accounts software, some tax software, 2 copies of excel, internet explorer and outlook. I am currently interacting with internet explorer. The others with the exception of outlook are quietly sitting there doing nothing. Outlook however is slightly different - every minute or so it is checking for new messages.

The operating system for iPhones, iPads etc is based on OS X which is Apple's Unix derivative and therefore supports true preemptive multitasking and always has done. Apple for various reasons have chosen not to allow 3rd party apps to do things in the background. Their own apps (such as email and web browsing can do background processing) - it is just a restriction on 3rd party apps.

It was only with the advent of Windows XP and Vista that Windows became a truly preemptive multitasking operating system. It is interesting to note that Apple have chosen not to allow background processing on the iPad CPU by 3rd party apps.... but as cloud apps don't do their processing on your CPU at all is this a non-issue for this forum ?

Can we focus on the fact in does not have a keyboard !

Let's just address the current issues

• Multi-tasking - at the moment the iPad doesn’t do it. You can’t type a report on Pages, while listening to music via Pandora, or pull in tweets, while you surf the web. This is a major hole for an 'all-in-one' device
• Flash - the iPad doesn’t support flash. This makes Safari useless for many current websites and that is a big issue
• iWork - having an office suite available on the iPad is a necessity for business travelers. although, we are told that while iWork can read Microsoft Office documents it can’t save them in office format. This means if you edit your work on the iPad, you’ll have to save it in another format and convert it back later. That’s not good
• Sensible keyboard - doesn't exist and external ones mean additional bagage to carry around

DT - given the explanation above, I really would not classify multi-tasking as extra functionality (more core than extra). Anyway I guess time will tell because if Apple introduce it in a future generation then that will answer the question as to whether they got it wrong first time around. Also iWork hurdles are not helpful

DF - surely one of the plus points with any such 'social' product is the ability to two things at once (i.e. listen to music & something else). Agree about keyboard 

We are not talking about future potential of this product (which is undoubtedly there) purely it current market readiness - which is severely lacking and yet everyone is making allowances for this. It very much looks as though early entrants may well have to purchase the product twice to obtain the eventual x-generation final functionality
 

Good idea - then you definately have multi-tasking. How much does it work out per sq. m and what sort of grout should I use ?

JC,

They definitely need to solve the Flash issue.  For me the multi-taksing isn't such an issue... maybe it's one of the factors to help ensure the battery life is 10 hours.  If they crack the problem or add multi-tasking because of market demand, that would be good, but the key to this product catagory is simplicity and ease of use for a reduced, but "good enough", set of functions.  Interesting points on iWork compatibility - need to check those out.  On the keyboard - the touch keyboard will be good enough in the context of this form factor. I come back to the fact that if you a real keyboard you'd buy a netbook or an Air, or live with the external keyboard for when you need to take serious notes/docs.

Like all previous Apple products, I'm sure the 2nd and 3rd gererations will be better - some will wait, and some will swap or buy it twice.  It's a fascinating debate, and I'd love to see where we are in 6, 12 and 18 months from now.

David Terrar

D2C and Business Two Zero 

Unfortunately, I am not one of the select few who had the opportunity to get their hands on the new IPad at the recent Apple Launch last week. So my views are based solely on what I have read and seen about the product having watched the presentation by Steve Jobs (what a great marketer!)

The first impression is that in look and feel, it is a large Iphone – and if that is so, it is no bad thing. Those of us who are committed Iphone users know how the slick interface and responsive touch works so well -so to have this on a larger scale is great. That any of the Iphone applications will also work on the IPad interface provides a seamless integration of the two items. It wont be too long, I am sure, before the hackers have done their work and there will be the Cydia equivalent for the Ipad which would be terrific.

The continuing lack of flash is an interesting omission – one that is more political, I suspect, than practical and it will be interesting to see where this goes in the future. The introduction of the Ibook store will prove to be direct competition to Amazon’s Kindle. I have been using the Kindle for the last few weeks and it is a positive experience. How the Ipad interface and screen will work with this remains to be seen but the graphical interface looks appealing.

Whether the Ipad can be used in place of a laptop remains to be seen – the fact that a dock and a keyboard is provided as an extra is some sort of acknowledgement that it will have its limitations in this area. Having said that it does introduce a whole new concept and way of working – where the touch screen will replace the mouse.

I for one can’t wait.

Last year I went to Australia for five weeks and as a committed user of the online cloud application Liberty Accounts for my client base, I was looking for a device that gave me the ability to use via 3G and WiFi.

