The Project Gutenberg eBook ofThe Silicon Jungle

The Project Gutenberg eBook ofThe Silicon JungleThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.*** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. ****** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ***Title: The Silicon JungleAuthor: David H. RothmanRelease date: March 14, 2017 [eBook #54360]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by KD Weeks, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SILICON JUNGLE ***

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

*** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. ****** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ***

*** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. ***

*** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. ***

Title: The Silicon JungleAuthor: David H. RothmanRelease date: March 14, 2017 [eBook #54360]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by KD Weeks, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Title: The Silicon Jungle

Author: David H. Rothman

Release date: March 14, 2017 [eBook #54360]Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by KD Weeks, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SILICON JUNGLE ***

Transcriber’s Note:Foonotes have been resequenced to be unique within the text. They have been collected at the end of the text, and are linked for ease of reference.Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’snoteat the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.The cover image has been created, based on title page information, and is added to the public domain.

Transcriber’s Note:

Foonotes have been resequenced to be unique within the text. They have been collected at the end of the text, and are linked for ease of reference.

Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’snoteat the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.

The cover image has been created, based on title page information, and is added to the public domain.

“David Rothman’s SILICON JUNGLE is an aphrodisiac for anyone interested in the computer revolution. There is a real sense of self-liberation for the reader, in whose mind the dawn lights up the incredible, awful, wonderful reach of the little computer chip.”William F. Buckley, Jr.“Everything you’ve always wanted to know about computers but were afraid to ask for fear of not getting a straight answer in plain English. David Rothman is Indiana Jones, guiding us through the hype, hardware, software, and confusing jargon of THE SILICON JUNGLE.”Bettina GregoryABC News Correspondentand IBM PCXT owner“David Rothman’s SILICON JUNGLE is an inspired, fast-paced, often maniacal view of today’s microcomputer scene. While laced with hard facts, Rothman’s anecdotal style makes the book fun reading. The perfect book for the newcomer to the scene and the old-timer lost in the jungle.”John C. DvorakTechnology columnist,The San Francisco ExaminerandInfoWorld“THE SILICON JUNGLE has proved helpful in both my business and personal use of computers. It is down-to-earth, easy to understand, and has made me and my computers better friends.”Ellen R. Gordon, PresidentTootsie Roll Industries, Inc.“THE SILICON JUNGLE is an insightful book that provides a foundation for dealing with the complicated world of personal computers.”Chris ChristiansenSenior AnalystThe Yankee Group“Of all the books about computers, THE SILICON JUNGLE is the best I’ve seen.... Fun to read and Instructional as well. David Rothman not only blazes a sure path through the jungle, but he has told us almost everything there is to tell about the computer world at this point—and told it very well.”Jerald F. TerhorstFord Motor Executive

William F. Buckley, Jr.

“Everything you’ve always wanted to know about computers but were afraid to ask for fear of not getting a straight answer in plain English. David Rothman is Indiana Jones, guiding us through the hype, hardware, software, and confusing jargon of THE SILICON JUNGLE.”

Bettina GregoryABC News Correspondentand IBM PCXT owner

Bettina Gregory

ABC News Correspondent

and IBM PCXT owner

“David Rothman’s SILICON JUNGLE is an inspired, fast-paced, often maniacal view of today’s microcomputer scene. While laced with hard facts, Rothman’s anecdotal style makes the book fun reading. The perfect book for the newcomer to the scene and the old-timer lost in the jungle.”

John C. DvorakTechnology columnist,The San Francisco ExaminerandInfoWorld

John C. Dvorak

Technology columnist,

The San Francisco Examiner

andInfoWorld

“THE SILICON JUNGLE has proved helpful in both my business and personal use of computers. It is down-to-earth, easy to understand, and has made me and my computers better friends.”

Ellen R. Gordon, PresidentTootsie Roll Industries, Inc.

Ellen R. Gordon, President

Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.

“THE SILICON JUNGLE is an insightful book that provides a foundation for dealing with the complicated world of personal computers.”

Chris ChristiansenSenior AnalystThe Yankee Group

Chris Christiansen

Senior Analyst

The Yankee Group

“Of all the books about computers, THE SILICON JUNGLE is the best I’ve seen.... Fun to read and Instructional as well. David Rothman not only blazes a sure path through the jungle, but he has told us almost everything there is to tell about the computer world at this point—and told it very well.”

Jerald F. TerhorstFord Motor Executive

Jerald F. Terhorst

Ford Motor Executive

DAVID H. ROTHMAN

TheSILICONJUNGLE

BALLANTINE BOOKS · NEW YORK

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in theUnitedUnitedStates by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 85-90645

ISBN 0-345-32063-8

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition: July 1985

WITH LOVETOHARRY AND HORTENSE ROTHMANSpecial thanks to Michael Canyes, Mack Truslow,David Fay Smith, Don Carrol, Robert B. Wyatt, Richard McCoy,Frank Lavena, Pat Ehresmann, Ruth Aley and Berenice Hoffman

WITH LOVETOHARRY AND HORTENSE ROTHMAN

WITH LOVE

HARRY AND HORTENSE ROTHMAN

Special thanks to Michael Canyes, Mack Truslow,David Fay Smith, Don Carrol, Robert B. Wyatt, Richard McCoy,Frank Lavena, Pat Ehresmann, Ruth Aley and Berenice Hoffman

Special thanks to Michael Canyes, Mack Truslow,

David Fay Smith, Don Carrol, Robert B. Wyatt, Richard McCoy,

Frank Lavena, Pat Ehresmann, Ruth Aley and Berenice Hoffman

Contents1•The Silicon Jungle12•The Kaypro Phenomenon: How Solana Beach Took on Silicon Valley143•After the War364•WordStar: The Creators455•The Select Word Processor: Martin Dean versus the Command-Driven Restaurants656•Three Software Stories: Motorcycles, Homes, and the $200,000-a-Year Disk737•Graphics (or How a Mouse Helped Joe Shelton’s Friends Stop Feeling Like Rats)938•People: The Who-How Solution1009•The Hal Syndrome12810•Jewels that Blip16311•Wired to Work20012•How I Found “God” on MCI (and a Few Other Odds and Ends About Electronic Mail)22813•Net Gain$23414•As the Jungle Thickens (AKA the Great Modeming)249Afterword271BACKUP•More Tips and Tales from the Jungle279BACKUP I•Twenty-Six Questions to Ask at (and About) the Computer Store281BACKUP II•A Few Grouchy Words on Printers294BACKUP III•The Lucky 13: What to Look for in Choosing Software302BACKUP IV•On the Evolution of Software (and a “Perfecter and Perfecter” Program)310BACKUP V•“3-D” versus Mail-Order Software—and How to Shop319BACKUP VI•“Easy” Data Bases: Another View (Mensa Member Versus InfoStar)323BACKUP VII•Graphics Tips331BACKUP VIII•Consultant Contracts: Some Who-How Questions339BACKUP IX•Window Shopping343BACKUP X•Of Mice and Men—and Touch Pads, Touch Screens, Etc.346BACKUP XI•The Micro Connection: Some Critical Explanations349BACKUP XII•MODEM7: An Almost-Free and Fairly Easy Way to Talk to Other Computers354BACKUP XIII•Why Not an Electronic Peace Corps?366INDEX•375

Contents

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The

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