The Silicon Jungle by David H. Rothman

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Silicon Jungle This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. *** This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg eBook. Details Below. *** *** Please follow the copyright guidelines in this file. *** Title: The Silicon Jungle Author: David H. Rothman Release date: March 14, 2017 [eBook #54360] Most recently updated: October 23, 2024 Language: English Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54360 Credits: Produced by KD Weeks, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SILICON JUNGLE *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriber’s Note: This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. The text utilized a variety of fonts, effects which cannot be represented here. Footnotes have been resequenced to be unique within the text. They have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are referenced. Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. “David Rothman’s SILICON JUNGLE is an aphrodisiac for anyone interested in the computer revolution. There is a real sense of self-liberation for the reader, in whose mind the dawn lights up the incredible, awful, wonderful reach of the little computer chip.” William F. Buckley, Jr. “Everything you’ve always wanted to know about computers but were afraid to ask for fear of not getting a straight answer in plain English. David Rothman is Indiana Jones, guiding us through the hype, hardware, software, and confusing jargon of THE SILICON JUNGLE.” Bettina Gregory ABC News Correspondent and IBM PCXT owner “David Rothman’s SILICON JUNGLE is an inspired, fast-paced, often maniacal view of today’s microcomputer scene. While laced with hard facts, Rothman’s anecdotal style makes the book fun reading. The perfect book for the newcomer to the scene and the old-timer lost in the jungle.” John C. Dvorak Technology columnist, _The San Francisco Examiner_ and _InfoWorld_ “THE SILICON JUNGLE has proved helpful in both my business and personal use of computers. It is down-to-earth, easy to understand, and has made me and my computers better friends.” Ellen R. Gordon, President Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. “THE SILICON JUNGLE is an insightful book that provides a foundation for dealing with the complicated world of personal computers.” Chris Christiansen Senior Analyst The Yankee Group “Of all the books about computers, THE SILICON JUNGLE is the best I’ve seen.... Fun to read and Instructional as well. David Rothman not only blazes a sure path through the jungle, but he has told us almost everything there is to tell about the computer world at this point—and told it very well.” Jerald F. Terhorst Ford Motor Executive DAVID H. ROTHMAN _The_ SILICON JUNGLE BALLANTINE BOOKS · NEW YORK Copyright © 1985 David H. Rothman All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 85-90645 ISBN 0-345-32063-8 Manufactured in the United States of America First Edition: July 1985 WITH LOVE TO HARRY AND HORTENSE ROTHMAN Special thanks to Michael Canyes, Mack Truslow, David Fay Smith, Don Carrol, Robert B. Wyatt, Richard McCoy, Frank Lavena, Pat Ehresmann, Ruth Aley and Berenice Hoffman Contents 1 • The Silicon Jungle 1 2 • The Kaypro Phenomenon: How Solana Beach Took on Silicon Valley 14 3 • After the War 36 4 • WordStar: The Creators 45 5 • The Select Word Processor: Martin Dean versus the Command-Driven Restaurants 65 6 • Three Software Stories: Motorcycles, Homes, and the $200,000-a-Year Disk 73 7 • Graphics (or How a Mouse Helped Joe Shelton’s Friends Stop Feeling Like Rats) 93 8 • People: The Who-How Solution 100 9 • The Hal Syndrome 128 10 • Jewels that Blip 163 11 • Wired to Work 200 12 • How I Found “God” on MCI (and a Few Other Odds and Ends About Electronic Mail) 228 13 • Net Gain$ 234 14 • As the Jungle Thickens (AKA the Great Modeming) 249 Afterword 271 BACKUP • More Tips and Tales from the Jungle 279 BACKUP I • Twenty-Six Questions to Ask at (and About) the Computer Store 281 BACKUP II • A Few Grouchy Words on Printers 294 BACKUP III • The Lucky 13: What to Look for in Choosing Software 302 BACKUP IV • On the Evolution of Software (and a “Perfecter and Perfecter” Program) 310 BACKUP V • “3-D” versus Mail-Order Software—and How to Shop 319 BACKUP VI • “Easy” Data Bases: Another View (Mensa Member Versus InfoStar) 323 BACKUP VII • Graphics Tips 331 BACKUP VIII • Consultant Contracts: Some Who-How Questions 339 BACKUP IX • Window Shopping 343 BACKUP X • Of Mice and Men—and Touch Pads, Touch Screens, Etc. 346 BACKUP XI • The Micro Connection: Some Critical Explanations 349 BACKUP XII • MODEM7: An Almost-Free and Fairly Easy Way to Talk to Other Computers 354 BACKUP XIII • Why Not an Electronic Peace Corps? 