The HTC Shift was duly selected and is a Notebook with the benefit of an integrated SIM card, but you need to have a contract in place with a Mobile phone provider to get the best portability.  You have to use the external USB connector if using pay as you go, which is a bit cumbersome, so it was avoided.  The HTC Shift worked, I was able to load Microsoft Office and login into Liberty Accounts to keep my clients happy whilst I was away.  But... it was slow to boot up and slow to use.

As a committed iPhone user, I am in love with the device.  Its only major drawback is screen size, in comparison with the HTC Shift, which prevents it being useful for Liberty Accounts and Microsoft Office.

I liked the iPad presentation because it solved the screen size and speed problems of my HTC Shift.  I don't like the lack of Microsoft Office or lack of multi-tasking and agree that this makes it, at present, a large Smart Phone with some interesting facilities for Internet access, storing photos and playing games that are better than a Smart Phone.  The day the iPad solves the Microsoft Office and multi-tasking problems it will be a useful device for business and it will replace my HTC Shift.  I will wait for version 2 or 3.  The original iPhone was replaced in short order by the 3G and then the 3GS versions, so I expect Apple is already working on these problems at the moment.

Ray

As I mentioned in my post - you can already multitask on the iphone by virtue of a number of excellent "jailbreak" applications via Cydia and I don't doubt for a minute that the same will be available on the ipad before too long.

As for "Office" applications - I think this is a non starter. I make regular use of Cloud apps such as Google Docs or Zoho which obviates the need for Microsoft software. Additionaly there is an Iphone application which is a cut down version of Office.

Richard - That is the whole point - isn't there something inherently flawed about a policy that requires users to 'jailbreak' to obtain the required functionality; apart from the fact that a 'jailbreak' probably contravenes Apples T&C's(?)

Gary - In response to do we need Word and other Office Components - I believe that we do need a universal standard so that documents can be passed around seamlessly and it really doesn't matter who's standard it is; but it must exist.

However, M$ seems to have the current monopoly in the standards arena and for businesses Office will probably remain the de-facto standard of choice, if only for cost reasons. Quite apart from the learning curve, imagine the cost to business of introducing new standards and changing everything so nobody can read any documents that they are sent - mayhem

So far as the necessity for Word - the answer is probably yes it is required. Tweeting or emailing official documents (requiring signatures etc - i.e. leases) is simply a non starter.

Also you mention Excel as being 'totally invincible' which is true to some extent. Nevertheless there are whole business areas that have no need for Excel and concentrate on Word instead. In this respect are we not in danger of being 'hard wired' ourselves by regarding Excel as inviolable purely because we are approaching it from a accounting perspective rather that that of a solicitor, author ....? 
 

@jc - we already have one: HTML.

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/google-tablet-to-give-apple-a-touch-of-its-own-medicine-20100203-nc8u.html

Googles Nexus One http://www.google.com/phone , in collaboration with HTC (who already produce HD2 which is arguably better than the current iPhone)

@JC, TC

I am as ambivalent about open source as I am about cloud computing, but it is interesting the question of "open source versus proprietry" should come up on a cloud forum. Is the clould not the antithesis of open source ? Certainly that is the opinion of Mr Gnu - http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/29/cloud.computing.richard.stallman

Is there any basis to his comments ?

For fans of the open source movement I recommend www.freebeer.org  - I tried some version 3.2 from the St Austell Brewery when I was in Cornwall.

We can have long debates about it but I think it is all about user experience. Apple in some way manages to fit the right experience on very specific user groups. It has to do with form factor, GUI/IxD and connectivity.

@daveforbes - Antithesis, not really - see http://www.dotnetnuke.com/

OpenSource is always very interesting idea because it often means that someone wants something for nothing. The concept is great and espouses all the collaborative goals, however, this depends upon everyone making a contribution; regrettably this doesn't always happen and as a result it simply ignores the fact that everyone’s work has a value.

One contentious issue is that some of the worst proponents of the Free/OpenSource approach are unfortunately the professions - how many times do you see requests for free software etc. on Aweb but conversely these same people expect to charge for their own services. Essentially the message is that no-one’s work has a value, except their own

Parts of Stallman's argument are non sequitur's - one such area is

'.. If you use a proprietary program or somebody else's web server, you're defenseless. You're putty in the hands of whoever developed that software ..'

