The Cutting Edge: COMPUTING / TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION : It Was a Very Good Year in Computer World : Lower Personal Computer Prices Were Just One of 1994’s Welcome Developments
If you’re still struggling to get your Christmas PC to work properly--or if you’re still waiting for your replacement Pentium chip to arrive in the mail--you may not believe this, but 1994 was a very good year in the computer world. Prices continued to fall as home users, once shunned in favor of business buyers, started buying PCs by the millions. The 66-megahertz 486 central processing unit--considered the high-end chip at the beginning of the year, is now the mainstream CPU.
In the meantime, the Pentium, despite its well-publicized flaw, became a serious contender for both home and office use, with complete systems selling for as little as $1,500 by year-end. 486 systems could be found for as little as $800--about 20% cheaper than a year ago. Even notebook PCs, which once carried a hefty premium, have dropped into the $1,000 to $1,200 range.
1994 was a good year for Apple as well: the company hit a home run with its Power Macintosh line, which features the Power PC microprocessor co-developed by Apple, Motorola and IBM. The Power Macs, as promised, can run virtually all previous Macintosh software but they really shine when running programs designed for the machine’s CPU.
Programs written specifically for the Power Mac rolled out a little slower than Apple had hoped, but there are now plenty to choose from, including the leading programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect and ClarisWorks. Apple’s prices, while a bit higher than equivalent IBM compatibles, are no longer out of sight--making them a viable option even for budget-minded consumers.
Intel would have hit at least a triple with its Pentium systems had it not been for a foul ball: The CPU can make division errors under some circumstances, forcing Intel to offer replacements for millions of flawed chips. Even without a replacement chip, Pentiums are still fine for typical home applications including word processing, graphics, communications and home finances.
CD-ROM drives finally caught on in 1994, and they are now included in many new home systems. If you buy a CD-ROM drive, make sure it’s at least double speed--some newer CDs won’t run on slower drives. If it’s for a young child, be sure you get one that doesn’t require you to insert the disc into a special caddy before slipping it into the machine. As my 8-year-old discovered, opening a caddy can be tricky for people with little hands.
I have CD-ROM drives on my Mac and two IBM compatible PCs, and I’m happy to report that the Mac was able to run every CD program I tested. I can’t say the same for the PCs. A lot of the many Windows and MS-DOS discs I tested this year didn’t run correctly--at least not right out of the box.
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I’ve learned a couple of lessons here: Never install CD programs while kids are watching because they’re too often disappointed when the program doesn’t run correctly. And when you buy CD-ROMs, be sure the dealer agrees to take them back if they don’t work. Don’t accept a “replacement disc” guarantee. If a CD doesn’t work, chances are that an identical replacement will have the same problem.
Let’s hope that 1995 will be the year that the software industry begins to clean up its act in this regard. Imagine if we had these problems with VCRs, cameras and other devices. Computer companies are only beginning to understand the demands of real consumer products.
1994 was a great year for children’s software. My children, Katherine, 10, and William, 8, like “Real World Math: Adventures in Flight” (Windows and Mac) from Sanctuary Woods, which teaches children about aviation while enhancing their math skills. They’re also very fond of Davidson’s Flying Colors (Windows and Mac), a great painting program that lets them add a spectacular shimmering effect to their creations. Their favorite new program is Claris’ Amazing Animation (Mac), which lets them create their own animated mini-features by clicking on a stamp and using the mouse to move it about the screen.
Some programs introduced in 1994 have been a flop with my family. Microsoft’s Creative Writer, ostensibly a writing tool for children, is full of wacky sounds and zany cartoon characters. But it doesn’t follow the Windows user interface standards, comes with very little documentation, and is hard to use for its intended purpose. Katherine tried to use the program for a school writing project but quickly became confused by all the strange icons. I finally had to pull her away from the computer because the program was affecting her self-esteem. William, who’s exceptionally good with software, couldn’t figure it out either. For that matter, neither could I. Both of my kids find it easier to do their writing with Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or Microsoft Works.
1994 was a huge year for the on-line world. America Online says it tripled its membership to 1.25 million users, and CompuServe says it grew from 1.5 million to 2.5 million. Prodigy experienced modest growth during the year. (Unlike TV, newspapers and magazines, there are no audit bureaus to verify the accuracy of company subscriber claims.)
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The Internet also grew like Topsy, though hard numbers here are equally hard to find.
And Microsoft, which has long been criticized for allegedly trying to monopolize key segments of the computer industry, announced its own on-line service, the Microsoft Network. It should get a big--and some say unfair--jump start by being bundled with Windows 95, the new Microsoft operating system. And now Microsoft is going after my business. The New York Times syndicate is going to distribute a column by Bill Gates. Is no one safe?
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Computer File welcomes your comments. Write to Lawrence J. Magid at magid@latimes.com on the Internet or KPVN58A on Prodigy.
More Computer File
* Find a collection of recent columns by Larry Magid and Richard O’Reilly on the TimesLink on-line service, along with articles on computing “just for the fun of it” and recent news coverage of the computer industry.
Details on Times electronic services, B4