366 INDEX • 375 _The_ SILICON JUNGLE 1 ❑ The Silicon Jungle Americans are fighting each other not just in the marketplace but also in the Silicon Jungle. The jungle isn’t greenery. It isn’t land. It’s nothing more than the mineral in tiny computer chips that switch electronic impulses. But a jungle it is: ● Airline X accused Airline Y of electronically sabotaging X’s reservations operation and contributing to a $733-million bankruptcy. The charges may have been false. But their very existence dramatized the increasing link between computer security and corporate survival. ● Car thieves have computerized to keep better track of hot auto parts. That’s bad news not only for police but also for rival thieves with antiquated record keeping. Meanwhile, a hooker ring, too, has automated. And a gambling operation analyzed its profits daily through a big computer hooked up to smaller ones in forty-three cities.[1] ● An editor confesses he snooped on the competition by figuring out the computer password of Brand X newspaper (“it’s like playing Scrabble—a matter of time and an interested mind”). ● Millions of more scrupulous Americans are increasingly relying on micros to outwit their rivals. Footnote 1: _Computerworld_, July 23, 1984, is the source of the reports on criminals’ use of computers. Consider two deadline-ridden lawyers locked in combat over the same case. Lawyer A might ferret out legal precedents through eye-straining research at libraries, while B could cover the same territory in minutes through the right taps on a new IBM personal computer. Siliconized war is “in” between and among giants and gnats. “One hundred years ago in Colorado, the Colt .44 was a great equalizer,” a westerner once said; now he said his suitcase-sized micro was. Today better machines sell for around $1,000. With trimmings they can: ● Electronically zip messages to other computers and people across the country. ● Be word processors, doubling some writers’ production. ● Prepare spreadsheets, which help businesses quickly calculate the future costs of providing products or services. ● Keep records electronically. ● Help you whip up jazzy charts to whet your boss’s interest in your work—in a nice way. This book will tell you how to make the best use of portables and other business computers wherever you are—large company, small, or on your own. Big bureaucracy is here, also, complete with the Case of the Missing Cafeteria (explained in Chapter 7). Instead of hearing just about computers in the abstract, you’ll learn about them in life. Arthur C. Clarke, the world-famous science-fiction novelist who wrote _2001_ and _2010_, will tell how WordStar software made him “a born-again writer.” And the FBI, top consultants, and a felon named Captain Zap will warn against electronic crooks. There’ll be computer tips, too, from obscure but savvy business people, such as a New York real estate executive whose micro skills lead to his six-figure income. You’ll also hear from some stars of the industry, including WordStar’s creators, and you’ll learn how their lives and philosophies tie in with the products on sale at your local computer store. We begin with the Ten (Micro) Commandments: DON’T FALL FOR THE SOFT SELL—OR HARD SELL. THE COMPUTER BUSINESS IS A JUNGLE. “This machine here is a Mercedes,” a Radio Shack man once told me. “Apple’s the Ford. You want to buy a Mercedes or a Ford?” How do you cut through the hype to buy a machine that is better than your competitor’s? You’ve got your own jungle to survive, and, by learning how computer firms make and market their offerings, you’ll be a better shopper. Especially beware of the computer hawker who says he’s a “technician” with your interest in mind. BUT REMEMBER THAT GOOD GUYS CAN FINISH FIRST. The New York executive saved his blue-chip company a fortune and won his $100,000-plus salary without firing anyone, groveling before his boss, or cheapening a product or service. By picking the right computer or program, you just might get a head start on the office toady. AVOID THE SNACK-FOOD PROGRAMS—THE ONES EASY TO LEARN BUT LESS SATISFYING TO USE. With press agents and flashy boxes for disks, the software market is going Hollywood. It’s also, however, becoming more like the cupcake industry—geared not to nourish but to please instantly. Some marketeers are trying to displace good, solid business programs with Twinkie-like products that _sell_ well but don’t _work_ well. LEARN ABOUT COMPUTERS AS THEY RELATE TO YOUR JOB. Normally, you and your employees needn’t become true computer experts. In most cases you’ll lack the time or talent to write the programs you need to