The same can be said for using a program locally on a computer; especially in today’s climate where just about every desktop computer is connected to the internet so goodness knows what these applications could be sending back to their vendors via the internet behind the scenes

This actually raises a security issue in respect of the desktop v internet argument. In general terms most internet applications are ring fenced from accessing other areas of the local computer. However, no such restrictions exist with 'on premise' applications because they have complete control of the local computer. Furthermore, when coupled with the fact that 'on premise' frequently have an internet connection, anything can happen

So Stallman's claim '.. One reason you should not use web applications to do your computing is that you lose control ..' is true but conveniently only half the argument. The other aspect of course is that the user also loses control with 'on premise' and arguably to a far greater extent
 

@JC - I think his point is only for open source on premises software. Mr Stallman is equally unhappy with normal on-premisis as well as cloud software. In his opinion the only way to software freedom is open source because if you have the inclination you can look through and see exactly what it does - no hidden nasties.

I have to agree with JC that I feel open source model is possibly flawed. I think so - particularly for niche markets such as accountants. If I asked the developers of the world to unite and produce some really exciting free tax software, I suspect the response would be underwhelming. I did post something similar many years ago on an AWeb discussion and seem to remember an open source enthusiast telling me my points were ridiculous. Plus ca change....

@garyturner - I find the Nokia N95 far easier to use than the iPhone's on-top-of-the-screen-you-are-trying-to-look-at keypad, and it has far more functionality than all but the latest iPhone. I particularly like the fact that the keypad does not obscure half the screen. I have never had a problem with the battery life, but you can always get a spare one, which you cannot do with the iPhone.

I never understood how the lack of  functionality of the iPhone never seemed to be a problem for the Apple fan boys.

The iPhone's advantage over Nokia is not technology (some of which they stole from Nokia) or creativity, but marketing.

That is an interesting point about people looking for free software but insisting on charging for their own services. That describes me perfectly, but I do spend half the week working for a charity for free (not accountancy), so it is not necessarily true that people like us only value our own work.

Your point made me think (possibly just trying to justify my own use of free software), and it occurs to me that there is work I am happy to do for free (things that I enjoy and think are socially useful) and things that I do not enjoy and will only do if I am paid (eg accountancy or using an iPhone).

I assume that people who write freeware either enjoy it or are using it as a loss-leader to generate increased sales of something else.

Do you disagree?

I would do exactly the same in reverse. I just need to find someone whose hobby is filling in VAT returns.

What do you mean by "Old World"? This group is aimed at New World "Cloud Computing".

But many "Old World" IT people (me included) will say that "Cloud Computing" is just a marketing term for something very "Old World" - it was called TimeShare. Back in the days of large IBM/Honeywell mainframes, companies brought dedicated BT lines to access and "timeshare" central or bespoke applications. Nowadays the marketing people, in a wish to look cool, have invented a new term. Well so beit. But those that have worked in the industry a long time just see history repeating itself. Timeshare/Cloud Computing had/have advantages and drawbacks. Like most things, it is just what weighting applies in each particular case to each particluar advantage/disadvantage as to whether the approach is suitable for a particluar case/user.

IPhones/IPads are no different in this respect. I don't see them as setting a new trend in computing - it is just another step/side issue in the long process of complex systems becoming more ameanable to everyday events.  

The PC was one step that has taken years to evolve and increase personal productivity. Yet at the time when PCs first arrived on the scene some "geeks" already had old mainframes as personal computers.  Of course they had to have the technical knowledge to use them as such. All the PC has done is reduce the level of knowledge so that a larger proportion of the population can now have their own computing power.  However, it is the devices that hang off the PC - like printers, modems etc. that really have provided the great increase in personal productivity.

A device dedicated to a single task will always be replaced by a device that can multi-task - for me its basic economics. Why spend 2 times £100 for 2 devices when I can spend 1 times £160 for 1 device that does both tasks!

No IPads will be a side issue in IT/Comms history within 10 years.

Doesn't "Old World" mean those people who do not want to buy what you are selling?

The "spork"

http://www.survival-school.org/Default.aspx?tabid=280&ProductID=297&gclid=CJLd4LzosKACFclr4wodHyt4TA

iPad is unashamedly a consumer device - It's all about couch-based web browsing, multi-media, photos, etc.

There's nothing wrong with that, and it does what Apple always does - bringing a complex technical concept to a level of bulletproof qualiity and ease-of-use that makes every other device look like something you made in your garage

I'm far more interested in Microsoft's Courier concept - apparently now at prototype stage and planned to launch at the end of the year - Courier feels much more like a business-oriented approach to 'New World Computing'.

