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

Jim Kinney jim.kinney at gmail.com
Thu Oct 15 07:41:29 EDT 2020


Never could feel a boost from the "turbo" pascal. It always just seemed be "unblown pascal". 

On October 15, 2020 2:23:23 AM EDT, Steve Litt via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
>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/
>> > > > > >                    
>---------------------------------------------
>> > > > > >                     Ale mailing list
>> > > > > >                     Ale at ale.org
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>> > > > > > 
>> > > > > > 
>> > > > > >                     --
>> > > > > >                     Computers amplify human error
>> > > > > >                     Super computers are really
>> > > > > >                    
>cool_______________________________________________
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>> > > > > >                    
>---------------------------------------------
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>> > > > > > 
>> > > > > >   
>> > > > > >                 > > > >                
>---------------------------------------------
>> > > > > >                 > > > >  
>> > > > > 
>> > > > >                 Ale mailing list
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>> > > > > 
>> > > > > 
>> > > > >                 ---------------------------------------------
>> > > > > 
>> > > > >                 Ale mailing list
>> > > > >                 Ale at ale.org
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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
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>> > > >   
>> > > >         > >   
>> > >     >   
>> >     --
>> >     Computers amplify human error
>> >     Super computers are really cool
>> >   
>
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-- 
Computers amplify human error
Super computers are really cool
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