be fully competitive. Very likely you can use off-the-shelf software instead. Also, you can find the right computer consultant and carefully oversee his work; this book will help you avoid gobblers. BE HUMANE—PROFITABLY. Micros can be efficient and humane at the same time. Don’t confuse _The Silicon Jungle_ with _Winning through Intimidation_. Often, for instance, some humanity can improve your efficiency by lowering the number of errors your people may make. This book tells how to choose equipment that’s easiest on your people’s eyes and backbones. BONE UP ON COMPUTER CRIME—BUT DON’T NEGLECT ROUTINE WAYS OF MAKING YOUR ELECTRONIC RECORDS SAFE. You should worry about computer crime, while not neglecting garden-variety problems of “data security,” like coffee spilled on floppy disks. Pity a poor wedding-cake maker. The other day on the radio I heard that he couldn’t fill his orders because a forgetful computer had wiped them from its memory. “WIRE IN” TO TELECOMMUTING IF IT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR COMPANY—AND PERHAPS SAVE THOUSANDS IN OFFICE RENTS. Working at home on a computer isn’t for everyone. Some jobs will always require face-to-face contact. Telecommuting, however, is a nifty new way to gain an edge on the competition while ending some workers’ rush-hour woes. Say, you now spend $4,000 annually on rented space for each employee. Allowing home work may save you more than $8,000 per telecommuter, totaled up over five years, if your tax rate is 35 percent. REJOICE! MOST LIKELY YOU’LL JUSTIFY YOUR TRAVAIL. Computerization is harder than your friendly computer store might lead you to believe, but most likely you’ll justify your travail. Someone once said he never knew of an author who gave up his computer and returned to a pen. I’ll buy that. THROUGH IT ALL, KNOW WHAT THE OTHER GUY’S UP TO. You’re better off if you know what the other guy—or woman—is up to. This book is, frankly, for top executives and mid-level people, small businessmen, and professionals. And if your employees read it? Well, so much the better. “You” here is many people. Some of my most enterprising readers, by the way, won’t just be interested in computers for themselves or their companies. They’ll also see them as marketing opportunities involving the rest of the world. Take Mike Bell, a Xerox executive. We talked about munytels—neighbor centers offering child care and other services for people “commuting” to the office via computer. And Mike had an idea. Why not _franchise_ the munytels like McDonald’s hamburger stands? Maybe Xerox will start a Munytel Division. The “other guy” principle also applies to small businessmen selling to the Xeroxes of this world. If you know how the data-processing people think in a large corporation, you may be more understanding if you’re having problems hooking up to a large customer’s computer. Likewise, the “other guy” idea can help businessmen keep up with competitors and appreciate their own employees’ computer-related fears. In short, this book is for people who want to survive—and make money—by _listening_. Ranging over many topics, it may come across as a series of essays rather than a normal guide. So be it. I’m not going to cheat you of helpful facts that _most_ readers won’t care about or that are far removed from the main thrusts of the chapters. You may be desperate for this very material. And items at the ends of the chapters will refer you to “Backup: More Tales and Tips from the Jungle.” “Backup” follows my main book. =BREAK OUT OF THE USERS-GUIDE GHETTO.= You already have. _The Silicon Jungle_ is for owners and prospective owners of Radio Shacks, Apples, IBMs—all kinds of machines. _Do_ buy a guide for your model of computer or your pet software program; this book isn’t a replacement. It offers, however, more detachment than a guide touting the virtues of a single machine. I’ll write about the computer I own—yes, I have my biases—but it’ll be as an example, not as the final answer. Frankly, _for graphics work alone_, my Kaypro II would not suffice. The screen isn’t good enough. The Kaypro’s electronic brain just is not very visually inclined, and all in all, I’d be far better off doing charts with an Apple Macintosh. Many good paths wind through the Silicon Jungle. ■ ■ ■ There’s no doubt—the computer business _is_ a jungle. While I was writing this book, Osborne Computers filed for bankruptcy under Chapter XI. “I’m just devastated,” said Adam Osborne. The previous year, his firm had sold 110,000 portable computers listing at $1,795. I, too, was sorry he’d failed. Osborne’s was the first company to produce a bargain-priced business computer with good, free software thrown in. If his company hadn’t