Jim: I started on Commodore micros before Commodore did. Let me explain: the KIM-1 was a single-board 6502 computer made by MOS Technology Ltd., who also designed the 6502 itself. Some time after the KIM-1 was launched, Commodore acquired MOS Technology Ltd., and with it the KIM-1 and plans for a new computer called the PET 2001.
The 6502 was a greatly improved redesign of Motorola's 6800. It was not only a well-thought out chip with good performance, but it came at a price that was remarkably low for that time. In fact, the 6502 was a major factor in causing the rest of the industry to drop prices.
Paul: What magazines have you contributed to? What are
some of your fondest memories of having worked with magazines such as RUN, TPUG, Compute! and others?
Jim: Seems to me like most of 'em. The bulk of my writings went to two magazines: Compute!, and The Transactor.
One of the funnier episodes was when Karl Hildon, editor of The
Transactor, decide to put a centerfold in his magazine .. and picked me for it. I assure you that (by popular demand) I was fully clothed.
Paul: What do you believe was Commodore's legacy?
Jim: They pioneered relatively open architecture, in the early days when most home computers were sealed boxes. Jack Tramiel believed in reducing manufacturing costs and engaging in strong price competition, which helped the user community. And .. well, their computers were - are - fun.
Paul: Finally, what do you envison for the future of microcomputing? How has it changed over the years? How is it the same?
Jim: The mainstream PC industry has lost much of the "fun" that I just mentioned. Today, it's a question of what to buy rather than what to devise. As the computer becomes an "appliance", a lower fraction of the user population are interested in the works.
Further along that line: the mainstream industry is now talking about "reduced legacy" machines, which cast off the simpler device connections and go even further into the sealed-box concept.
But there will always be a portion of the user community that's
interested in what's inside. These enthusiasts will continue to devise new programs, new devices .. and hopefully, do it with a sense of whimsy that has been characteristic of past years.
And it must be said: We continue to get more for less. More computer power, more storage, more speed, more graphics; meanwhile, the price will continue to make computers more available to us all.