Desk-Top Revolution

When personal computers first came in, people understandably wondered what they might be used for, and, truth to tell, manufacturers had a hard time coming up with a good answer. Some predicted that computers would be used to store recipes, but this seemed like using a sledgehammer to put a nail in the wall. A little box of index cards is more than adequate for cooking.

But the future almost always comes from around a corner where you aren’t looking, and so it has again. Personal computers have been used for several years as souped-up typewriters. Now they are being turned into printing presses as well--a development that could revolutionize the way words reach the printed page. Desk-top publishing is the hottest thing to hit computers since Pacman.

This has been made possible by the laser printer--a device that uses laser beams to create letters, pictures, graphs and what have you. These $3,000-or-so gizmos have great flexibility. When hooked up to a computer with appropriate software, they are the virtual equals of a full print shop. Individuals and businesses are doing away with typesetting and paste-up, which are costly and time-consuming. Computer stores are burgeoning with software for desk-top publishing, and with books and magazines that explain how to do it.

The prospects and promise of this unpredicted technology are as far reaching as those of Gutenberg’s original invention. Computers, which many people feared would homogenize the world and provide the means of centralized control, are enhancing individuality and creativity. It is hard to imagine where desk-top publishing will lead, but it is easy to see that it is an extraordinary advance in the history of communication.