tlt@ihldt.UUCP (08/26/83)
Why is it that the Apple computer is so popular? What can it do besides run games? Is it anything more than an expensive desktop calculator (in reference to the spreadsheet programs)? Do small businesses actually use Apple computers for anything useful? How far can you push an Apple before it runs out of gas. (not very far, I would guess) How does Apple's OS compare to CP/M?
ditzel@ssc-vax.UUCP (Charles L Ditzel) (08/26/83)
I am not an apple user but peruse net.apple because sometimes there is something of value to me. I own an atari 800 and I'm fairly abreast of applications that micros are used for. I know for a fact that a california based architect uses apples as a means of producing layouts (drawings). The apple is the core of this computer aided design system! The drawings are created on the apples and then printed out on a big drum plotter. Actually pretty impressive. I know also that more than a few companies use apples for computer-aided design purposes. Among them: an aircraft manufacturer, architects, engineers,... I know also that a pretty high number of small businesses are currently using the Apple (Atari - less so , I've only heard of two or three) as the basis for doing their inventory. The kite store my wife managed for a couple of years did their books with an apple and kept track of their inventory in the same way. My brother-in-law's father is using an apple to keep track of his drug store's inventory. I really believe that *alot* of small businesses use apples. As to the question of how far can you push an apple...i don't know. I know that in the cases I've cited the apple has performed reliably and once the people(who before this had never touched a computer) became familiar with the machines, the question of what OS the machine used probably was of little concern to them. Most people running small and some not-so-small businesses don't need the power of a CYBER. This subject is an interesting one to me...i wonder how many other things are done on apples[or ataris or 64s or franklins]?
fran@cbscc.UUCP (08/30/83)
First, I think that many small businesses DO use the Apple II. Your assumption that it will run out of gas pretty quick is not too accurate. It is slow for many jobs, but for the single user kind of operation, this is not too noticeable. Among the "business" kinds of things I have done on the apple: POLLSTER- Survey preparation, data collection and analysis program. formatted a printed form for about 50 questions, answers multiple choice, keyword, and numerical data. Set us analysis template at the same time as it printed out the master form. (Paper copies given to phone team) Collected results (with error correction) from the marked papers. Printed analysis of results, with confidence intervals, etc. -- used with a school levey in the local community. about 500 respondants. Newsletter Manager - maintained the mailing lists, subscription information, and invoicing for technical newsletter to about 1000. produced invoices, labels, mailing labels, reminder letters, dunning letters, etc. Both of the above in PASCAL. Simulations in (ugh!) Basic. Roll replacement stategies for vertical cold mills. Simulation for MBA project. Ditto for several traffic simulations. Only problem with BASIC is the lack of the distributions as an internal function. You fake them or approximate them mathematically. Depreciation, and profit/loss on 6 apartment units. (Visicalc). General Ledger for a small business. And my most used program, SCREENWRITER II, a quite acceptable word processor which has produced most of my papers for MBA, all of my son's letters to graduate schools, maintains the mailing lists and produces the form letters for a subcommittee of NCTE, and handles all documentation which I want immediate output from at home. (If I need, I carry a floppy to work and move UNIX files to the floppy, and vice versa.) I have not yet picked up a terminal emulation program, and use a vt100 to get to UNIX, and to better printers, and to do Bell Labs stuff. Finally, I have DB Master, a fair dbm program, and the Howardsoft Tax Preparer, which was good until last years rework. I would have tried to make a couple of bucks before the screwed it up, but they kludged it so badly that I wouldn't even try to use it commercially now. (I would be interested in hearing about others.....) Frank Webb The unruffled sage <cbscc!fran> <cbosg!fran>