There's a video on YouTube that shows how the courier might work for an annoying designer-type person (Always a good use-case for presentations becuase it lets you use loads of pretty pictures).  Nevertheless, you can see past the fluff to a real electronic work journal that I'd LOVE to use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WYWGKnVkEw

Now imagine using one of these to take notes at client meetings, using the camera to snap images of documents that they show you, and annotaing the images on screen.  Then sharing your notes with your team seamlessly over the Internet, gethering responses and comments as you go.

I can envisage the 'New World' being suggested - removing the standard PC with a start menu full of different products, and instead moving to devices that revolve around YOUR role - with the boundaries between applications made meaningless by sharing data as needed.  You don't need Outlook, Excel, Digita Tax, and a PDF writer, you need a unified client-knowing-tax-calculating-diary-managing-address-finding-emailing...thing that all works together.   (And tomorrow you'll need a different thing).

I won't be buying an iPad, but the courier...hmmm

A number of commentators are re-adjusting their view of Apples products and the major shift is regarding iPad etc as a proprietry route to market (marketing tool) for the manufacturer

Additionally here is another article titles 'Why platforms like iPhone and Twitter are becoming control freaks'
http://digital.venturebeat.com/2010/04/14/why-platforms-like-iphone-and-twitter-are-becoming-control-freaks/
 

This month's Wired magazine's front cover reads:

"Rise of the Machines! How tablets will change the World."

Well worth reading.

It would seem that Adobe Flash development for the iPhone has finally died.

The reason is as follows:

In a posting on his personal blog Mike Chambers, (Principal Product Manager) refers to the now infamous 3.3.1 iPhone developer program license clause and said:

'.. Essentially, this has the effect of restricting applications built with a number of technologies, including Unity, Titanium, MonoTouch, and Flash CS5. While it appears that Apple may selectively enforce the terms, it is our belief that Apple will enforce those terms as they apply to content created with Flash CS5. Developers should be prepared for Apple to remove existing content and applications (100+ on the store today) created with Flash CS5 from the iTunes store ..'

'.. To be clear, during the entire development cycle of Flash CS5, the feature complied with Apple’s licensing terms. However, as developers for the iPhone have learned, if you want to develop for the iPhone you have to be prepared for Apple to reject or restrict your development at anytime, and for seemingly any reason ..'

http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/adobe-throws-in-the-towel-on-flash-for-iphone-20100421/

It may well be that the days of Flash etc are numbered (HTML 5,6,7...), however this is primarily about control by Apple and the predatory nature of this company. Once again this all ties into previous postings and covers the whole range from ad-hoc rejection of deveopment to using their products as channels (routes to market)

Unfortunately the blinkered reverence to Apple by the 'fanboy' club ignores the reality of Apple - the customer base needs to wake up and ask just who Apple is serving - themselves or the customer base? Because if it is the latter, then how does this reconcile with forcing companies such as Adobe to take these steps?

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Want-to-Buy-a-Brain/107184495981032?ref=ts

Last week after seeing one on the TV I tried revving up my old BBC model B.

After about 10 minutes of trying to find out how to tune my TV manually there was a bang and copious smoke from the PSU.

Next stop my old ZX81 (with the 16K ram pack!)

David Forbes

David - presumably you still have this excellent program

Mind you even Sir Clive has other interests these days

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1269050/Computer-tycoon-Sir-Clive-Sinclair-69-weds-33-year-old-lap-dancer.html

Does anyone remember the North Star Horizon?

We wrote our first accounts package on one using an obscure form of Basic called Mega Basic. I remember playing on the Horizon as a kid and getting told off by my Dad for turning it off with the boot disk still in; no Hard Disk! 

I've just put up a brochure of one on the museum facebook page. (We have one, along with its successor the North Star Advantage, but they are in storage.)

It would be interesting to hear what BUSINESS machines people first started working on (i.e. excluding the ZX81 and Spectrum!)

.... and what processor ticks along at the heart of an iPhone - one from ARM holdings.

BBC Model B ----> Acorn Archimedes ----> iPad   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Computers

David

For a moment there I thought you had still been running the Acorn UNTIL you got the iPad! Stranger things... We still get customers coming back to us running our DOS software who we last heard from just before Y2K.

Stop advertising you products with every posting - these areas on AWeb are not the place for your continued drip feed advertising

Go away and pay for it in the right area like everyone else