revived itself under new management, the industry would have offered buyers that much less choice. Part of Osborne’s problem were his marketing blunders. Also, however, an arch rival, Kaypro, had come out with a better machine. I bought one. Chapters 2 and 3 tell how Kaypro has fought Osborne and other foes—wars of interest to you, since you’ll win a better deal if you know about micro-makers and the origins of their computers. While this chapter and the next one focus on Kaypros, much in them would apply to other machines. Most microcomputers don’t emerge from tile-floored laboratories; instead, they come from companies that refine existing technology and carve out niches in the marketplace. But what’s “refine”? High tech is enough of a gamble for the more solid computer makers. Shakier ones can be reckless, and often at customers’ expense. A newspaper perceptively observed, “Computers are hyped before they’re ready, announced before they’re shipped and sometimes outdated and outpriced before they reach retailers’ shelves.” I’ll try to _help_ you find the machine that’s best for you—not necessarily the one that computer hustlers envision on your desk. Beware: ● In Maryland, a sail maker ended up with a micro useless as anything but an anchor. ● A midwestern company sued a major micro maker for $456,000 because an $8,000 computer allegedly didn’t perform as advertised. ● A construction executive invested over $9,000 in a name-brand computer but could do next to nothing with it, while a colleague was making out fine with a little Zenith micro selling for around half the price. “I’ve seen too many company presidents march through there hoping to make a final decision in less than an hour,” said a sales manager at a Michigan computer store. “In almost every case he’s ended up paying either too much for the right equipment or too little for the wrong equipment.”[2] Footnote 2: The Michigan quote comes from a magazine article by Washington writer Joel Makower. Just as important as the hardware—the computers and other machines—are the programs on those plastic disks. In fact, you should even think “software” before you do hardware, because your machine will be useless if it doesn’t do the tasks you want it to. And the programs supply these necessary instructions. More than thirty thousand programs for micros are on the market; so _The Silicon Jungle_ can’t say which one is exactly right for you, but it can help you find out for yourself by showing how a software classic comes into existence.[3] Footnote 3: Chris Christiansen, with the Yankee Group, a Boston-based marketing research firm, offered the estimate on the number of programs. I talked to Seymour Rubinstein and Rob Barnaby—the subjects of Chapter 4, “WordStar: The Creators”—and learned that Barnaby and I had some common work habits. Maybe that’s why I like WordStar so much. I feel as if the people behind it used ESP to discover how I liked to move words around on my spooky green screen. Some complain that WordStar is too complex. I disagree. New versions of WordStar and other programs, however, will become simpler to learn as the machines themselves grow more powerful. The new WordStar 2000 is an example. Smart production-minded buyers meanwhile should avoid the “user-friendly” software that’s easy to learn but hard to use. One example is the Select, a clunky word processor discussed in Chapter 5 after WordStar. I expressed my loathing with my wallet. Although Select came free with my Kaypro, I junked it. Had I not spent my $250 on WordStar, I would have taken much, much longer to write this book.[4] Footnote 4: Kaypro, too, junked Select. Select Information Systems claims that’s because Kaypro wanted a cheaper word processor. Kaypro says it was unhappy with Select because it didn’t work right with some printers. In Chapter 6, “Three Software Stories,” businessmen tell how they coexisted—or didn’t—with their software. One of them is the New York real estate executive mentioned earlier. He saved his new employer $200,000 a year by boning up on software and using micros rather than expensive time and an outside company’s mainframe. A Maryland construction executive did well, too. He thinks his software knowledge helped him snare a new job as a company president with one-third interest in the firm. Like the New Yorker, he successfully concentrated on micros as they related to his job. Another man, an accountant good at his work but uneasy around computers, offers some observations on the failings of existing software and his difficulties finding the right program. Graphics will be one of the hotter software topics over the next few years, now that cheap computers can do more visual tricks. And in