[ale] [EXTERNAL] Re: In case you missed it

Steve Litt slitt at troubleshooters.com
Thu Oct 15 02:23:23 EDT 2020


On my Kaypro 2x, I used Wordstar and Turbo Pascal 2.0.

SteveT


On Wed, 14 Oct 2020 13:43:12 -0400 (EDT)
JEFFREY LIGHTNER via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:

> Prior to Wordperfect was Wordstar.   Wordperfect was simpler to use.
> Of course MS gave away Word to kill Wordperfect.
> 
> One of the things Symphony did was it had a word processing mode and
> I suspect Ami Pro was a derivation of that word processing
> functionality.
> 
> 
> >     On 10/14/2020 1:22 PM Jim Kinney <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >     I used Lotus Ami Pro word processor. One floppy. Worked like a
> > champ.
> > 
> >     On October 14, 2020 11:28:05 AM EDT, JEFFREY LIGHTNER via Ale
> > <ale at ale.org> wrote: 
> >         > >         Lotus 123 was the up and coming "killer app"
> >         > > for IBM PCs and had supplanted VisiCalc so I never used
> >         > > the latter.  I did have a personal Adam Computer
> >         > > (Coleco's offering back in the day) which had Coleco
> >         > > Calc installed.  It was woefully painful to use compare
> >         > > to 123 on PC compatibles.  
> > > 
> > >         Lotus made Symphony as an extension of 123 (it had the
> > > features of 123 plus others not in 123).  In the late 80s I had a
> > > boss bring SuperCalc in as he thought it was the greatest thing
> > > since sliced bread.  I used to kid him that it was actually a
> > > communist plot to reduce America's technological superiority.  :-)
> > > 
> > >         He told me once that there was nothing Lotus could do
> > > that SuperCalc couldn't.  I had him pull up the copy of Symphony
> > > I'd installed on his PC then attach via serial to our UNIX based
> > > Property Management System using its built in terminal emulator.
> > >  He admitted SuperCalc couldn't do that.  - I didn't tell him 123
> > > couldn't either.  :-)
> > > 
> > >         There was another one around in those days I think from
> > > Borland.   It seemed to be OK as well but I never saw the need to
> > > go away from Lotus until MS began giving Exel away.   (Even then
> > > I resisted but eventually corporate America killed Lotus.
> > > Interestingly after that MS no longer saw the need to give away
> > > office software.)
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > >   
> > >             > > >             On 10/09/2020 11:06 PM Jim Kinney
> > >             > > > via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:  
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > >             I used sc on a slackware install.
> > > > 
> > > >             On October 9, 2020 10:51:08 PM EDT, James Taylor
> > > > via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote: 
> > > >                 > > > >   
> > > > >                 However, now that I think of it, SuperCalc. 
> > > > >                  
> > > > >   
> > > > >                     > > > > >   
> > > > > >                         > > > > > >   
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > James Taylor
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > via Ale
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > <ale at ale.org>
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > 10/9/2020 10:49
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > PM >>>  
> > > > > > > >   
> > > > > > > >                         > > > > > >   
> > > > > > >                     > > > > >   
> > > > > >                 > > > >   
> > > > >                 dBase II on an Osborne.
> > > > >                 Not a spreadsheet, but close enough for then.
> > > > >                  
> > > > > 
> > > > >                 James Taylor
> > > > >                 678-697-9420
> > > > >                 james.taylor at eastcobbgroup.com
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > >   
> > > > >                     > > > > >   
> > > > > >                         > > > > > >   
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > Scott Plante
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > via Ale
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > <ale at ale.org>
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > 10/9/2020 2:19
> > > > > > >                             > > > > > > > PM >>>  
> > > > > > > >   
> > > > > > > >                         > > > > > >   
> > > > > > >                     > > > > >   
> > > > > >                 > > > >   
> > > > >                 I had Visicalc on my TRS-80 Model 4! :-P
> > > > > 
> > > > >                 On Thu, Oct 8, 2020 at 11:51 AM JEFFREY
> > > > > LIGHTNER via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> > > > > 
> > > > >   
> > > > >                     > > > > > I got my start doing
> > > > >                     > > > > > spreadsheets in Lotus 123
> > > > >                     > > > > > Version 1.A when I was in  
> > > > > >                     Accounting. One can do fairly
> > > > > > sophisticated modeling and programming within spreadsheets
> > > > > > but even I knew when to move to a database tool.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     Paradox anyone? :D
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     Back in the 80s if one submitted a hand
> > > > > > written form with calculations on it, any errors were
> > > > > > immediately pointed out by at least one recipient.. However
> > > > > > as things moved to spreadsheets printed out people would
> > > > > > assume they were completely correct because "computers
> > > > > > don't make mistakes" and not notice very obvious issues
> > > > > > caused by bad formulas or just bad input. GIGO is real.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     On 10/07/2020 7:06 PM Jim Kinney via
> > > > > > Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     BWAHAHAHA!!!
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     crash....
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     On October 7, 2020 3:17:31 PM EDT,
> > > > > > DJ-Pfulio via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     But, but, but I can connect to the 5TB
> > > > > > production Informix DB with Excel using an ODBC driver.
> > > > > > That's completely awesome!
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     What? You mean when I do that,
> > > > > > production transaction rates drop 80%? No way! I don't
> > > > > > believe you.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     /s
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     On 10/7/20 2:33 PM, Beddingfield, Allen
> > > > > > via Ale wrote:
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     I've been fighting the "a spreadsheet
> > > > > > is not a database, and Access is not much better" war for
> > > > > > about 25 years.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     From: Ale
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     <ale-bounces at ale.org> on behalf of Pete
> > > > > > Hardie via Ale <ale at ale.org> Sent: Wednesday, October 7,
> > > > > > 2020 1:26 PM To: Jim Kinney; Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> > > > > > Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [ale] In case you missed it
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     Once again, I repeat my frequent
> > > > > > assertion that a spreadsheet is not a database, and your
> > > > > > admin assistant probably does not have a CS/Programming
> > > > > > degree
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 2:19 PM Jim
> > > > > > Kinney via Ale <ale at ale.org<mailto:ale at ale.org>> wrote:
> > > > > > Excel blew up in the faces of UK healthcare.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/05/excel_england_coronavirus_contact_error/
> > > > > >                     ---------------------------------------------
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> > > > > >                     Ale at ale.org
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> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > >                     --
> > > > > >                     Computers amplify human error
> > > > > >                     Super computers are really
> > > > > >                     cool_______________________________________________
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> > > > > >                     Ale at ale.org
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> > > > > > 
> > > > > >   
> > > > > >                 > > > >                 ---------------------------------------------
> > > > > >                 > > > >  
> > > > > 
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> > > > > 
> > > > >                 ---------------------------------------------
> > > > > 
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> > > > >                 See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
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> > > > >   
> > > > >             > > >   
> > > >             --
> > > >             Computers amplify human error
> > > >             Super computers are really
> > > > cool_______________________________________________ Ale mailing
> > > > list Ale at ale.org
> > > >             https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > > >             See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > > >             http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> > > >   
> > > >         > >   
> > >     >   
> >     --
> >     Computers amplify human error
> >     Super computers are really cool
> >   



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