[Coco] Thoughts on modern computers (sort of off topic)

[Jay Coleman]

  True, there's no programming anything out of the box, but it's really 
unneeded.

The resources given by the internet make it far easier to learn 
programming.  I started in with a CoCo 2 and "Getting Started with Color 
Basic", but finding much more required scouring my small town library or 
taking advantage of library exchange programs (if I could find out what 
held what I wanted in the first place).  Now, a google search for "how 
to program in X" or "beginning X" will return all you need to get 
started in seconds.  There are a number of forums where newbies can ask 
questions, and get accurate, detailed responses within hours.  It took 
me several weeks to become reasonably proficient in C on my own, with 
only a book, and no one to ask questions or places to look for 
examples.  Now, all that is a few clicks away.  Error messages returned 
by the languages are typically much more useful, often pointing directly 
to and describing the error made.  There are great languages that did 
not even exist when I started; I haven't learned python myself, but I 
can see why it is often recommended as a beginning language.  It is easy 
to read, has a very clear syntax, is strongly typed, contains GUI tools 
out of the box but you don't have to use them, and scales well for 
larger projects.  And its completely free, even for commercial use.  
I'll likely be learning python next, and everything I need to learn it 
is free and easy to access.

I do my programming under linux, but all the common languages are freely 
available for windows.  Python, perl, GCC, and so on are just a download 
and install.  High quality IDEs are available freely, too.  Tutorials 
litter the internet.  Combined with linux (or BSD), you have an OS and 
pretty much every language that you can name that you can easily run on 
anything made in the last 7 years or more, completely free, with a world 
full of support.  Every school and library in the country offers high 
speed internet access.  When I started in 83, the cheapest computer you 
could get your hands on ran some $300-400 in today's money.  I regularly 
/give away/ computers that can easily run linux and they beat the pants 
off of anything commonly available even ten years ago. It's a wonderful 
time to be a broke, inquisitive kid.  The only comparable time I can 
think of would have been the late 40's/early 50's with all the mil 
surplus radio equipment flying around.

If there's nothing that comes with the box, it may well be because there 
is so much easily available that could never fit inside.

Jay

On 1/31/2012 8:11 AM, Louis Ciotti wrote:
> This morning I was reading through a post about the Plug 'n' Power module
> and it mentiond some article in rainbow magizine.  I downloaded the first
> issue mentiond, and parusing through it got me thinking about modern
> computers and how people use them now.  My first computer was a CoCo 2 back
> when I was in elementary school.  I can remember spending hours writing
> programs in basic, and playing the various games avaibable on it.  My
> father also used it to generated billing invoices for work he did for
> second income.  These programs would be considered simple by todays
> standards, even crude with their text only UI.  Anyway I got to thinking,
> back in the early days people could by a computer like a CoCo and with very
> little extra investment be creating personalized programs in short order.
> I mused over what it would take for someone to do so today.  After purchase
> of a computer, they then have to learn alot more before they can begin
> programming anything.  The mainstream computer arena is split between
> windows and mac.  I have no experience with modern macs and my windows
> experience is holding steady with XP, so I cannot really say for sure, but
> out of the box there is no method for one to start learning how to create
> programs.  There is now "basic" included with them.  In the windows arena
> you have to download something (i.e. MS VB, or Java) and start wading
> through how to manipulate graphics, windows, buttons, etc.  My first
> IBM/compatible with MS-DOS 4.01 at lease had GW-baisc where one could be
> creative.