A bit of history...

[jaylach]

If any are interested I'd be happy to supply a bit of history as to Windows based systems. I don't mean Microsoft Windows but, rather, the concept of an app running in a specific window while another app could be active in another. Many believe that Apple was the first but, actually, Atari was first. Not the original Atari 400/800 8 bit systems but the Atari ST systems using a Motorola 16 bit CPU. The Atari computer division was bought out by Jack Tramiel (sp) who was the founder of the Commodore systems. He quit what he founded and bought out the computer division of Atari.

I'm an old fart and was there at the beginning writing Assembly code apps in the very early early stages of the personal computer. Actually I wrote a totally Assembly OS running a Window based system myself. The only real restriction was that you could only have a maximum of 256 open and active windows.

I won't make a long post on this at this time but would be happy to give a "history lesson" if anyone responds with interest.

A big part of me REALLY misses those early days. I used to really enjoy coding Assembly in the old days but it is no longer any fun. In the old days, if you coded Assembly, you actually created something. No longer the same. Today doing Assembly is nothing more, in most cases, than just making calls to routines that are already included in the OS. What is the fun in that?

 

[chscag]

Interesting stuff.

How are your writing skills? Reason I ask is we have a blogging forum where members can submit blogs about various subjects.

Take a look at those blogs which have been submitted and see if you would be interested in doing a history write up based on your personal experience.

Here's a link to our blogging forum. Read thru the guidelines and the blogs already submitted. Let us know.

Blogging Playground

Discussion of process and posting on the Mac-Forums blog

www.mac-forums.com

 

[jaylach]

I'll take a look.

You can judge my writing skills yourself by looking at the articles section at Computer help Computer Haven Home

 

[MightyGem]

the concept of an app running in a specific window while another app could be active in another

WIMP concept: Windows, Icons, Mouse and Pointer, was developed at Xerox PARC (see Xerox Alto, developed in 1973) and popularized with Apple's introduction of the Macintosh in 1984

WIMP (computing) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The AtariST was released in Apr-July 1985.

Atari ST - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[chscag]

Looks good. Some of those articles you've written would also be of interest to our membership.

 

[jaylach]

Thanks for the correction on release years MightyGem.

Chscag, feel free to link to any of the articles if you would like.

 

[jaylach]

Chscag , I've given some thought about your suggestion that I might write a blog article on my perspective of the early days of the personal computer. I see three problems.

1) This may just be a comfort level thing on my part but I've only been here for four days and it seems a bit forward for me to be writing blog articles this early in. I'm a bit worried as coming across as some sort of hot dog.

2) I don't know that it would be of any real interest to the majority of the members here as it would deal very little with Apple. My first two systems were an Atari 400 then an Atari ST. While I did run the original Mac and Microsoft DOS on the Atari ST through virtualization I never really knew or paid much attention to Apple. In fact the MacBook Air I got about six or seven weeks ago is the first Apple product of any kind that I have ever owned. My early experiences were pretty slanted toward the Atari end and find it hard to see how that would be of a lot of interest to the other members.

3) There was a LOT of confusion during those days as there were no real copyright law coverage as no one knew what to think about or do about a personal computer. This led to a lot of urban legend stories that would be very difficult today to prove as to being accurate or not. Since those days were well before the Internet, or even FIDO Net, it would be very difficult to prove accuracy. The only way that I'd consider doing such an article would be with the understanding that it would be totally from what I remember and strictly from my viewpoint with no guarantee of absolute accuracy.

If I'm concerned over nothing please let me know... I'm not really against doing such an article but just can't see where it would be of much real interest here.

 

[chscag]

That's okay. If you wish, you can hang around until you feel comfortable as a member of our forums. Later on, if you feel up to it, you can blog.

It was only a suggestion to you as you seem to be a prolific writer with a background that might interest our members.

 

[jaylach]

That's okay. If you wish, you can hang around until you feel comfortable as a member of our forums. Later on, if you feel up to it, you can blog.

It was only a suggestion to you as you seem to be a prolific writer with a background that might interest our members.

Sounds fair. How about this? I give it more thought to organize memories and do a draft and send through the "Contact Us" link to see if you think it workable. LOL! Remember that I'm a couple of weeks from being 67 and this stuff was back in the early and mid 1980's. Been a LONG time!

BTW, I actually already feel basically comfortable here. You folks run what appears to be a very friendly forum along the lines of my Windows help forums.