OK, already I can hear you ask, “Why are you writing about the IBM PC in a Timex publication?” The short answer is that we are trying a little experiment to see what your reaction will be. The long answer is that for the past couple years, we have witnessed a slow but steady decline in our readership, and we want to do something to fix this problem. We believe that the declines we have experienced are similarly felt by most other firms in the Timex industry. There is only so far you can go when you work with an orphaned computer before changing interests, lack of repair facilities, and new computers coming out begin to take their toll. Since Timex stopped production of the computer, we have watched (sadly) our computer contract and suffer from a long protracted illness which will ultimately result in its death. It is truly amazing how long we all have held out, and how much vitality still remains, but the handwriting is on the wall.
At the same time, we have noted some very curious happenings on the other side of the computer world–in the land of the IBM PC. This computer started out as a high power business machine with a very expensive price tag. The price of the hardware alone was far more than a hobbyist could justify, and you couldn’t buy software for under $100. Clearly, this was a computer for business, not for the hobbyist. The entire PC industry revolved around this fact. Companies who sold software, computers, and peripherals didn’t want to talk if you didn’t have the money. But that was five years ago.
Today is quite different. Illustrious Asian companies have figured out how to make computers which are electrically identical to the IBM and they have literally flooded the market with low cost “clones”. Hundreds of companies sprang up almost over night which assemble the Asian produced circuit boards into full blown machines. Competition is fierce, and prices continue to plummet. Incredible numbers of these machines are in existence. IBM, itself, claims to have sold 6 million PC’s, and it is estimated that they hold only half the market.
What we find curious about this situation is that the current trend of falling prices has taken the established PC hardware and software companies by surprise. They seem to be unable or unwilling to recognize the results of this flooding of the PC marketplace. That is, the PC is no longer a big business machine. It’s now becoming a very attractive computer for small businesses and hobbyists.
We are seeing a whole new industry emerge to address the needs of these new PC owners. There are many parallels we can draw to the early days when the Timex computers first came out. This is getting us excited.
PC Info
Everywhere you go, you see books and magazines which cover the hardware and software aspects of the PC. With the Timex, our problems revolve around finding any type of information about the machine. There are only a few newsletters, and new books do not exist. Information problems with the PC revolve around dealing not with where to find it, but with what to do with it all. Book store shelves are filled with new books, and you can actually buy PC publications at the newsstand!
Cheap Software
Recently, a new method of selling software called “shareware” has emerged. Authors of programs place their work in public software “libraries”. They ask people to try the program out before paying for it. Only if you are completely satisfied are you asked to pay the author. There are hundreds of these libraries across the country. Many claim to have as many as 600 to 1000 disks just crammed with programs. To order disks, you need only pay a nominal duplication fee and postage. Being able to choose from a collection of a thousand different programs would be pure ecstasy to a Timex owner.
Expansion Hardware
You say you want interfaces? The PC has interfaces up to its kazoo. There are serial ports, printer ports, A-D converters, D-A converters, page readers, video digitizers, RAM expansions, over 5 different types of video adaptors, hard disks, sound and voice synthesizers, voice recognition devices–the list is endless. As with software, these units were once quite expensive, but as more hobbyists enter the PC marketplace, prices are falling dramatically. The more common devices such as the RS232 interface can be picked up for as little as $40. That is very competitive with similar units for the Timex.
What Does It All Mean?
As we see it, the current trends make the PC a very attractive computer–one which we think you should seriously consider for your next machine. The support is there, the expansion capabilities are there, prices are coming down, and we are finding that the new PC hobbyists are not the stuck up nose-in-the-air “ego-nerds” that used to snicker when we told them we used a Timex computer. They’re hobbyists, just like us.
For SyncWare News, we see an opportunity to continue providing the same type of good stuff we always have, only for a much larger potential base of readers. Who knows, our circulation might increase to the point where we might even be able to PAY ourselves!
Over the next few issues, you will see more short pieces about the PC: What it is, how to program it, pitfalls, hints and tips. As we test the waters, we want you to tell us what you think. If its a total waste of time, please tell us so. If its a great idea, tell us that too. How we progress (or even WHETHER we progress) in this field will depend largely on reader feedback. So send those cards and letters in. We want to know what you think. Send comments to: The Editor, SyncWare News, 602 S. Mill St. Louisville, OH 44641.