Computing

This is a big interest area for me. I have been using computers of one sort or another for many years, I predate just about all of the comercial small computers, and it was things like the MK14 and UK101 kit computers that were hitting the mainstream magazines. Things changed when Commodore released the PET computer. 6502 based, small memory, small keyboard, built in cassette drive. The PET had one feature that made it an instant hit in industry, the IEE 488 interface (a.k.a HP GPIB) this enabled it to control many different types of test instrumentation. I ended up designing automatic test equipment based around this computer. As luck would have it, I seemed to stick with the Commodore range of computers, I have a small collection, PET, +4, C64, C128D, A2000, A4000. also in the collection are a couple of MK14's and a Jupiter ACE. A few PC's have also entered the shack as well.

For quite a few years I was involved with the magazines Commodore Computing International, and later Amiga User International. I wrote the Amiga Answers pages of AUI. Sadly both publications have ceased publication.

All sorts of speculation regarding the Amiga is flying about at the moment. One development that seems to bode well is the deal struck with TAO which should form the basis of the Amiga OS when and if a new system is produced.

I do write the odd lines of code, but I have never released anything comercially. Most of the code that I have produced commercially is used in imbedded / custom systems, which I would think have long since been replaced with more modern systems.